The images that come to mind when I talk to Christians about the term "Spiritual Warfare" are not necessarily connected to the Biblical idea. Unfortunately they are more often influenced by fiction.
Say what? One idea of spiritual warfare today, that is not Christian at all, is what is presented in TV shows like 'Supernatural'. However, the Bible doesn't explain spiritual warfare as something that involves stabbing demons with magical knives or digging up cursed graves so you can salt and burn the bones. As tempting and entertaining as it might be to watch these shows or read the novels we need to be more diligent and careful to allows the Bible to shape and inform our understanding of spiritual warfare.
Now, having said that, let me quickly re-enforce something. Both Satan and demons are fallen angels and real spiritual beings that are enemies of God and enemies of, those who by virtue of Jesus Christ, are God's children. However they are limited in power, knowledge, time and space. They cannot and are not in every place at every time attacking and oppressing every Christian. But, you will suffer defeat in spiritual warfare if you overlook the one constant enemy that will never leave you in this present life.
That enemy is called "the flesh" or in some translations, "sinful nature". And the biggest weapon it has at it's disposal is pride. Pride or perhaps more specifically, hubris, was the cause of Satan's fall and it is still the number one weapon used to defeat us in spiritual warfare. A heart full of hubris will align you perfectly with Satan and you will quickly become an enemy of God.
In 1655 to 1662 William Gurnall, an English Pastor, published a 3 volume work on spiritual warfare, which has since been republished numerous times, observes that:
A man may be very zealous in prayer, and painstaking in preaching, and all the while pride is the master whom he serves, though in God's livery. It can take sanctuary in the holiest actions, and hide itself under the skirt of virtue itself. Thus, while a man is exercising his charity, pride may be the idol in secret for which he lavished out his gold so freely.[1]
He notes several areas where pride, particularly, affects and defeats Christians.
Most will readily agree that you can be sinfully proud about your gifts (1) being better than others or about having greater privileges (3) than someone else. But the second area seems a little strange. This tells us how easily we can be undone if not alert to spiritual attack in the form of pride.
Pride about grace occurs when we, albeit very subtly, turn away from God and look within ourselves and trust in the grace within us as sufficient to keep us, protect us or otherwise ensure our salvation and spiritual vitality. Gurnall explains:
when a soul puts his trust in any thing beside God, he sets up a prince, a king, an idol, to which he gives God's glory away. Now it doth not make the sin less, that it is the grace of God we crown, than if it were a lust we crowned. It is idolatry to worship a holy angel, as well as a cursed devil; to make our grace our god[2]
We need to be careful that we do not, in our pride, take away from the finished work of Christ as Lord and Saviour.
God hath cast the order of our salvation ... not of grace in us, but grace to us. Inherent grace hath its place and office to accompany salvation, Heb. 6:9, but not procure it. This is Christ's work, not the work of grace. [3]
Isn't this just hair splitting? Gurnall again counsels us:
Gospel comfort springs from a gospel root, which is Christ. Phil. 3:3: 'We are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.' Now, a soul that rests on any holiness in himself, he grafts his comfort upon himself, not Christ; he sucks his own breast, not Christ's, and so makes Christ a dry nurse. [4]
How am I supposed to do to defeat this enemy of pride, if it is so sly that it even disguises itself as a firm grasp of grace? The answer is simple: Turn to Christ!
if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense - Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. ~ 1 John 2:1
Gurnall reminds us of this comfort and assurance which is at the center of the gospel that Jesus, alone, saves from sin:
friends, as you love your inward peace, beware what vessel you draw your comfort from. Grace is finite, and so cannot afford much; it is leaking, and so cannot hold long; thou drinkest in a riven dish that hast thy comforts from thy grace. It is mixed, and so, weak; and weak grace cannot give strong consolation; and such thou needest, especially in strong conflicts. Nay, lastly, thy comfort, which thou drawest from it, is stolen; thou dost not come honestly by it; and stolen comforts will not thrive with thee. Oh, what folly is it for the child to play the thief for that which he may freely and more fully have from his father, who gives and reproacheth not! That comfort which thou wouldst filch out of thy own righteousness and duties, behold it is laid up for thee in Christ, from whose fulness thou mayest carry as much as thy faith can hold, and none to check thee. Yea, the more thou improvest Christ for thy comfort, the more heartily welcome; we are bid to 'open our mouth wide, and he will fill it.'[5]
So, to wage spiritual warfare, you don't need to be a grave robber with a bag of salt. Jesus is the saviour and victor over all sin. Have you turned from your sin and trusted in him?
[1] Gurnall, W., & Campbell, J. 1845.The Christian in Complete Armour (136). Thomas Tegg: London
[2] ibid., (142).
[3] ibid., (143-144).
[4] ibid., (147).
[5] ibid., (148).