Not Against Flesh and Blood: The Battle We Cannot See

Inspired by insights from Dr. Timothy Keller’s message on Spiritual Warfare (Gospel in Life podcast).

When we turn to Ephesians 6, we come face-to-face with a reality that many in the Western world find unfamiliar: spiritual warfare. In places like Africa, Latin America, and Asia, the idea of a conflict between spiritual good and evil is neither strange nor abstract. It’s part of how many people make sense of the world. But here in Toronto, and in other modern Western cities shaped by secular ideologies, this concept often feels foreign or even uncomfortable.

Yet Scripture is clear: our greatest struggles are not merely with what we can see. Much of what we fight is invisible to the naked eye. Paul reminds us in Ephesians, “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” (Eph. 6:12).

At its core, spiritual warfare often enters our lives as a result of disobedience to God. But definitely not all of it. Sometimes the battle comes simply because we belong to Christ, as the enemy opposes anyone who bears His name. Some flow through generational sin patterns or traumas. Other channels include the occult or dark practices, a fascination with harmful media, gradual desensitization to violence or sexualized content, or even a casual enjoyment of “creepy”or occult-themed entertainment (yes, much of the Halloween creepiness can feed this too). These influences don’t explain everything, but they are real ways the enemy can gain footholds in individuals and communities.

With this in mind, Paul challenges us to consider three critical questions: Who do we fight? What do we fight? And how do we fight?

Who We Fight

First of all, let’s clear one misconception about this verse. Paul is not denying that evil often takes “flesh and blood” form. He himself endured persecution, imprisonment, beatings from people, and was even martyred for his faith in Jesus. But he makes it clear that human evil is not the full picture. Behind visible expressions of cruelty, greed, violence, and injustice lies something deeper—spiritual forces of evil that are “above and beyond” what is merely human.

To ignore this dimension of evil, Paul warns, is to underestimate its depth and pervasiveness.

What We Fight

Paul says we fight against “the devil’s schemes.” The Greek word methodia means strategies, devices, or methods. The devil has an arsenal of lies and tactics, and Scripture warns us not to be unaware of them. One of his strongest weapons (especially in the West) is deception. He distorts the truth about who God is, about His love for us, and about our identity as His image-bearers. If he can twist what we believe about God's character and about ourselves (and our identity in Christ—for those in Christ), he can keep us enslaved to fear, doubt, and sin.

These lies often fall into two categories:

• Temptation – making us think too highly of ourselves, downplaying God’s holiness and power.

  
  

• Accusation – making us think too lowly of ourselves, hiding God’s love.

The Devil’s Temptation Devices

Thomas Brooks outlined practical ways Satan tempts believers in his books: Precious Remedies Against Satan's Devices. Here are a few of his insights:

• Showing the bait but hiding the hook – highlighting short-term pleasure while concealing long-term misery. For example, gossip might feel satisfying in the moment, but it breeds distrust, damages relationships, and poisons community over time.

  
  

• Rationalizing sin as virtue – “I’m not greedy, I’m just thrifty.” “I’m not nosy, I’m just concerned.”

  
  

• Pointing to the sins of others – “Everyone else does it, so it’s fine.”We justify compromise by comparing ourselves to others instead of to God’s standard. For example, a student might cheat on an exam because “everyone else in the class shares answers,” or an employee might pad expense reports because “it’s common practice in the office.” In both cases, sin feels excusable when it’s normalized, but it still corrodes integrity and dishonors God.

  
  

• Overstressing God’s mercy – “It doesn’t matter, God will forgive me anyway.” This is when we twist grace into permission. While God’s grace is abundant, deliberately abusing it cheapens the cross and blinds us to sin’s destructive power in our lives.

  
  

• Making us bitter over suffering – “I’ve sacrificed so much, I deserve this.” This is a common one. Bitterness can easily twist suffering into entitlement.

  
  

• Highlighting the prosperity of the wicked – “Why bother doing right when others succeed without it?” This tactic plays on envy and discouragement. For instance, you will notice someone building wealth through shady business practices while you, striving to act with integrity, struggle to make ends meet. The lie whispers, “Doing the right thing doesn’t pay off. Why keep trying when those who ignore God seem to flourish?”.

  
  

• Comparing one area of obedience with another – “I’m good in these areas, so it’s fine if I compromise here.” This is the trap of selective obedience, where we justify sin by weighing it against areas of faithfulness. As Dr. Keller illustrates, even a mafia hitman might rationalize, “Sure, I kill people—but I’m really good to my mother.”

  
  

Each of these plays on truths twisted into lies—strings within us the devil knows how to strike.

How We Fight

Paul calls us to put on the full armor of God (Eph. 6:11). That armor will be detailed in the verses that follow, but two immediate principles stand out:

• Know the specific devices Satan uses against you. Each of us has patterns of thought or weakness that Satan targets. Awareness is the first step in resisting.

  
  

• Stand firm in the Word. The Word demolishes both temptation and accusation. When tempted, we remember the seriousness of sin. Christ was crucified for it. When accused, we remember the depth of God’s love. Christ died for us while we were still sinners.

Standing Firm

Evil is multi-dimensional: within us, around us, and beyond us. To explain it only in psychological or social terms is to miss the deeper truth: “We wrestle not only with flesh and blood.” At the same time, as Dr. Timothy Keller wisely reminds us, not everything should be attributed to the devil. Scripture identifies three sources of evil: the world, the flesh, and the devil. To put all the blame on Satan oversimplifies the reality of sin and suffering. Sometimes we battle our own sinful desires, sometimes the broken systems of this world, and sometimes direct spiritual opposition. To see only one dimension is to either exaggerate or underestimate the devil’s role.

But here is the greater truth we must never forget: Christ Jesus has already triumphed over the powers of darkness at the cross."It is finished." The call is not to live in fear but to stand firm: rooted in the Word, aware of the enemy’s schemes, and strong in the Lord.

In Christ, we don’t strive to earn authority over evil; we already have it in Him. We’re not trying to become overcomers; we are overcomers in Him. We don’t fight for victory; we fight from victory in Him. We don’t need to defeat the devil; we need to remember he is already defeated by Him.