“For not even His brothers were believing in Him.” (John 7:5)
Where is the battlefield of our spiritual warfare? Where do we find the greatest activity of Satan and his demons? Is it in the world of the cults? Is it in the gangs that roam our cities? Or is it in the criminal-filled prisons?
I don’t believe any of these places represent the primary battlefields of Satan. Rather those places merely represent the casualties of the real spiritual conflict. Satan already has the gang members and criminals under his control and doesn’t need to fight them.
The real battlefield, where demons spend most of their time, is in the home. Just look at Ephesians 6:10-18, where Paul the apostle describes the great spiritual conflict we endure. What important verses led up to his discussion on spiritual warfare? Paul had just been discussing all the relationships in the home – husbands and wives, parents and children, servants and masters (Ephesians 5:21-6:9). House servants aren’t part of the equation anymore. But Satan wages war against the family.
Doesn’t it make perfect sense? Destroy the marriage and you destroy the family and inflict immeasurable pain on the children. It’s in the home where most of a child’s nurturing and formation take place. It’s where their self-esteem and sense of worth are formed. If Satan can drive a wedge between husband and wife, so that their needs go unmet, then he can impair them from meeting their children’s needs. Think of those gang members and prisoners. Most of them grew up without a father in the home.
Look at Jesus’ own home. Not even His brothers believed in Him. There was conflict in Jesus’ home as well. When Jesus said that a man’s enemies will be the members of his own family (Matthew 10:36), He probably spoke from personal experience.
REFLECTION
- Are you ever tempted to view your spouse as the enemy? Based on the Bible, who is the real enemy who seeks to turn you against each other?
- What defense do you have against satanic attacks within your home?
- Prayer is our defense against the devil and his demons. Prayer builds a wall of protection around our spouse and children. By all means, pray for your family.
