I was out the other day to have my haircut when I heard a song being played around the vicinity. It was in Yoruba dialect. The lines of the song got at me that I stopped to listen well; “Oluwa lu iya agba pa”; meaning, “God, please, beat that old woman till she dies.” Then the Lord reminded me of the mystery of spiritual warfare.

Friend, spiritual warfare is real. The truth is, life is spiritual whether you believe it or not. It takes spiritual men who understand and practise spirituals to get an advantage in life. When it comes to spirituals, the Bible strongly warns against ignorance (1 Corinthians 12:1). Ignorance has killed more people than the devil has (Hosea 4:6).

We are not fighting physical battles; we are fighting spiritual battles (2 Corinthians 10:3-6). Once the devil can get you into operating in the physical, he has gotten an advantage over you (2 Corinthians 2:11). When it comes spiritual warfare, the Bible encourages discernment, not just suspicion.

We are to discern spirits, not suspect people (1 Corinthians 12:10, Ephesians 6:12). While suspicion may have its role in human relations, it is not your best weapon in spiritual warfare. The devil often disguises himself; he works with the principle of anonymity (2 Corinthians 11:14). Discernment is needed to unmask the devil (Acts 16:16-18).

You must learn to identify spirit operations in people. Like Peter, a seemingly good can come under a wrong spirit (Matthew 16:23). The same Peter who earlier declared the supernaturalness of Jesus was about to be a stumbling block on His path (Matthew 16:16, 23). This is the mystery of spiritual warfare and human dealings; never take things on surface level.

On a lighter but important note, don’t always think that old people are witches or that the devil is always local. There are digital demons today. There are devils in suit and tie. There are demons “speaking in tongues” today. The devil loves to take advantage of the existing structure and civilization in a place or society. You need discernment, not just suspicion (Acts 16:18, 2 Corinthians 11:14). Learn to unmask the devil.

‘Demola Awoyele
Lead Pastor,
Destiny Impact Church
Akure, Nigeria