C.S. Lewis warns us of two ways that we can wrongly approach spiritual warfare and the spiritual world around us: either ignoring it entirely or becoming completely obsessed with it. There is a healthy middle ground that we should seek as Christians—having a healthy awareness and preparation for spiritual warfare but carrying firm confidence in our security and position as Jesus followers.

“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground...” Ephesians 6:12-13
 
Step one is to accept and know that there is a spiritual world around us. Jesus makes this pretty clear: there is an unseen battle going on at all times that we are involved in whether we realize it or not. This is a battle that we should be equipped and prepared for. When we are aware of our enemy and his intentions to deceive and destroy us, we can be mindful and ready to defend ourselves! Jesus also gives us the tools and weapons to fight this battle, which is described as the armor of God. This includes His righteousness, the gospel of peace, our faith, our salvation, the Holy Spirit, and the word of God (Ephesians 6:14-17). Do you equip yourself with this armor daily? When we don’t, we leave ourselves open and vulnerable to the enemy’s attacks!

Opposite this, there may also be a temptation to become completely obsessed and fixated on Satan and his demons. Typically, this results in a “devil around every corner” kind of mindset. Whether it’s the coffee you spilled, running late to school, or a bad grade on a test—we want to blame the devil, even if we are simply experiencing the consequences of our own choices! In this mindset, we give the devil far too much credit.

Let us be clear on this: the enemy is not God. He is not all-knowing. He is not all-powerful. He is not omnipresent and everywhere at all times. Although we should be mindful of his deceptive schemes and prepared to fight, our God is the all-powerful one and the ultimate victor! As Christians, we will win the war, but we must prepare and fight the present-day battles.