The Unseen Battle: Spiritual Warfare, the Three Rebellions, and Christ's Victory Over Dark Powers

by Joel Muddamalle

We Live in a World at War. Do You Know Who You are Fighting. . .and Why?

Weaving through the Old and New Testaments, Joel Muddamalle uses Paul's supernatural household framework—the idea that God has both a supernatural and a human family—to explain the cosmic worldview of the Bible. Cutting through the noise of conspiracy theories and fanaticism, the theological framework in The Unseen Battle will give readers a biblical and balanced understanding of spiritual warfare. Readers

Gain clarity about geopolitical and cosmic war by understanding what Deuteronomy 32:8-9 teaches about our origin story.Understand what the Bible teaches about demons, angels, and God's divine council, and how spiritual warfare impacts believers.Discover the real reason for the division and disunity in our world, and the unexpected but crucial answer we find hiding in plain sight within the supernatural worldview of the Bible.The Unseen Battle equips Christians to make sense of evil powers, what God is doing in the world today, and the part we play in it.

Genres: Nonfiction, Theology, Christian Living, Christianity

252 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 27, 2026

Reviews

[Steve Croft · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you have come across this book, there is a good chance you've read Michael Heisser's 'The Unseen Realm'. And if thats the case, you are probably wondering if its worth reading this? is there anything more Joel can add? Is the info different to Mikes? Well, I can tell you that you should read it. Joel was friends with Michael and Mrs Heisser wrote the intro for Joels book. She states that Joel is picking up the batton and running with Michaels work, and that this book is highly complementary to his work.

I dont think this book covers new ground, but it does look at the divine council texts through a new lens. Its a much shorter book and easy to digest, well worth a read even if you have read the Unseen Realm recently.

This following paragraph summarises the differences well thanks to my helpful AI friend:

Heiser (The Unseen Realm): Explains what the Bible teaches about the spiritual world — angels, divine council, Nephilim, cosmic structure, and ancient context.

Muddamalle (The Unseen Battle): Uses that worldview to frame spiritual warfare as a narrative of rebellion and redemption — focusing on Christ’s victory and practical understanding for believers today.

[Trevor Dailey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is going to be very nerdy, but given the topic of biblical literacy, I don’t think it’s too far off base: The Unseen Battle relates to Michael Heiser’s The Unseen Realm the way the Star Wars Expanded Universe relates to the original trilogy. It assumes you’ve accepted the core premise, then spends its time expanding the world, filling in the logic, and extending the story into adjacent territory rather than retelling what came before.

Just as the Expanded Universe doesn’t re‑explain the Force or re‑argue Vader’s identity, Muddamalle doesn’t attempt to re-litigate Heiser’s foundational claims about the unseen spiritual realm. Instead, he treats them as settled canon and asks the next question: What does this framework look like when you push forward into the New Testament? The result feels less like a sequel and more like a meaningful universe-expansion—familiar concepts, but applied differently, with new emphases and implications.

Importantly, this is a popular-level adaptation of Muddamalle’s doctoral work, and it shows in a good way. The content is thoughtful and well-researched without feeling like a dry, ivory-tower exercise. His personality comes through clearly, aided by analogies steeped in Chicago lore, which give the book a grounded, human feel rather than an abstract theological one.

As an audiobook, Muddamalle’s narration is personable and genuine. If you’re familiar with his podcast appearances, his delivery here feels consistent—natural, engaged, and not overly scripted, even though he’s reading his own text. That said, from a strictly audio-only perspective, I wouldn’t fully recommend this format. The conceptual density frequently made me wish I could pause, highlight, or visually trace ideas. I’ll likely pick up the Kindle version down the road for that reason alone.

One caveat that likely shaped my experience: some of Muddamalle’s more distinct contributions didn’t land with the full impact they might have otherwise, simply because I’ve already heard him develop these ideas in podcast spaces (including shows like Blurry Creatures). In that sense, parts of the book felt “soft-launched” in the broader audio-sphere before reaching print. That’s not a fault of the book—it’s more like already knowing certain Expanded Universe plotlines before picking up the novel. For readers who don’t regularly consume Joel’s content elsewhere, or who are new to the Divine Council worldview within Christian theology, this material will likely hit much more forcefully.

My main critique is tied to expectations set by the subtitle. While the theological framing is strong, the portion addressing “current” spiritual warfare felt comparatively thin. If you’re looking for sustained, practical engagement with contemporary application, this section may feel underdeveloped relative to the book’s strengths elsewhere.

All that said, this is a strong and worthwhile contribution, particularly for readers who have already been convinced by Heiser and are ready to explore the implications rather than re-argue the premise.

Read via Audible.

[Melanie Mansfield · Rating 5 out of 5]

Scholarly leaning but not too difficult for the avid lay-learner to understand. I may not be on board with EVERYTHING Joel writes here, but the overwhelming majority is absolutely wonderful and should be something about which all Christians are educated. Churches have GOT to start digging deeper than the surface-level “lessons” that Scripture teaches. The Bible is a much bigger story than we preach from pulpits and teach in small group studies. The New Testament is best understood through the lens of the Old Testament. And we have to begin educating every day Believers on the value of 2nd Temple literature when it comes to understanding the cultural context that should go into our Scriptural interpretations. Non-inspired doesn’t equal worthless. Joel provides a great analogy for this in his book.

If you are Heiser fan, you’ll adore this book. If you’re wary of Heiser, Joel brings clarity to the often confusing way Heiser wrote. You’ll also appreciate that Joel’s doctoral adviser ended up being Patrick Schreiner after Heiser’s passing. So if you hoped for someone a bit more… orthodox… to have had a hand in these thoughts, you got your man.

[Amber Nelson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Deftly reveals the felt, but unseen battle that impacts us all and how we can stand in the fight.

Like a practiced curator, Muddamalle draws your attention past the delicately woven tapestry to the hidden warp threads that support everything. Writing in a way that is easy to understand, yet with research to substantiate his assertions, I gained an increased awareness of the role that the unseen battle plays in my everyday life and how it has a vital impact on the world that I do see. Not lost is the importance that this information plays in how I chose to live my life and stand firm in loyal faith to King Jesus. This book is for anyone interested in learning more about the cosmic battle that has been taking place and will continue until Jesus Christ comes again to make all things new and swallow death up in victory.

[Joel Wentz · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really like the "three rebellions" framework, and I appreciate the deep research behind the project. I would have liked more development of the pastoral edge of the spiritual warfare discussion, and though I appreciated the short length from a readability standpoint, I would have actually liked more development of some of the ideas. A solid expansion/exploration of some of Heiser's core ideas, and an easy recommendation for big fans of The Unseen Realm.

Video review here: https://youtu.be/aqb2ewjncwI

[Scott Hardy · Rating 5 out of 5]

DCW? must read