The Invisible War: What Every Believer Needs to Know about Satan, Demons, and Spiritual Warfare

by Chip Ingram

Some Christians believe strongly in the existence of demons and spiritual warfare. Others downplay or even ignore the idea. With such divergent views, how are Christians supposed to know the truth about demonic forces at work in this world? The Invisible War examines what every believer needs to know about Satan, demons, and spiritual warfare, offering a balanced look at this controversial subject. This provocative book will help Christians understand what the Bible says about these threats and will show them how they can safeguard themselves and their families through prayer. Now repackaged for a new generation, The Invisible War offers a balanced look at what is going on in the spiritual realm and what believers can do to defend themselves.

Genres: Christian, Nonfiction, Religion, Christian Non Fiction, Faith, Christian Living, Spirituality

193 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2006

About the author

Chip Ingram is the teaching pastor and CEO of Living on the Edge, an international teaching and discipleship ministry. A pastor for over thirty years, Chip is the author of many books, including Culture Shock, The Real Heaven, The Real God, The Invisible War, and Love, Sex, and Lasting Relationships. Chip and his wife, Theresa, have four grown children and twelve grandchildren and live in California.

Reviews

[Deborah]

Reviewed by Herb:
I presented a workshop on Spiritual Warfare this year and read a handful of books on the subject, some academic and others more practical, but this is the book I am recommending among them all. It is short, concise, with an easy format and helpful scriptural basis. Don’t be scared away by the title – it is not a book filled with demon stories, but rather a look at the biblical balance of the flesh, the world, and the Devil. I particular found practical Ingram’s focus on our battle with temptation and sin. Chip Ingram is head of Living on the Edge Ministries.

[Jason · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow. This book really got me to thinking more about the realities of spiritual warfare and being more cognizant of it in our lives. It is certainly easy to accept spiritual warfare in the Bible and to say...ok, it may have happened back when Christ was around...but, to think about it in today's terms with current culturally accepted practices is very sobering. I also appreciated the perspective Chip brought on putting on the armor of God. I always thought that it was used too much as a checklist and he explains clearly why this is not and can not be the case.

[Stevie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This a well balanced book on spiritual warfare that gave me a lot of insight to the Invisible War.

"We do not fight for victory, but from victory"

Application:

Be aware of the enemy's influence in my life and others

Prayer consistently, intensely, and strategically

Memorize:
James 4:7
1 John 4:4
1 John 5:4-5
Revelation 12:11

[Taylor Vegge · Rating 3 out of 5]

Spiritual warfare 101 type book talking about the tactic of lies in the battlefield of the mind (2 Corinthians 10:3-5, Romans 12:2, 2 Corinthians 4:4). “The head is the body part of a soldier that is the most guarded—and the most targeted.” Goes through Ephesians 6 and the ways we can guard ourselves, but also the weapons of our warfare being the Word of God and prayer.

Many Christians are either completely negligent of the spiritual realm or hyper-fixated on it and both are extremely harmful. As C.S. Lewis says “There are two equal and opposite errors into which our race can fall about the devils. One is to disbelieve in their existence. The other is to believe, and to feel an excessive and unhealthy interest in them.” Demonic influence is very real, but also cannot be blamed for every minor inconvenience in our life lol.

As shown in the Garden, Satans goal is to make us doubt God and His goodness, His Word and our worthiness.

“The ultimate cause of all spiritual depression is unbelief. For if it were not for unbelief, even the devil could do nothing. It is because we listen to the devil instead of listening to God that we go down before him and fall before his attacks.” Martin Lloyd-Jones

[Rodney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good book on Spiritual Warfare.

This is a good book on Spiritual Warfare and does not condone all sensationalism that alot of big name TV evangelists do. Every little bad thing that happens in a Christians life is not the results of demonic influence but what is we need to be able to overcome it through spiritual Warfare. Short book of around 200 pages. I think you will like it.

[Dave Wright · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very insightful as one applies the armor of God. Really good read! It is based on Ephesians 6. Before you buy the book take out your Bible and read Ephesians 6, it will give you and idea of what Mr. Ingram will be talking about.

[Lolita Kringe · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really good book. As a Christian we will be attacked by the enemy. The author shared ways we can get attacked and our authority and weapons against the powers of darkness. How we can overcome.

[Ed · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book concerning the spiritual warfare of the Christian. Ingram divides the book up into four major parts: Spiritual Warfare 101 - What every believer needs to know; Spiritual Warfare 201 - How to prepare yourself for Spiritual Battle; Spiritual Warfare 301 - How to do battle with the enemy and win; Spiritual Warfare 401 - Deliverance from demonic influence. He uses much Scripture to defend what he is teaching. At the end of each chapter, he has a section on Personal Application: What about you? (personal applications for the reader; and a section titled 'In Your Life', which are questions that you ask yourself to help you understand what you read and give you ideas in your own life to put into practice. I do recommend this book to all Christians.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book that I will need to read again to get everything out of it. It was very informative and I liked that it was well balanced about this subject.
I listened to the book on Audible that was read by Dave Drui. If you are going to listen to the book I strongly suggest you listen to this version because Dave's voice is pleasant. I originally tried to listen to the book with the author reading and his voice was grating on me. I will be purchasing the hard copy of this book so I can make notes and have it on hand to be able to reference it in the future.

[Mac · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ingram does a fantastic job of really diving into what it means and looks like to wield the armor of God in relation to spiritual warfare. I really think there's a solid amount of practical knowledge in this book that many Christians need to know and use for themselves and God's kingdom. Very much worth reading.

[Douglas Brock · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent, balanced, biblical view of the subject of demonic activity and the Christian's responsibility to recognize and to stand and wage war against these very real forces. Satan and his forces are formidable, but are not to be feared. Jesus has already won the victory and we battle from this victory, not for it.

[Jeff Glenn · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best, most comprehensive book I’ve read on spiritual warfare. The book includes a detailed outline, application questions and an acute study on Ephesians 6 on the spiritual armor.

“ that’s what this book has been about: living in unbroken fellowship with God, without being victimized by the enemies distractions and defeats.“

[Randee Sims · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very important book. Read it!

[Jacob Akens · Rating 3 out of 5]

Content of the book - 4 stars
Structure of the book - 2 stars

I enjoyed a lot of the book’s content, but I found it to be quite repetitive at times.

All in all, this book opened my eyes to the reality of spiritual warfare that is going on all around us, whether we realize it or not.

For my own future notes:

Page 39 - “If that's still hard to swallow, consider the multitude of examples we've had throughout history of unseen realities things that skeptics dismissed because their eyes couldn't see them. For centuries, people couldn't see bacteria, but did that make them less real? What about viruses? Most of us don't thoroughly understand electricity, and we can't really observe electric currents, but is electricity real? We see the evidence of its existence in the tools of our daily lives. We moved beyond our uncertainty of its existence long ago. We can't see natural gas, but if I turn on a valve and light a match at my house, I get heat. We can't see or smell carbon monoxide it's completely hidden from our senses. But if you stay in a room with enough of it, it will kill you. We can't see the wind, sound waves, or atoms, but they all exist. We can see the results they produce we know these things are real because we have learned to observe their effects. Historically and even today, there are all kinds of things going on that we can't see. It shouldn't be that hard to accept that there is also a spiritual world we can't see.”

Page 47 - “The existence of the devil is so clearly taught in the Bible that to doubt it is to doubt the Bible itself.” - Archibald Brown

Page 51 - “A cherub is the kind or category of angel he is (Ezek. 28:14). That word cherub conjures up images of greeting cards on Valentine's Day, but cherubs in Hebrew Scripture are not cute, puffy little cupids. They are the highest class of angelic being, and Ezekiel 28 says Satan was the highest of them. So he was the highest angel of the highest class of angels- -the greatest created being.”

“The two core Old Testament passages about Satan are Ezekiel 28 and Isaiah 14. Both of those passages point to dual realities, as much of Scripture does. Each speaks of a historical figure the king of Tyre in Ezekiel and the king of Babylon in Isaiah but those historical figures are windows into the true spiritual force behind them. Through these passages and other supporting verses, we can see that Satan (then Lucifer) was created perfect (Ezek. 28:12-13). He had a heavenly estate (Jude 6). His job was to be the guardian of God's glory (Ezek. 28:14). According to Ezekiel, he had more power than anyone in the universe except for God, and he was more beautiful than anything or anyone but God. Those attributes led to his fatal flaw. The occasion of his sin his rebellion against God- was pride (Isa. 14:13; 1 Tim. 3:6).”

Page 56 - “Lucifer means "son of the morning" or "shining one" (lsa. 14:12). This means he is not going to come to you transparently ugly and scary but will appear beautiful and winsome. You'll be attracted to his agenda because he'll dress it up and seduce you with it.
Beelzebub means "lord of the flies" (Matt. 12:24). It was a pagan idol that was supposed to protect from swarms of flies. Jews understood it as "the god of filth," which is an apt description of Satan.”

Page 81 - “My father was in the South Pacific when World War Il ended, and he used to tell me about the very unusual period at the end of the war. The bombs had been dropped, the Japanese had surrendered, a treaty was signed, and the Pacific was at peace. Well, on paper it was at peace. My father said that on islands scattered throughout the region, battles raged. Though the outcome had already been determined, isolated Japanese units hadn't heard of the surrender. They continued to wage guerrilla warfare just as they had been doing during the war. The bullets were just as real, the people hiding in tunnels were still committed to killing their foes, the mortars were just as devastating, and death was just as brutal. Young men lost their lives to an enemy who had already surrendered.”

Pages 84-85 - “The tense of the Greek verb used in the command to "take up the full armor of God" indicates something that must be done right now, immediately, as soon as possible. This is a top priority.”

Pages 92-93 - “A Roman soldier had a belt, and all the rest of his armor was somehow hooked to that belt. It was critical to the rest of the equipment. If it was wintertime, soldiers wore a long robe. The first thing a soldier would do to get ready for battle was "gird up his loins." That's a weird expression--most of us don't gird up our loins when we get dressed in the morning. To a soldier, however, girding up was essential. He would lift up that long robe and tuck it into his belt so that he could move freely. On a march, he could have it down to stay warm. If he was off duty, he could unbuckle his belt. But if he was on duty and it was time for battle, an unbuckled belt and a hanging robe would mean one of two things: being punished by his superiors or having a severe disadvantage to his enemy. Either way, the consequences were grave.”

Pages 112-113 - “Roman sandals were strapped up to the knee and tightly fastened to the soldier's leg. The soles had knobs and sometimes nails protruding from them - an ancient version of athletic cleats. Alexander the Great is said to have invented these or at least championed them. He gave credit for many of the Greek army's impressive victories to the firm footing of its forces. When soldiers have a solid foundation, they can stand unmoved against their opposition. They don't slip or lose their balance very often if their feet are gripping the ground.”

Pages 127-128 - “The first time it happened, I was lying in bed, half awake and half asleep. It started out like a bad dream, but suddenly there was a foreboding evil presence in the room.
There was intense pressure on my chest that felt like a five-thousand-pound weight crushing me and a tightness around my neck that completely closed my windpipe. I was paralyzed; I couldn't move any part of my body except my eyes. I was desperate for air like someone underwater who can't get to the surface fast enough. My thoughts were racing: "Oh, God, help me, help me, Jesus, help. ..." I could see my wife asleep next to me, and I just kept praying and praying, clueless as to what was going on and wondering how in the world someone could suffocate in his own bed. And then the pressure suddenly left. I gasped for air, I could move again, and I sat up in bed, coughing, my body as soaked with perspiration as if I had played basketball for two hours. The hair on the back of my neck was sticking straight up, and there was a sense of manifest evil in the room that I had never felt in my life. I was scared to death. It was hostile, demonic activity, and this experience was repeated many, many times over the next few years.”

Pages 137-138 - “It happened almost every week, but I had no idea what was going on. I would prepare all week to preach and get excited about how the message was coming together. Then the morning before our Saturday evening service, I would go out for a couple of hours to review my sermon. After praying through the major points and deciding on the illustrations to use, I couldn't wait to preach, because I sensed God had spoken to me and wanted me to share it. And then sometime between the enjoyable review of my notes and the actual delivery of the message, something unexplainable would happen: I would go through an inexplicably dark time right after lunch. I would get genuinely depressed, thinking thoughts like, "Man, I don't want to preach. I don't even want to be a pas-tor. I'm a terrible person." I experienced waves of condemnation that sapped all my motivation and energy. It was so bad that I was sometimes even reluctant to get in my car and drive to the church.”

Pages 138-139 - “At the time Paul wrote to the Ephesians, there were two kinds of shields. One was a small, round, handheld shield like the kind you always see in movies about ancient gladiators. That's not what Paul was referring to. The shield in this passage was about four feet high and two and a half feet wide. It had hooks on the sides to link it to other shields in a line so that an entire row of soldiers could advance without exposing themselves to incoming arrows. It was common for enemies to dip their arrows in pitch, light them, and then pelt the opposing soldiers with thousands of destructive, flaming missiles. So the Romans made their shields with iron and two layers of wood, wrapped them in linen, and covered it all with leather.
But they would leave a gap between layers so flaming arrows could penetrate far enough into the shield to be quickly extinguished. One soldier is said to have come in from the battle lines with two hundred once-fiery arrows still stuck in his shield. That's the metaphor Paul uses, and his readers understood exactly what he meant.”

Page 157 - “The deceit, the lie of the devil, consists of this: that he wishes to make man believe that he can live without God's word.” - Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Page 169 - “The missing ingredient in most Christians' lives and in most churches is the commitment and regular practice of intercessory prayer. Scripture indicates that consistent, intense, and strategic intercessory prayer-both individual and corporate will in fact deliver us from the evil one.
The great people of the earth today are the people who pray. I do not mean people who talk about prayer; nor those who say they believe in prayer; nor yet those who can explain about prayer; but I mean those people who take time and pray. They have not time. It must be taken from something else. This something else is important. Very important, and pressing, but still less important and less pressing than prayer.”

Pages 173-174 - “The missionary was serving as a medic in Africa. Periodically, he had to travel by bicycle through the jungle to a nearby city for supplies. It was a two-day trip, so he would camp in the jungle overnight. He had always made the trip without incident, but one day when he arrived in the city he saw two men fighting. One was seriously hurt, so he treated the man, shared Christ with him, and went on his way.
The next time the missionary traveled to the city, the man he had treated approached him. "I know you carry money and medicine," the man said to the missionary. "Some friends and I followed you into the jungle that night after you treated me, knowing you'd have to sleep in the jungle alone. We waited for you to go to sleep, planning to kill you and take your money and drugs. As we started to move into the campsite, we saw twenty-six armed guards surrounding you. There were only six of us, so we knew we couldn't possibly get near, and we left.
When he heard this, the missionary laughed. "That's impossible. I assure you, I was alone in the campsite." But the young man pressed the point. "No, sir. I wasn't the only one who saw the guards. My friends saw them too, and we all counted them." Several months later, the missionary attended his home church in Michigan and told of his experience. A man in the congregation interrupted his presentation by jumping to his feet and saying something that left everyone in the church stunned. With a firm voice, he said, "We were with you in spirit!" The missionary looked perplexed. The man continued. "On that night in Africa it was morning here. I stopped by the church to get some materials for a ministry trip. But as I was putting my bags in my trunk, I felt the Lord leading me to pray for you. It was an extremely strong urge, so I got on the phone and gathered some other men to come to church and pray for you." Then the man turned to the rest of the congregation. "Will all of those men who prayed with me that day stand up right now?" And one by one they stood up - all twenty-six of them.”

Page 179 - “One of my heroes is Elisabeth Elliot, and I love what she wrote about prayer:
People who ski, I suppose, are people who happen to like skiing, who have time for skiing, who can afford to ski, and who are good at skiing. Recently I found that I often treat prayer as though it were a sport like skiing something you do if you like it, something you do in your spare time, something you do if you can afford the trouble, something you do if you're good at it. ..”

Page 188 - “Another problem is confusion over demon possession. Is there a difference between possession and oppression? Can a believer be possessed? Someone's answers to those questions determine to a large extent whether he or she believes deliverance is worthy of our attention. But the fact of the matter is that the New Testament never even uses the words possession or oppression with regard to demons. It uses a verb: "to be demonized."

Pages 199-200 - “Within the first couple of years in Santa Cruz, my education in spiritual warfare moved to the graduate level. A very calm and quiet man in his twenties came to me one day and shared some struggles he was having in his life.
He talked about voices he was hearing and terrible thoughts that were coming into his mind. He had been in counseling and had tried to work through the emotional and psychological issues as well as the counselors could help him. After a number of meetings with me and another pastor, it became evident that he had been exposed to and had dabbled in the occult and that what we were seeing seemed to be some level of demonization.
I didn't know what we were in for. My fellow pastor had a good grasp of Scripture and had done significantly more spiritual warfare than I had, having been a pastor in the Santa Cruz area for some time. We scheduled a day to meet with this young man and address the spiritual issues in his life. We went "prayed up" and spent a substantial amount of time going through the ways to confront demonic spirits and the steps of deliverance. As we did, I had my first experience hearing another voice come out of a human being. It was a strange-sounding, angry growl that resisted us as we confronted the evil spirits in the man's life. We repeatedly claimed our position in Christ and ordered the demonic spirits to depart, spending the better part of two hours in intense warfare, all while voices responded in hostility to our commands.
I don't mind admitting that I was shocked and scared to death at this experience of frontline spiritual warfare. Yet God honors his Word. The ways in which we ministered to that young man came straight from God's provision of tools, resources, and spiritual power for us as believers to confront the invisible world.
We experienced victory in this situation, just as God promised.”

Page 202 - “Various sources indicate that something like less than 4 percent of born-again believers give even a tithe 10 percent of their income. That means that 96 percent of Christians in one of history's most prosperous countries have abundant resources at hand but have been deluded into giving God a small tip.”

[Ben Denison · Rating 2 out of 5]

Had a hard time staying connected to this book

[Melissa Snow · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was helpful and provided a lot of useful, biblical information about spiritual warfare. I was turned off a bit in the final section of the book because of too many references to people dressed in black/Goth clothing who were also into the occult or influenced by demons, and by one story about missionaries that was presented as fact (it was published in a reputable magazine, the writer says), but that has no identifying details and can't be backed up with Internet research. The Goth-demons connection might have been true for the particular people mentioned in the book, but characterizations like that can perpetuate unhelpful stereotypes even if the writer does say, once, that wearing black doesn't mean someone is influenced by demons. And the missionaries story (which sounds like an inflated version of an account that was published in a book several years ago, and that includes actual names of the missionaries and their organization) reminds me of Christian urban legends and the things people post on Facebook without doing a two-minute Google search first to see that it's only half-true or not true at all. Those elements threatened the credibility of the book and the author; ultimately, though, I think Chip Ingram provides a lot of helpful, biblical information in the book, and he clearly writes from the perspective of someone who loves God and the church, and wants Christians to see the truth of the spiritual world in which we live. He warns against seeing a demon behind every corner, while promoting a heavy leaning on Scripture and biblical discernment.

I read the book for my small group Bible study. It has provided some good topics for discussion and it has made people more aware of the spiritual-battle elements involved in some of the situations they face.

[Anthony Wendel · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have to say some of the passages made me feel a bit uncomfortable. There is a moment where this book attributes split personalities to demonic forces which really didn't sit well with me. As someone who works with those with mental disorders (as a Therapy Assistance), the fact is these conditions are sooner to be attributed to the abuses someone has suffered in there lives over demonic forces. This type of information can lead to a misunderstanding of actual mental disorders people face on a daily basis.

[cynthia · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read

I chose this book to help me prepare for my upcoming trips to countries and people who are considered part of the unreached by Gods word. After reading "The Invisible War" I feel that I am more equipped to face the invisible forces that seek to stop me from sharing Gods Word.
Thanks for sharing!

[Kimberly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Three stars was a stretch for me. Some good points. Lots of repetition. Lots of stories that make you want to cringe. While Ingram acknowledges that personal choices made under freewill account for many hardship, and that sometime bad stuff just happens, he insinuates much the opposite. I was also put off by his dismissal of psychology.

[John Nichols · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ready reference for believers wanting guidance on spiritual warfare. Logical layout with summaries giving key Scripture references before major sections. Many practical examples and strategies for winning the war.

[Stuart Samuels · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good information here and biblical so you know you are in good hands. A bit repetitive as he repeats the same points several times.

[Chris Koch · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Invisible War is a book by Chip Ingram that explores the reality and nature of spiritual warfare, and how Christians can resist and overcome the attacks of Satan and his demons. The book is based on a series of messages that Ingram delivered on his radio program Living on the Edge. The book is divided into eight chapters, each corresponding to one of the messages. Here is a brief summary of each chapter:
Chapter 1: What Is the Invisible War? Ingram introduces the topic of spiritual warfare and explains why it is important for Christians to understand and engage in it. He defines spiritual warfare as "the cosmic conflict waged in the invisible, spiritual realm that is simultaneously fleshed out in the context of the visible, physical realm"Ad1. He argues that spiritual warfare affects every aspect of our lives and that we need to be aware of our enemy’s schemes and strategies.
Chapter 2: Who Are We Fighting? Ingram identifies the enemy that we are fighting as Satan, a fallen angel who rebelled against God and leads a host of evil spirits who oppose God and his people. He describes Satan’s character, names, and activities, and warns us not to underestimate or overestimate his power. He also clarifies that Satan is not equal to God, but a created being who is subject to God’s sovereignty and judgment.
Chapter 3: Four Keys to Spiritual Victory. Ingram outlines four essential truths that we need to know and believe in order to win the invisible war. They are: 1) We are in a war; 2) Our enemy is defeated; 3) We have everything we need; and 4) We must put on the armor of God. He explains how each of these truths can help us stand firm against the enemy’s attacks and live victoriously for God.
Chapter 4: The Belt of Truth. Ingram examines the first piece of the armor of God, which is the belt of truth (Ephesians 6:14). He shows how truth is essential for our protection and effectiveness in spiritual warfare, and how Satan tries to deceive us with lies and distortions. He challenges us to be committed to God’s truth in every area of our lives, and to expose and reject the enemy’s lies.
Chapter 5: The Breastplate of Righteousness. Ingram explores the second piece of the armor of God, which is the breastplate of righteousness (Ephesians 6:14). He explains how righteousness is both a gift from God and a responsibility for us. He shows how righteousness protects our hearts from guilt, shame, condemnation, and accusation, and how Satan tries to attack us with these weapons. He urges us to receive God’s forgiveness and grace, and to pursue holiness and obedience in our daily lives.
Chapter 6: The Shoes of Peace. Ingram discusses the third piece of the armor of God, which is the shoes of peace (Ephesians 6:15). He defines peace as "the confident assurance that God is in control of all the details of my life"2. He shows how peace enables us to stand firm in any situation and to advance God’s kingdom. He also reveals how Satan tries to rob us of peace by causing fear, anxiety, worry, and doubt. He encourages us to trust God’s promises and power, and to share his peace with others.
Chapter 7: The Shield of Faith. Ingram analyzes the fourth piece of the armor of God, which is the shield of faith (Ephesians 6:16). He describes faith as "choosing to believe that what God has said about himself, about me, about my situation is true"3. He shows how faith protects us from the fiery darts of the enemy, which are temptations, accusations, doubts, discouragements, and distractions. He also explains how we can strengthen our faith by hearing God’s word, remembering his works, obeying his will, and praying his promises.
Chapter 8: The Helmet of Salvation and the Sword of the Spirit. Ingram covers the last two pieces of the armor of God, which are the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit (Ephesians 6:17). He illustrates how salvation secures our identity, destiny, and authority in Christ, and how Satan tries to undermine them with lies. He also demonstrates how the sword of the Spirit, which is God’s word, enables us to defend ourselves from the enemy’s attacks and to defeat him with truth. He advises us to wear our helmet daily by affirming who we are in Christ.

[starrgaze. · Rating 4 out of 5]

"What internal attitudes, lusts, and lies do you need to deal with? We like to think we can have it both ways: submit to the kingdom of God and dabble in the kingdoms of this world. We can’t."

Definitely an eye-opening book, especially for people who had never thought about those things. We need to be prepared and this book definitely helps to do that and lay on the ground for many thoughts that should prompt us to action.

Other quotes I liked:
“For greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world” (1 John 4:4).

The god of this world has a master strategy to blind the minds of people so that they will not be able to grasp the truth.

“Satan and his forces have a plan to terrorize your soul, to render you impotent as a believer, to make you worthless to the cause of Christ, and to make your life one of misery and spiritual defeat.”

One of the biggest lies we fall for today is rampant even in our churches. He has convinced us that life is a playground, that our primary goal is to be happy, and that God is the cosmic vending machine that can make it happen.

Psalm 139, David prayed: “Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me and know my anxious thoughts; and see if there be any hurtful way in me. And lead me in the everlasting way.”

James 4:17 says, “To the one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, to him it is sin.”

Every command God gives you is for your own good because he loves you.

The deceit, the lie of the devil, consists of this: that he wishes to make man believe that he can live without God’s word.

We all make choices, and sometimes our choices have negative consequences. That’s not demonic. Satan isn’t behind everything. He certainly energizes sinful flesh and infiltrates the systems of this world to control them, so we fall victim to all sorts of temptations and trials. But it’s a fallen world, and sometimes we simply reap the results of fallenness.

Above all, pray. You represent the greatest army in all of history, and you fight for the greatest of causes. When the King comes in victory, you will receive the honors of a valiant warrior. And the invisible war will never need to be fought again.❤️

[Courtney Kleefeld · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank God for the oyaner friend who recommended this book to me and even offered to buy it for me.
It's so, so good.
Firstly, it's grounded completely in Scripture. There are Bible verses everywhere to back up what he's saying, and further, in a few places the author breaks down the original meaning of a few verses, which helps us understand better how to apply them.
A huge part of the book is centered on the idea of the Armor of God and what it means to wear it. He breaks it down and it makes a lot of sense.
Usually, it's hard for me to understand when a pastor preaches on the Armor of God because they might give a few concepts, but they won't give any practical advice, but here, the author makes it applicable and something I don't have to skip over when reading the Bible. I actually understand it better now.

I skimmed the chapter about what the Bible says about Satan and demons because I already knew pretty much enough, but what I read was still really good and made me think about a few things.
One of the most helpful chapters was chapter 9 and onward.

There were a few places where I wish he had broken down further into more concrete steps but he gives enough where you can still apply it.

I highly recommend this book to every believer. We deal with spiritual warfare whether we want to or not. Not to say that every doubt we experience is from the devil, but that whether or not we choose to believe what the Bible says about God and about us is so, so important in every day situations.

[Heather]

The Bible is clear: if you are a Christian, you are at war. But our approach to spiritual warfare usually falls into one of two extremes--either we place an undue emphasis on Satan and his powers or we completely ignore the existence of a personal enemy. The Invisible War offers a balanced look at what the Bible says on the subject.
Based on Paul's teaching in Ephesians 6, this book shows every believer what we need to know about Satan, demons, and spiritual warfare. Find out how to
· prepare yourself for spiritual battle
· cultivate invincible faith
· find freedom from demonic influence
"Most Christians have no idea how much of their daily life is influenced by the subtle deception and lies of our adversary," says Chip Ingram. The Invisible War will help you understand your power and position in Christ, and how to practically put on the full armor of God, and stand firm against the enemy.

Heather's Notes
It took me a really long time to finish this book. I did like it, but it was a physical book with small print, which made it hard to read sometimes, and I kept putting it down and forgetting about it. I am glad I finished it though.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's kind of misleading to call this an audiobook. It's really just the recorded lectures used to create the original book. So, definitely felt more like listening to a sermon series. But at least I get goodreads credit for it.

Setting the aside, I enjoyed listening to this way more than I expected. It was really pretty inspiring. After each session, I was filled with confidence that I can and should be doing more to fight these invisible rulers and principalities. In so many ways the content feels like common sense. He's really just pointing to passages I've read a dozen times and explaining that they really do mean what they say. There's an invisible war going on. Everyone in Bible times knew it. But in the west today we think it's weird. So we don't really talk about it beyond a basic surface level.

And here's the deal, whether my bad mood is because I'm tired or because I'm being attacked by a demon, the approach is actually the same. I'm to remember what is true about myself and the God who loves me. That's oversimplifying it, but you get the idea.

[Meredith Inglis · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was spiritually helpful to me in so many ways.

I have been a Christian and firm believer in Christ since I was a child. Unfortunately, I strayed in BIG ways in 2017 after a traumatic divorce. I questioned God, turned to mediums and psychics and lots more. I didn’t even recognize who I was. I went so far as visiting metaphysical shops and buying crystals, candles, incense- you name it. (When those types of establishments used to scare me!) I did purge a lot of those items and am in the process of getting rid of even more after reading this book.

I am ashamed to admit I fell for this “new age” nonsense for an extended period of time.

I knew the entire time that God and Jesus were pulling me back into my Faith. I could physically feel it. This is one of the books I purchased to get myself back on the right path. I may have allowed Satan to confuse me for a bit; but I am back in my faith and asking God for guidance each and every day.

Satan lost.

[Al Moody · Rating 5 out of 5]

How to fight the spiritual war

In this book, Chip Ingram helps the reader understand the presence of an invisible spiritual war; there is one even if we don't believe it. He shares personal examples of attacks by the enemy, and what he thought and did to combat these attacks. Chip Ingram also provides specific ways and tips on how we can fight against the enemy in these spiritual attacks, yet also helping us to understand how we can access the victory that has already been won by Jesus' death and resurrection. If you are ready to spiritually and mentally overcome this spiritual war, then read this book with an open heart and open mind. Recognize it will take some work in your heart and mind as you read this book.

[Bailey · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think it would be really interesting to do a study where you read this book alongside C.S. Lewis's Screwtape Letters. So much of the traps and strategies described by Ingram mirrored similar advice given by Screwtape in his letters. While personally I didn't feel this book revealed any new information I did think it was a great refresher on the spiritual world we live in. Ingram certainly goes above and beyond the classic Ephesians 6:10 verse in describing how we as Christians can prepare for and combat spiritual enemies. And I did appreciate that Ingrams teachings remained practical and rooted in scriptures.

[Victoria Duffoo · Rating 5 out of 5]

This audiobook was in the form of a 4 part sermon series. Chip shared several stories both from personal experiences and those of other people. He explained how to identify root problems, utilize our position in Christ, and not fall on either extreme spectrum of giving too much or too little mind to the reality of spiritual warfare. I was honestly uncomfortable listening alone or at night when I started listening to this but was reminded that though the unseen world is real, we don't have to fear it.