Safe and Sound: Standing Firm in Spiritual Battles

Helping the Helpers

by David A. Powlison

Safe and Sound by best-selling author David Powlison guides readers to see the normality of their struggles with themselves, the world around them, and the powers of darkness.


Counselors tend to be interested in what they can easily describe: psychological dynamics, social influences, and physiological givens. But how does the uncanny power of darkness fit in with the more accessible factors in a person's life?


By carefully unpacking Ephesians 6 with vivid case studies and biblical wisdom, Powlison helps readers humanize those struggles and bear the relevance of the love of God in Christ for those struggles.


In this helpful guide, Powlison addresses many questions with gospel answers regarding the reality of spiritual warfare, including What is spiritual warfare? and How does Ephesians disciple us in spiritual warfare?


Safe and Sound presents Ephesians as a book about our conflict with darkness within ourselves, with other people, and with the spiritual forces of evil. Powlison demonstrates how the message of Christ's triumph over all that is evil, dark, and deadly rings true, and how spiritual warfare is our participation in the Lord's cosmic war with darkness.

Genres: Counselling, Christian Living, Christian, Christianity, Nonfiction, Faith, Christian Non Fiction

79 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 1, 2019

About the author

David Powlison, MDiv, PhD, (1949–2019) was a teacher, counselor, and the executive director of the Christian Counseling & Educational Foundation (CCEF). He wrote many books and minibooks, including Speaking Truth in Love, Seeing with New Eyes, Good and Angry, Making All Things New, God's Grace in Your Suffering, Safe and Sound, and Take Heart. David was also the editor of The Journal of Biblical Counseling.

Reviews

[Saloma · Rating 5 out of 5]

“In summary, Scripture treats spiritual warfare as a normal, everyday part of the Christian life, and so we should as well. It’s not about spooky side effects. It’s about how we think, feel, desire, and act in the presence of our enemies. The ultimate question that runs through everyone’s life and through the whole Bible is this: Who will be your shepherd? Will you be shepherded by your good heavenly Father or by the liar and murderer - Satan?”

I have SO MUCH to say about this little book and if you catch me in conversation right now, you’ll probably get an ear full that will convince you to read it! ;) But in short, this is an awesome, practical book that is super helpful both for our own lives and for helping sinners and sufferers through spiritual warfare. I especially loved his approach to Eph 6, the normalcy of spiritual warfare, and the comparison of Jesus’ mode of ministry to ours in the appendix. I highly recommend it and can’t wait to read Powlison’s companion book to it, Power Encounters.

[Elizabeth Prata · Rating 5 out of 5]

Powlison has a scriptural and refreshing take on spiritual battles, and from a counseling perspective, too. Though I'm not a counselor I found the information to be extremely helpful. He emphasizes the battle is with the flesh, the world, and the devil but we also fact the last battle: death. (Chapter 10). This is especially poignant because he was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer while writing the book and indeed, died as he completed it. He urged standing firm in faith on all fronts as we face death and of all people, he should know. This last book by David Powlison is Highly recommended

[Jeanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is about how to help people. The complexity of the human heart, the complexity of cultural influences, and the complexity of the enemy. We must learn to fight well, how to put on Jesus Christ himself, wearing the weapons of light which he defeats the power of darkness.

The author David Powlison fought his last battle this year and died of cancer. He writes to equip others to walk along side those that are in the battle. Maybe you yourself is one right now. I would encourage you to pick up this book and learn how to use the word of God to fight those battles. How we get in the battle of depression, anger and escapism. It is our battles that bring us to our Lord Jesus and help us face the reality of life and ultimately death.

The reality of the battles we face starts with what we believe and how we respond. In walking with others, we can encourage others with the truth and strengthen our faith when we place our fear on the character and promises of God. Standing firm is not a one time and your done, it is a life long sanctification of our salvation.

A Special Thank you to New Growth Press and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.

[Josh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Since this was David Powlison‘s last book, it is especially poignant to read. I wish it were longer! But in a unique way, this book bears the impress of his faithful life lived in dependence on Christ.

Also read Nov '22.

[Rachel Winkler · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very helpful little book on spiritual warfare and counseling in light of the reality of spiritual warfare. Powlison did a great job of showing how spiritual warfare is not some mystical, unusual occurrence requiring extraordinary, dramatic practices like the modern faith-healing movement would have us belive, but rather is a very ordinary, normal part of living in a fallen world.

Everything in the Christian life is a matter of spiritual warfare, and the means God has given us to fight the good fight, battle sin, and work through the trials of life are the ordinary means of grace.

This book was helpful in bringing out the spiritual nature of everyday struggles and issues and encouraging the counselor to simply minister to the hurting by pointing them to Christ, reminding them of truth, praying for them, and employing ordinary, practical means that God has graciously given to us.

[Ryan Trzeciak · Rating 5 out of 5]

David Powlison writes that spiritual warfare is a battle for lordship, a moral struggle. It is not about binding Satan nor is it about casting out demons. It comes down to the question of “Whom do you serve?” Will you line up behind God or the Devil? Will you be a disciple of the Lord or Satan? Will you be conformed to the image of Christ, or will you be confirmed to the evil one? Bottom line, spiritual warfare is about engaging in the process of sanctification, putting off sin and putting on righteousness, and Powlison does a masterful job of bringing clarity to this often confusing subject.

[Aeromama · Rating 5 out of 5]

Entertaining: 5/10
Transformational: 8/10

Short sweet book with a counseling slant. This book resonated with me. The battle is in the mundane obedience to Christ and his undoing of sin and evil. While we may occasionally see gifts of miraculous physical healings, more often these miracles come through faithful application of "normal means" of life in Christ: puttting the person first, speaking the gospel, confession and repentance of sin, walking the scripture and commands of Christ with the Spirit of Christ in the context of the Body of Christ.

There is much power and victory in every day life in Christ.

[Samuel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a marvelous little book on a very important topic. Spiritual warfare is ever present in our lives; we are constantly fighting against the world, the flesh, and the devil. It is a constant struggle, but the power of Christ residing in us means that we can be sure of our fate. Powlison was a counselor and writing to counselors, so he focuses on how to guide people to this understanding. Biblical counselors engage in spiritual warfare by equipping others and strengthening them in the fight. “True spiritual warfare looks beyond the problems and sees the person.” I highly recommend this as a resource for understanding spiritual warfare.

[Jennifer Trzeciak · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. Powlison illustrates from the truth of Scripture that spiritual warfare is accomplished by practicing the “normal” parts of the Christian life. We fight evil by standing firm in Christ. Facing his own imminent death, Powlison looked back at 4 decades of waking with Jesus and affirmed that the Bible is all we need to live a life worthy of Jesus Christ. A true gift.

[Farrah Careem · Rating 4 out of 5]

Spiritual warfare is real, and powerful forces are at work in our lives everyday. Yet we must not ignore nor exaggerate its presence, but stand firm in our faith with the full Amour of God. This is a brief, helpful and practical book, which encourages us to stand against the constant battle we face with the world, flesh and the devil.

[Joost Nixon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Part 1 on Ephesians 6 was a little flat. Part 2 was where he was most helpful.

[C.H. Cobb · Rating 5 out of 5]

David Powlison entered the presence of Jesus on June 7, 2019. The church lost one of its modern-day giants with his passing. But he left behind a great legacy of material for troubled souls, and those who minister to them.

His final gift to the church was this little, 103-page book about spiritual warfare. While intended primarily for those who minister to others, Safe & Sound is an excellent resource for those who are suffering themselves.

Part One deals with the reality and description of spiritual warfare. The first chapter urges the reader to acknowledge and accept the truth that Satan is real and life is a spiritual battle in which the enemy of our souls plays a terrible role. The following chapter consists of an exploration of the key passages in the Pauline corpus that instruct us as to how to understand and wage spiritual warfare. Chapter three examines the weapons of the whole armor in Ephesians 6, and shows us that the imagery is not drawn from the panoply of the Roman soldier (which is how most teach this passage), but rather from images of the Messiah in Isaiah and the Psalms. Jesus is our Divine Warrior (a term I first heard from Tremper Longman) who both battles for us, and shows us how to conduct spiritual warfare.

Part Two of the book applies the teaching of the first part to specific struggles. Powlison introduces this section by showing how, first, Jesus models this mode of warfare, and second, how Paul himself—taking his cues from Jesus—also employs this manner of fighting. For counselors and counselees—as for Paul and Jesus—prayer takes a central role as we seek the Lord on behalf of those who are suffering the moral and situational evil of this fallen world.

This chapter is followed by a selection of major issues that a counselor will encounter with those he helps. Fighting the normal battles of anger, fear, and escapism; the battle with the shadow of death; conflict with the occult; and the battle with animism; these are the chapters in which Powlison demonstrates that the classic mode of ministry—finding our answers in Christ and His gospel rather than some sort of direct encounter with a demon—is first of all that which Scripture commends, and secondly, able to deal with any problem God’s people face regardless of the presence or absence of demonic involvement.

Chapter 9 contains a case study of a truly bizarre encounter with a very troubled individual. Powlison’s intent is to show that the classic mode of ministry (as opposed to what he labels EMM—the ekballistic mode ministry which focuses on casting out demons) is called for even in such situations. By focusing on the person rather than the demonic aspect, and applying the gospel to that suffering heart with all its combination of hurts and sins, genuine deliverance is accomplished. “True spiritual warfare looks beyond the problems and sees the person” [76].

The last chapter is Powlison’s testimony of his own final battle with cancer, one that ultimately took his life. In it he demonstrates that Jesus Christ and the gospel are sufficient to enable us to meet with—and defeat—all of our troubles.

The book closes with an appendix in which Powlison contrasts classic mode ministry with EMM, and shows how classic mode is what the New Testament urges upon us. This brief appendix is a condensation of his larger exegetical studies on the matter, which are contained in a different, somewhat larger volume entitled Power Encounters: Reclaiming Spiritual Warfare. That volume provides the foundation for the applications Powlison makes in Safe & Sound.

Safe & Sound is a book every biblical counselor should have. Five stars, highly recommended.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

David Powlison, a giant in the world of Biblical Counseling, died of cancer during the summer of 2019. His legacy is first in those who he touched personally, and second, in the form of his writing. Before he died, Powlison gave the church one final gift: this brief book on spiritual warfare. Safe & Sound is the best book I’ve read on spiritual warfare and is a guide Christian counselors, pastors, and lay people should read.

In Part One, Powlison explains the reality of spiritual warfare. Powlison argues that spiritual warfare is much broader than we tend to consider. “[S]piritual warfare is a moral struggle. It is a conflict over who you are, what you believe, and how you live.” In fact, “Scripture treats spiritual warfare as a normal, everyday part of the Christian life.”

Powlison argues that much of spiritual warfare is over the unity of the body of Christ. “When Paul says in Ephesians 4:27 not to give the devil a foothold, he is referring to divisions within the body of Christ.” He spends most of his time in Paul’s letters and digs into Ephesians 6 in particular. Chapter 3 is worth the price of the book. Powlison argues that Paul draws the imagery of the armor not from the Roman soldier (which is how I’ve always heard this passage taught—and I’ve taught it this way myself!), but the imagery is rather taken from pictures of the Messiah in Isaiah and the Psalms. Jesus is our Divine Warrior who battles for us, and shows us how to conduct spiritual warfare. Whoa!

In Part Two, Powlison turns to the practicalities of spiritual warfare. Powlison demonstrates how Jesus models this warfare. Jesus and Paul’s most significant weapon in warfare (and ours too) is prayer—and normal, everyday prayer at that. Powlison navigates everything from anger and fear, to conflict with the occult and animism. Powlison here shows us what a battling the demonic in a gospel-saturated way looks like. Powlison calls us to look to Christ and not an obsessive focus on the demons themselves. One of the things I love about this is how humanizing this approach is. Powlison destroys the barrier between the role of the counselor and the role of the one conducting supernatural ministry.

A true biblical counselor believes in the supernatural realm and a true minister of the gospel treats looks with compassion on the human being in front of them. They are not just an object in a spiritual person. They are an image bearer. In Powlison’s words, “True spiritual warfare looks beyond the problems and sees the person.” Part of navigating warfare with that person is that there is “no need to sort out where ‘flesh’ ends and ‘world’ begins, where ‘world’ ends and ‘devil’ beings. The forces of evil work in concert.”

The last chapter Powlison shares his story of his final battle with cancer. Powlison shows that he is not merely talking about something theoretical. He is living out this battle as he pens the book. And Jesus Christ and his gospel are sufficient… even here. “When we face death, we have the same choice before us as we have in every area of life: Who will be our shepherd?”

I was so blessed personally by Powlison’s ministry. My wife had the blessing of sitting under Powlison’s teaching and his books have shaped the way that I think about counseling and pastoral ministry. Safe & Sound will shape the way I think about spiritual warfare and counseling, two topics I had only done cursory thinking on before I read Powlison’s excellent book. I commend Safe & Sound to you.

For more reviews see www.thebeehive.live.

[Joshua · Rating 5 out of 5]

Powlison‘s book is about spiritual warfare. Not the demon deliverance and exorcism type of spiritual warfare, but the everyday spiritual battles facing down all believers. This territory lies much closer to the biblical portrait. Satan deals in the ordinary, he is a master of disguise, deception and lies. His schemes are crafty. Believers may never know what struggles are attributable to Satan and which ones are traceable to sinful desires, just as Job never knew his afflictions came from Satan, who only had permission to do so from God. But one thing is sure, Christians must know there is a battle. And this battle is against an enemy not of flesh and blood, but against rulers, against authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places (Eph. 6:12). “When our hearts deceive us and our culture misleads us, Satan’s desires and purposes are at work” (1). It can be tempting to carry on, living absentminded and carefree when the fog and carnage of war is unnoticeable. Powlison, in his own words, wrote the book “because I want us to be awake and alert to the real battles we face. These are dark days, and this is a book about how to stand up to the powers of darkness—for yourself, for our loved ones, for those you counsel” (1). He’s personal, practical, and purposeful to that end.

[Heidi · Rating 5 out of 5]

For such a short book, this one dives deep and has perspective-shifting insight on Jesus’ healing ministry, the familiar “armor of God” passage in Ephesians 6, and what spiritual warfare actually is. I’ve read Neil Anderson in the past (Bondage Breaker, etc) and found some of it helpful, but it also was so mystical and even spooky that parts of it were hard to relate to. Powlison’s interpretation of these passages make so much more sense to me - and his warm wisdom on how to minister to others wrestling with their situations and their sin was just right.
David Powlison and his colleagues - Ed Welch, Tremper Longman, Paul Davis Tripp, etc - have been so influential to my faith and to the way I see other people (and myself) in light of Christ. What a marvelous gift to read this, his final book before his death, and feel confident that he met his Savior face to face with grateful joy and worship.
If you’ve wondered about spiritual warfare and what it means, I highly recommend this short, highly accessible and thought-provoking book.

[Timothy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book by a faithful, dedicated servant

Excellent read for all who are preparing, in the midst of, or recovering from any sort of spiritual battle. Powlison gives a sensible approach to the armor of God, explaining each piece of armor and how it is used on the offense, rather than simply defending against the attacks of the world, flesh, and devil. He was a faithful servant during his life and I am thankful for his help through this book in my battles.

[Andi Carter · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful read about how to focus our gaze (and counselee’s gaze) on Christ in the midst of spiritual warfare. Loved it! The last chapter was very powerful as it was the last Powlison wrote before his death.

[Loraena · Rating 4 out of 5]

This little book is about spiritual warfare drawing from Ephesians 6. It reads more like one of David's long-form essays than a book, best digested in small chunks you chew on, not read all at once.

The target audience is definitely those in Word-based ministry- biblical counselors or those doing other forms of pastoral care. There are some really wonderful gems here.

[Andreea · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very good book on spiritual warfare.
Guys, he died after writing this book 😭
I cried

[Matthew · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must-read - so helpful is understanding Spiritual Warfare and the Christian Walk (aka Sanctification). Take your time with this one. It is a short book that deserves savoring.

[Annette · Rating 5 out of 5]

My Thoughts:
I've met people who believe every bad thing that happens in life is because of spiritual warfare. This includes physical battles like cancer or other diseases. I believe bad things happen because we are imperfect humans and live in an imperfect world. But to go so far as to say all bad things are because of spiritual warfare, I've paused at that. This has been a good book to read. It's good, because it's made me think and consider something I may have been wrong about.
This is the first book I've read by David Powlison. I've read short books written by him. I've watched videos of him teaching on a counseling topic. The first thing I notice is his humility. He is also a person who is wise and purposeful about his speech. I admire people with these character traits. It makes me want to lean in closer to listen.

Some examples of points he made that were important:
•Every moment of our life is spent in a battle for lordship of our lives. Who we will serve?
•Satan's attacks are untruths about God.
•The main Bible passage is Ephesians 6:10-20, but other passages are used. For example, John 8:43-44; 1 John 5:19; Ephesians 2:1-3; Isaiah 59; 2 Peter 1:1; and 2 Corinthians 4:16-18.
•Anxiety is a lie. A lie about everything that we perceive as something to worry about.
•Thankfulness and gratitude is at the heart of the counterattack in spiritual warfare.
•A chapter on the occult and exorcism. "A person's sins are dealt with through repentance." He disagrees about the use of exorcisms. He believes in focusing on the heart of the person.

This book is deeply personal for Powlison. During the writing of the book, Powlison knows he has cancer. He doesn't know how much longer he will live. In fact, he died this past June. He expresses that he had moments of escapism and he's tempted to be discouraged. When a person is transparent about their struggles, we identify with them in some way, because we all have struggles in this life. I'm thankful for this book. I'm thankful for authors who share their tears.
Source: I received a complimentary copy, but was not required to leave a positive review.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Safe and Sound: Standing Firm in Spiritual Battles is a book written by author and counselor David Powlison.

What is spiritual warfare? Powlison says that it is a part of Christian life — a battle for Lordship. Every moment, he contends, we make decisions on whom we will serve.

The promotional blurb for this book said that it “guides readers to see the normality of their struggles with themselves, the world around them, and the powers of darkness.” I liked that perspective. Powlison says that the devil is certainly real, but that we don’t need to overemphasize him. “The person as a moral responder always comes front and center.” He relates a story about a woman in church who began acting in a very disturbing way. Several members came forward, wanting to “exorcise” her. But another man reacted instead by sitting at a distance from her, talking quietly to her, praying, etc. This “normal” approach reached the woman. “Spiritual warfare is not grim or apprehensive, not paranoid or superstitious, not magical or talismanic.”

Other interesting bits —

* Spiritual warfare is about light invading darkness. It’s not all about Satan attacking us — we are to be on the offensive and should take the battle to the darkness.
* “Turning to Christ is to win spiritual warfare.”
* In describing a health crisis he and his wife had faced with their daughter, Powlison focuses on Psalm 28. He notes how the Psalmist goes through the emotional register, from despair to peace. He shares that the Psalmist seemingly went through this process much faster than his family did, and that the important aspect here is the template, not the timetable .

Sadly, Powlison died of cancer shortly after this book was written. I have found teaching videos he has made on RightNow Media, and I appreciate his calm, assuring manner both in those and in this book.

[Joshua Reitano · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really helpful book from a counseling master on spiritual warfare. Unlike his previous book on this topic, Power Encounters, this is directed at ministers and counselors as they engage with their people. The final chapter and the appendix are especially helpful.

Also, this was David Powlison's final book. He wrote the final chapters just months before dying of pancreatic cancer. He died as he lived, serving Jesus Christ and loving people well. Thanks be to God!

[Jon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short and helpful in reminding me that spiritual battles are real, subtle and often misunderstood. I need to remember that believers have the power to go on the offensive against the trifecta of darkness. Another practical help for me was the example Powlison gave showing how to pray through a Psalm. There's a lot to think through in such a short book!

[Paul Pompa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid booklet. Very sound and digestible. First time to read Powlison. Will definitely read more of his work.

[nate]

A great little book from Powlison, made more poignant by his too-soon death. Thankful for his life, his ministry, and his writing.

[Randall Hartman · Rating 5 out of 5]

“ When our hearts deceive us and our culture misleads us, Satan’s desires and purposes are at work.” Safe & Sound is not a typical treatment of (so-called) spiritual warfare, most commonly thought of as supernatural confrontations with demons, exorcisms, commanding spirits, miraculous healings, etc. This focus has been perpetuated by both a failure to see such instances in scriptural context as well as the influence of cultural expressions ranging from the silly (the devil as a cartoonish red character with horns) to the serous (movies like the Exorcist).

Rather, Safe & Sound demonstrates from scripture that spiritual warfare is really an ordinary, daily occurrence of “standing up to the world, the flesh, and the devil.” Jesus calls people to triumph over the powers of darkness in the way He did, by “living, active dependence on his Heavenly Father.”

When the battle is thus defined, God’s people fight differently - by “declaring the truth with mercy, praying honestly and dependently, living what we say we believe, worshiping together, doing genuine good to meet human need, [and] admitting and repenting of our failures.” Thus, “spiritual warfare is both mundane and profound...because powerful forces are at work in what happens every day.”

I picked up this book because of my enjoyment of the author’s various posts on the website of the Christian Counseling and Educational Foundation, which he founded. Those articles eventually chronicled his own diagnosis with inoperable cancer and his personal journey through terminal illness and death in June 2019. This is his final work.

Initially, however, I was disappointed with the book and had difficulty getting oriented in it. Having finished it, I offer two tips that I hope will help you to experience the many benefits it offers.

First, recognize that it is written by a counselor for counselors. Understanding this context, you can benefit most if you envision yourself either as a counselee (seeing how it applies to you) or a counselor (how you might apply it in the lives of those whom you may have opportunity to help). Putting yourself in the shoes of both a helper and one needing help provides a double benefit.

Second, the book is best understood as an integrated whole and should be read through to the end before assessing it. After several chapters, and being somewhat disappointed with the above discovery about its target audience, I was tempted to drop it or discount it. Having finished it (and then rereading and making notes on each chapter), I found it to be rich, coherent, and helpful on many levels.

The book’s two sections, respectively, identify the nature and weapons of spiritual warfare according to relevant Biblical passages and then apply those truths to the most common, recurring battles we all face in life. It concludes with an appendix specifically addressing eleven different types of supernatural actions in the Bible, ones generally viewed as the more “traditional” type of spiritual warfare. It relates those to the truths of scripture and the book’s conclusions.

In the first section, Powlison demonstrates that spiritual warfare is “a normal, everyday part of the Christian life...our participation in the Lord’s cosmic war with darkness...to bring the light of his love into this dark world.” Through an overview of Ephesians, he teaches that “Spiritual warfare means finding strength to live a life of faith, humility, love, goodness, courage, and wisdom...to live our lives with the same merciful purposes as Christ.” He elaborates on how the armor of God equips us for “taking the battle to the darkness, with the Lord as our strength and protection.”

The second section, recognizing that “life is often hard and ugly” and that “it is easy to feel overwhelmed, besieged, threatened, and vulnerable,” applies the truths of Ephesians to the realities of normal life. He addresses anger, fear, escapism, life-threatening circumstances, the occult/animism, and the last enemy, death (from his first-person battle).

Our culture is infatuated with the extraordinary and unusual. As we are caught up in that mindset, it’s easy to miss the supernatural importance of the everyday and the primary resources our Heavenly Father has given for our mundane but eternally significant daily lives. Let Powlison enlighten and strengthen you.

[Flo · Rating 4 out of 5]

sehr hilfreich, sehr down-to-earth.

hier einige Highlights aus den Kapiteln:

Introduction
→ persönliche Glaubensgeschichte, die unter anderem Jakobus 4,7-8 veranschaulicht: "Ich suchte in Buße und Glauben Gottes Nähe, under Teufel floh."

Part 1: What Is Spiritual Warfare?
Chapter 1. The Reality of Spiritual Warfare
→ dreifacher moralischer Feind: Welt, menschliche Natur und Teufel.
→ "[D]er Teufel [spielt] in den alltäglichen Problemen von Sünde, Elend und Tod eine zu Grunde liegende, hinter den Kulissen stattfindende Rolle [...]. Aber noch einmal: die Bibel legt uns nicht nahe, den Lügner und Mörder zum Zentrum unseres Dienstes zu machen. Menschen und ihre Beziehung zu Gott sind das Zentrum. Sprechen Sie also vom Teufel, aber nicht zu viel. Dem Satan sollte man in ähnlicher Weise Aufmerksamkeit widmen wie anderen Einflussfaktoren: körperlichen Problemen, der persönlichen Geschichte, kulturellen und sozialen Einflüssen, situativen Stressfaktoren und Leid. All das spielt eine gewisse Rolle, doch das Hauptaugenmerk gilt den Menschen als moralisch reagierenden Wesen."

Chapter 2. How Paul Envisions Spiritual Warfare
→ interessant zur Waffenrüstung in Epheser 6: "Sein Bild kommt aus Jesaja und den Psalmen. Der Soldat, den wir uns vorstellen sollen, ist kein römischer Zenturio, sondern der göttliche, messianische König aller Könige. Wir sollen uns Gott den Herrn vorstellen, der persönlich kommt, der in Macht kommt, der kommt, um alles zu berichtigen, was falsch ist."
→ "Der entscheidende Punkt in Epheser 1-3 ist Jesu Kraft für uns und in uns. Der entscheidende Punkt in Epheser 4-6 ist, wie wir in seiner Kraft ein lohnendes Leben führen können. [...] Geistlicher Kampf bedeutet, Kraft zu finden, um ein Leben im Glauben, Demut, Liebe, Güte, Mut und Weisheit zu führen."

Chapter 3. God's Weapons and God's Call

Part 2: Counseling in the Reality of Spiritual Warfare
Chapter 4. Strength and Guidance for Personal Ministry
→ über Jesus und Paulus: "Diese 'Kampfgebete' spreche nicht vom Satan und sprechen ihn auch nicht an; vielmehr sprechen sie von unserem tiefsten Bedürfnissen nach Jesu Gegenwart und Hilfe. Die Kernaussage von Paulus' Fürbitte ist sehr einfach: 'Möge Gott euch Kraft geben, ihn zu kennen.' Kein Binden und Lösen, keine autoritativen Verlautbarungen und Proklamationen, kein Benennen und in Anspruch nehmen."

Chapter 5. Fighting the Normal Battles: Anger, Fear, Escapism
→ "Was befähigt Sie und diejenigen, die seelsorgerlich begleiten, gegen die Welt, die sündige menschlicher Natur und den Teufel standzuhalten? Wahrheit, Gerechtigkeit, das Evangelium des Friedens, glaube, Rettung, das Wort Gottes und Gebet. Das ist der alltägliche, normale Stoff, aus dem das Christsein gemacht ist."
→ Wut und Bitterkeit wird häufig psychologisiert, als existiere das Problem nur im Betreffenden. Konflikt ist per Definition zwischenmenschlicher Natur. Auch Angst wird häufig als rein psychologisches, emotionales Problem betrachtet. "Doch Angst hindert uns auch daran, uns um andere zu kümmern und aus unserer eigenen Welt hinaus auf andere zuzugehen. Weil wir Angst haben, isolieren uns die Lügen, die wir glauben, von anderen. Genau damit befinden wir uns aber in einem geistlichen Kampf, mein Rückzug lieblos und glaubenslos ist."
→ "Die Zuwendung zu Jesus Christus ist der Sieg im geistlichen Kampf."

Chapter 6. The Battle with the Shadow of Death
Chapter 7. In Conflict with the Occult
Chapter 8. The Battle with Animism
Chapter 9. Spiritual Warfare Focuses on the Person
Chapter 10. The Last Battle
Appendix. Jesus's Mode of Ministry and Ours
→ "Jesus im voll Wasser laufenden Boot agierte in der Befehlsform; wir agieren in der Form der abhängigen Bitte."
→ "Sollten auch wir in der Befehlsform heilen? Die Bibel gibt uns ausdrücklich andere Anweisungen. Die normale Form des Heilens sowohl im Alten als auch im Neuen Testament ist zu beten, sich zu allererst auf Gott zu verlassen, und dann medizinische Mittel anzuwenden."

[Carol Chen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book gave me some really good insights.
Remember we are in a daily warfare, do we arm on by God's weapon?
Our enemies are liars!
Where do you choose to turn?
Also, good suggestions for counseling people, walking with them.

My favorite part is the last part that he talked about his last battle. About grief, fighting with God,
engaging with life not to escape, not losing heart.

Quotes.
Yes, we are facing our enemies - the world, the flesh, and the devil. But our ultimate victory is guaranteed.
In this battle, grief is a reality. But like any human experience, the important thing is what you do with it, where does the grief go? where do you go?
Today I am called to fight this final battle with Jesus as my armor and his Spirit as my strength.
But the temptation to not engage is present. Yet I hear the voice of my good Shepherd. I remember Jesus on the cross, facing death, yet still fully engaged with life - caring for his mother, speaking words of life to the thief next to him- and I can stay engaged too.
At times I am tempted to lose heart. But my good Shepherd is leading me toward life, not death.
He is always near.

[Dianne · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Word of God and prayer.

We are in a spiritual battle constantly, whether we are aware of it or not. And this book takes us through all types of life circumstances where we are confronted with the front line of the battle. In each case, we see the administration of the Word and prayer as the right and proper biblical manner in which to respond to the situation.

I especially appreciated Powlinson's exposition of James 5:14-16 (appendix) and his helpful examples from Scripture that show the difference between how Jesus addressed the spiritual battle with His "command-control mode" (miracles) and how we have been instructed from the Word. From Scripture, we see it is errant to fight this battle by rebuking evil, commanding evil to depart, exorcising evil, or engaging in any similar "casting out" type efforts. In, it is the Word of God and prayer that we are to employ.

A good book to read again! Slower, with Scripture open and digging in deeper. Helpful for counseling /discipling!