Spiritual Warfare: a Biblical and Balanced Perspective

In his letter to the Ephesians, the apostle Paul describes deliverance from bondage of sin through the work of Christ. He brings that deliverance to bear in our personal experience by the enlivening grace of God. He issues a call for us to walk in this newfound freedom, worthy of our calling in Christ, amid the dangers and challenges of this fallen world. Paul concludes his letter in practical terms for the battle we face as part of the normal course of the Christian life. It is here in Ephesians 6 that Brian Borgman and Rob Ventura meet us to orient us to the strength, weaponry, and strategy by which our Lord equips us for the battle. These pastors provide clear, concise, competent, and compelling counsel in what can be a neglected or abused topic. Stanley D. Gale, author of Warfare Witness: Contending with Spiritual Opposition in Everyday Evangelism
Many voices in our day present a version of spiritual warfare in which Satan seems to hold the position of prominence even preeminence. Christians are left to wonder what magic spell or formulaic expressions can be invoked to see their demons excised. Yet, since Christ has triumphed over all the forces of darkness, His people should grow in hope and faith as they look to Christ. Brian Borgman and Rob Ventura present one of the finest and most biblically responsible and insightful studies of spiritual warfare now available. While they account fully for the reality of Satan s deception, cunning, and power, they give greater stress (as they ought!) to the superior and indefatigable victory and sovereign reign of Christ. Christians need the message of this book. Satan, indeed, is a real and present danger, but Christ is our real, risen, and reigning hope! Spiritual Warfare guides readers into a clear and grace-empowered understanding of these truths. Bruce A. Ware, professor of Christian Theology, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
"I count it a privilege to commend this book characterized by careful exegesis, helpful illustration, and suffused with practical pastoral application. In opening up the meaning of Ephesians 6:10-20 the authors have also given us an extensive and helpful bibliography of other expositions of this passage by means of the many judicious quotations of authors, past and present, who have expounded this crucial portion of the word of God. The structure of the book and the questions given at the end of each chapter should make the book useful for adult Sunday school classes, small-group studies, as well as a helpful tool for personal devotional use and healthy self-examination. Thank you, Brian and Rob, dear friends and fellow laborers in the gospel, for providing the church with this very useful edifying tool." - Al Martin
William Gurnall once said that the battle between Satan and the saints makes the most brutal war on earth look like child s play. Yet so many Christians act like civilians on vacation instead of soldiers on the front lines. Borgman and Ventura, like experienced master sergeants, give us the Bible s basic training on spiritual warfare. Drawing from the classic text in Ephesians 6, their teaching will both clear away false ideas about the spiritual battle, and equip Christians to stand firm to the end. - Dr. Joel R. Beeke, President, Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary, Grand Rapids, Michigan
"The increased hostility of our anti-Christian culture is forcing many Christians on to the back foot and even into the bunkers. This stirring book is a much-needed clarion call to battle, but one that emphasizes the spiritual nature of the battle and of the weapons we must use. - Dr. David Murray