The territorial view (false spiritual warfare)

The territorial view of spiritual warfare teaches that believers are responsible for reclaiming cities, geographical regions, events, or even people from Satan’s control. Advocates of this view assert that Satan has gained “legal rights” over certain territories, and it is the church’s task to engage in battles to recover and reclaim them for the Kingdom of God. This approach often involves practices like binding Satan, rebuking demonic forces, or using phrases such as “plead the blood of Christ” as spiritual mantras to neutralize negative influences.

Proponents of this view believe that by “pushing back the powers of darkness,” Christians can open the way for the gospel to advance in these reclaimed areas. However, this perspective distorts the biblical teaching on spiritual warfare and lacks any clear scriptural precedent. Nowhere in the Bible are believers instructed to engage in territorial battles with the forces of darkness in the manner described by this view.

Instead, true spiritual warfare focuses on standing firm in the truth of God’s Word, relying on His power, and resisting the schemes of the devil through faith and obedience. In the next section, we will explore the biblical approach to spiritual warfare and examine what it truly means to fight the good fight of faith.

The Truth View (Actual Spiritual warfare)

True spiritual warfare is a battle for truth. Instead of hand-to-hand combat (using Christian mantras or phrases), it is a proclamation of the truth (a battle for the mind), claiming men and women for Christ through the power of the gospel.

The war of truth is fought through proclaiming, declaring, preaching, sharing, and articulating the Gospel.

Our battle is to win the minds of men. All men are held captive by the spiritual darkness which has corrupted their minds and made them hostile to God. As Christians, our role is to take the truth and advance it for the kingdom and persuade men to accept it.

It is not our goal to capture territories, but rather to articulate and spread the truth.

2 Corinthians 10:3-6 (NKJV)

For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.

The above verse is addressing the lies and the deceptive theologies and philosophies in the world with the truth of God.

God’s truth is our answer to the lies and deceptive theologies and philosophies in the world.

Paul gives clear guidelines that we are to preach the word and God will deliver us from darkness. He also states that we cannot use human ingenuity, wisdom, ideas, strategies, to assault mental fortresses / strongholds or attack the kingdom of darkness.

In the NASB translation, the term strongholds or fortresses refers to mental and spiritual fortresses, which are further defined as;

(1) Arguments (“arguments”~ “logismos,” which is the Greek word for “ideas”)

(2) lofty things against the knowledge of God

(3) taking every thought captive.

Basically, these are ideologies in the form of thoughts / ideas / ways of thinking that are man made or rooted in pagan speculation / secularism / progressivism / liberalism / theological liberalism / materialistic naturalism / evolution / polytheism / postmodernism / atheism / rationalism.

Those are just some of the ways the human mind has been enslaved, and we are called to preach the gospel and free them.

The purpose of spiritual warfare is not to chase Satan or demons, but rather to attack ideologies, as Paul says it is virtually an assault against any idea that is opposed to the knowledge of God.

As we build ourselves up in the word of God, we will be protected and able to bring every thought captive to Christ, destroying the fortifications and wrong ideas raised against the knowledge of God to bring people to Him. This is true Spiritual warfare.