Spiritual Warfare Is Real and Sometimes the Battle Is Within

Good morning, Faith Under Fire family. Today I want to talk about something God has been pressing on my heart: spiritual warfare.

When most people hear that phrase, they think about external battles. Darkness around us. Attacks coming from the outside. But in my life, spiritual warfare looked very different. For me, the war was not just around me. It was within me.

The Quiet Battles We Normalize

Spiritual warfare can take many forms. Addiction. Fear. Control. False comfort. Replacing God with something else that feels easier, faster, or more reassuring.

For over 30 years of my life, I was fighting a battle I did not fully recognize. I made choices that led me down paths I knew were not right. Not because I did not know better, but because it was how I was raised. It felt normal. It felt familiar.

And without God in your life, familiar often becomes your compass. That is how trajectories are formed. And if God is not at the center, the destination will always be off course.

When Spiritual Warfare Becomes Idolatry

I did not come to faith until later in life, well into my 40s. Before that, my spiritual warfare took the form of idolatry.

I was not worshiping statues. I was worshiping answers.

I turned to tarot cards, pendulums, psychics, and horoscopes. Anything that promised clarity, control, or peace. I would leave those places feeling temporarily comforted. Then I would leave feeling uneasy and questioning.

That was not coincidence.

Scripture is clear: “You shall have no other gods before Me.” (Exodus 20:3)

When we look to anything other than God for guidance, identity, or security, we place it before Him. That opens the door to spiritual confusion, fear, and deception.

The enemy does not always show up as chaos. Sometimes he shows up as counterfeit peace.

The Moment Everything Changed

In 2015, my marriage was brought down to its breaking point. I was stripped of control, certainty, and answers. That night, I fell to my knees.

I opened my Bible for the first time with true desperation. As I read about Satan’s strategies, I realized something that terrified me.

I had been serving the wrong master.

That realization shook me to my core. I cried out to God for forgiveness. I asked Him to take my sins, redirect my life, and place me on the path He had intended all along.

I also made a promise that I would never return to new age practices again.

Freedom Is Possible

Since 2016, I have not gone back. I do not visit psychics. I do not read horoscopes. I do not engage in practices that pull me away from Christ.

This year marks nearly ten years of freedom.

Why? Because Satan wants us to rely on anything but God. But God wants us to rely on Him fully.

Jesus tells us: “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” (John 14:6)

Not tarot cards. Not intuition detached from Scripture. Not spiritual shortcuts.

A Question for You

Spiritual warfare is real. The enemy is real. And the consequences are real.

So I want to ask you something today:

• What battle are you fighting right now?

• What have you normalized that God may be asking you to release?

• Where are you seeking answers instead of seeking Him?

If you are in the middle of spiritual warfare, open your Bible. Stop running to substitutes. Let God be your guide. Let Him carry what you were never meant to hold.

He sees the future clearly. He will lead you on the right path.

What’s Next

I will be sharing Part Two of this conversation on tomorrow’s blog, where we will go deeper into spiritual warfare and how it quietly destroys lives when left unaddressed.

Until then, sit with this. Pray over it. Ask God what He wants to show you.

And if this message resonated with you, I invite you to stay connected:

1. Read The Voice of Faith book series.

2. Read other Faith Under Fire Blog posts.

3. Join our community of believers walking this journey together.

You do not have to fight alone. God bless you.

Love and light to you always,

Heather M. Larribas