The Hidden Spiritual Realm Most Christians Never Learn About
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Hey everyone! We’re starting a series on spiritual warfare topics that are critical for the body of Christ to understand and walk in the fullness and authority Christ has for us. Below are the bullet-point topics we’ll cover in the next few weeks, but first we need to dive into the three spiritual rebellions so we better understand the background and what’s working behind the scenes in our lives.
Can Christians be demonized, and what does demonization actually mean?
How does demonization occur?
How do you gain freedom from demonization?
The Foundation for Spiritual Warfare
“My people perish for lack of knowledge.” — Hosea 4:6
Most of us know there’s a spiritual battle happening around us. But do we really understand what that battle actually looks like, how Scripture describes it (three spiritual rebellions), or how deeply it affects our daily lives? Without a proper understanding of the battle going on behind the scenes in the spiritual realm, we can end up falling short of the life Christ has called us to live as well as fail to appreciate the sacrifice Jesus made and the grandness of his plan of redemption.
Why This Topic Matters
The church must maintain a Biblical perspective on spiritual warfare and avoid falling into two extremes:
Extreme #1: “The spiritual realm is symbolic. Demons aren’t literal. Everything is an allegory.”
Extreme #2: “Everything is a demon or the devil’s fault. Every inconvenience is spiritual warfare.”
Both extremes miss the truth.
Paul clearly tells us in Ephesians 6 that our war is not against flesh and blood but against principalities, powers, the rulers of the darkness of this world, and spiritual wickedness in high places. Paul’s choice of words paints a picture of a real, organized, strategic enemy army that we face with different levels of rank, authority, and power, much like we see in a modern military with generals at the top and infantry at the bottom.
We must understand the story behind the battle (the three spiritual rebellions) and the authority we have in Christ if we’re going to walk in the fullness Christ paid for and not fall into either of the two extremes.
Rebellion #1: The Fall of Satan
Genesis 3 introduces the first rebellion:
Satan deceives Adam and Eve, sin enters the world, and humanity loses the authority God gave them.
Scripture later calls Satan:
“The god of this world” (2 Cor. 4:4)
“The ruler of this world” (John 12:31)
The one who “holds the world in his power” (1 John 5:19)
Jesus reclaimed that authority through His death and resurrection — but believers must enforce that victory, just like evicting squatters from a home you legally own. A squatter doesn’t own the home, but will take up residence unless evicted by someone with authority.
Rebellion #2: The Sons of God and the Nephilim
If you are anything like us, the story in Genesis 6:1-12 is one of those passages that seemed super weird growing up.
Genesis 6 describes the “sons of God”, Bene Elohim in Hebrew (also referenced in Deuteronomy 32:8-9, Job 1:6, Job 2:1, and Job 38:4-7), as supernatural beings — stepping out of their God‑given domain and producing offspring with human women.
The result:
The Nephilim.
A corrupted, violent, hybrid race that spread wickedness across the earth.
God’s response?
The flood.
God didn’t create hybrid offspring. He created humankind. The flood was a cleansing of corruption and wickedness.
This rebellion is referenced again in:
2 Peter 2:4–10
Jude 6–7
The Book of Enoch (historically referenced, though not Scripture)
And yes — traces of the Nephilim appear after the flood (Genesis 6:4), which likely means additional supernatural beings rebelled again in an attempt to repeat the cycle.
Rebellion #3: The Tower of Babel
This was another story growing up that seemed straightforward on the surface, but digging into other scriptures provides greater context on its spiritual significance.
Deuteronomy 32:8–9 reveals that when God scattered humanity at Babel, He assigned the nations to the sons of God (Bene Elohim) — spiritual beings meant to steward them.
But they became corrupt and sought worship for themselves.
Psalm 82:1 and 6-7 show God judging these beings for leading nations astray.
The story of this rebellion provides insight into:
The rise of ancient world religions, with each nation having its own “demonic gods” they worship and continue to worship to this day in different ways
The “principalities” Paul mentions in Ephesians 6
The Prince of Persia and Prince of Greece in Daniel 10
Why spiritual warfare is often geographic and generational
Why This Matters for Believers Today
Understanding these rebellions helps us understand:
Why the world is spiritually broken and why certain areas (territories) can tend to be bound by specific sin patterns
Why Jesus’ victory was necessary
Why believers still face spiritual resistance
Why authority must be exercised, not assumed
Final Encouragement
The goal of this teaching isn’t fear — it’s freedom.
Jesus has already won.
He has already given authority to His people.
But we must understand the battle to walk in victory.
Prayer: Father God, thank you for securing our victory through Christ and giving us authority to trample every work of darkness that comes against us. Please open our eyes to the spiritual reality we are living in. Give us wisdom and discernment in how to engage in the necessary warfare to walk in freedom and authority. Strengthen us not to walk in fear but in freedom, and to keep our eyes on Jesus. We know you have plans for each one of us, and the enemy would love nothing more than to disrupt those plans, but we choose to stand firm on your word that you have given us everything we need for victory. Show us where the enemy is attacking us, and give us your divine strategies on how to wage war, fight back, and secure victory. Amen. wage war, fight back, and secure victory. Amen.
