Understanding Spiritual Warfare (Pt 3): How the Enemy Gains Ground
Your soul is in a battle, and the enemy wants ground. Habitual sins like anger, unforgiveness, and trauma give him footholds. It’s time to take back the territory and let Jesus reclaim what’s His.
Let me draw a picture for you—ready?
Here’s your soul.
Imagine it as a heart.
This represents your soul, and the battle for it is ongoing. Think of it like any war—whether it’s Russia and Ukraine or any other conflict—the enemy and the Lord are fighting over this territory.
What Is a Foothold?
When the enemy takes ground, that’s what a foothold means.
The Bible says, “Do not give the devil a foothold.”
A habitual sin, like anger, is an example. You give the devil a foothold when you hold onto anger and go to bed without resolving it.
The original Greek word for “foothold” is topos—a military term for losing ground or territory. It’s about giving space to the enemy.
Have you ever played the game Risk?
There’s a world map, and you put troops in territories, trying to take over more ground and ultimately win control. A foothold in your soul works the same way.
You Belong to Jesus—But There's Still Work to Do
When you become a Christian, the Lord owns your soul.
But that doesn’t mean you’re automatically free from everything.
You’re free from the power of sin, but there’s still baggage you need to work through.
It’s like a marriage—you bring past experiences, hurts, and struggles into it. Even though you now belong to your spouse, you still need to work through things together.
The same applies to being in a relationship with Jesus. You still need to work through things.
Soul Ties and Sexual Sin
For example, if you had sex outside of marriage before coming to Jesus, you created a soul tie.
The Bible says sex binds souls together—and if it wasn’t with your spouse, that bond wasn’t God-ordained. That gives the enemy ground.
Habitual Sin: The Enemy’s Strategy
Another area where we could open the door to demonization is what I’ll call habitual sin—sins we engage in repeatedly. It’s not a one-time slip-up or a mistake we learn from. Habitual sin is something we keep struggling with and falling into, and it can give the enemy what the Bible calls a foothold.
Or maybe because of that struggle, you carry shame, and shame claims ground in your life.
Lust: A Quiet Occupation
Maybe growing up, you were exposed to things you shouldn’t have been, and now you’re struggling with lust.
It becomes a habitual sin—giving the enemy a foothold.
Maybe it’s porn or certain books or shows—things like Fifty Shades of Grey or Netflix’s Bridgerton. If you’re watching those, they’re like TV-sanctioned porn.
Lust is a habitual sin, and it gives the enemy a foothold in your life.
Generational Sin: The Family Battle
Another area is generational sin—the sins passed down from our fathers and grandfathers.
The Bible talks about generational curses and blessings.
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob all struggled with fear.
Have you heard of being a “curse breaker”?
Only Jesus can break the footholds these generational sins create.
Trauma and Demonization
Trauma, though not your fault, can give the enemy a foothold.
Trauma leads to shame, depression, fear, unforgiveness, and anger, which are all footholds the enemy takes in your soul.
Do you see how all these things take ground?
And when they do, there’s less room for Jesus to work in your life.
Other Footholds: Anger, Unforgiveness, and Fear
Anger, unforgiveness, and fear also give the enemy space to take over parts of our souls.
Unforgiveness is a huge foothold. And when we let things fester, we continue to give more and more ground over to the enemy.
God still owns it, but there’s a war for control.
This can lead to fear—fear for our children, finances, health—or irrational fear and anxiety.
That fear can spiral into depression—thoughts like, “I’m not good enough. No one cares.” And that can lead to self-medicating with alcohol or drugs.
You see how this can all spiral quickly.
What Is Demonization, Really?
When we feed into depression or believe lies from the enemy, it advances. I’ve written about it in more depth previously, but that’s what demonization is—letting the enemy take ground and hold onto it.
Time to Take It Back
That’s what we’re talking about—taking back the ground the enemy has stolen.
You don’t have to stay stuck.
Jesus already won the war—this is just about letting Him into the rooms you’ve kept locked.
Later in this series, we will talk about the practical tools we need to free these areas and get freedom from the enemy. But first, we need to address one huge player in spiritual warfare: mental health. That’s Part 4.
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If any of this resonates at a level you feel compelled to address it now, reach out to me under my Hope Builders page. This is something we can work on together. You don’t have to face the darkness alone.
A quick note to those of you who have supported, shared, prayed, and stayed subscribed as I’ve launched Hope Builders. The launch went well, and I’ve felt so much support. I’m beyond excited to begin this journey, walking alongside people into a deeper understanding and lived experience of the full life Jesus has on offer for us. You are so appreciated, and you are a part of it <3
Other Posts in the Series:
Part 1: Oppression, Possession, & Demonization
Part 2: Battle Tactics - Know Your Enemy