African Americans must wage war for equity, dignity, civil rights, and human rights in both the natural and the spiritual worlds. Our enemies exist in both realms.
In the natural world, we must peacefully and non-violently fight through voting, Congress, the courts, grassroots organizing, and other institutions. In the spiritual world, we fight primarily through prayer, fasting, and spiritual discipline.
This is called spiritual warfare—targeting the unseen forces that influence what happens in the natural world. Let me explain.
The Natural World
God created all things (Colossians 1:16). His creation exists in two realms.
The first is the natural world, which we experience through our five senses—sight, smell, touch, hearing, and taste. It includes the sun, moon, stars, galaxies, planets, and everything physical on earth: people, buildings, animals, fish, birds, insects, trees, grass, and sky.
The Spiritual World
But God’s creation is not limited to what we can see. He also created a spiritual world, with its headquarters in Heaven.
This world cannot be perceived by the five senses. It is invisible and beyond time and space—but just as real as the natural world. God filled this realm with angels, cherubim, seraphim, and other spiritual beings.
Among these beings are archangels. Scripture shows us three: Lucifer, Michael, and Gabriel. Each had unique responsibilities—Lucifer over worship, Michael over warfare, and Gabriel over communication. God created them to help govern creation. But Lucifer, corrupted by pride, rebelled against God and was cast out of Heaven.
The Heavenly War
The Bible reveals there was a war in Heaven (Revelation 12:7–9). Lucifer, dazzled by his own beauty and gifts, sought to be God (Isaiah 14:12–17; Ezekiel 28:12–19). He recruited a third of the angels to rebel. But Michael and his angels defeated and expelled Lucifer and his angels to earth.
The Enemies Behind Our Enemies
Today, Satan and his fallen angels move between earth and its atmosphere, spreading chaos and destruction. They hate both God and humanity. They manipulate people into harming one another—using lies, greed, racism, and white supremacy to oppress African descendants.
Like puppet masters, these unseen evil beings are behind the system of white supremacy that has justified slavery, Jim Crow, apartheid, and ongoing oppression.
That’s why Paul wrote in Ephesians 6:12:
For we are not wrestling with flesh and blood [contending only with physical opponents], but against the despotisms, against the powers, against [the master spirits who are] the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spirit forces of wickedness in the heavenly (supernatural) sphere.
Paul was clear: the fight is not only human versus human. The real battle is against an unseen spiritual empire that manipulates human systems.
The Kingdom of Darkness Versus the Kingdom of God
We have established that our fight is twofold—spiritual and natural. But the spiritual fight is most important, because it fuels everything in the natural world.
Satan supplies his followers with evil ideologies, strategies, and resources. But God supplies His people with Kingdom strategies, wisdom, and power to fight for justice and righteousness.
Jesus made this plain in Luke 11:20:
If I with the finger of God cast out devils, no doubt the Kingdom of God is come upon you.
The Kingdom of God is greater than Satan’s kingdom. In fact, Colossians 2:15 says Jesus disarmed Satan and triumphed over him at the cross.
Oppression Is Satan’s Work
Oppression in all its forms—slavery, colonialism, apartheid, Jim Crow, white supremacy, fascism, authoritarianism—is the devil’s work. Behind every system of oppression are demonic forces.
The Bible directly connects oppression to Satan in Acts 10:38:
How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.
This verse confirms three truths:
- Oppression comes from Satan.
- God’s Kingdom power is greater.
- God always sides with the oppressed.
Scripture repeats this theme:
- “The LORD also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble.” (Psalm 9:9)
- “For the oppression of the poor, for the sighing of the needy, now will I arise, saith the LORD; I will set him in safety from him that puffeth at him.” (Psalm 12:5)
- “He shall judge the poor of the people, he shall save the children of the needy, and shall break in pieces the oppressor.” (Psalm 72:4)
- “The LORD executes judgment for the oppressed; He gives food to the hungry. The LORD sets the prisoners free.” (Psalm 146:7)
Conclusion
The war for African American dignity, civil rights, and human rights must be fought on two fronts.
- In the natural world, through laws, policies, organizing, and advocacy.
- In the spiritual world, through prayer, fasting, and Kingdom power.
Victory comes when we fight both battles—because while oppression may be enforced by men, its source is demonic. And only the Kingdom of God can break the chains of Satan’s oppression.
