We’ve been thinking about Jesus as our big brother. He is described in those terms in Romans 8:29, and he calls disciples “brothers and sisters” in Mark 3:35.

One of the things an ideal big brother does is protect his younger siblings. 

‘But,’ you might be thinking, ‘Jesus doesn’t protect me—at least not in a physical sense.’ In response I would say that sometimes it is something you can see, and sometimes it isn’t. The emphasis here, however, is in the realm of spiritual warfare. For a genuine Christian, the name of Jesus has power. Here’s one example.

Steve Dabbs is a retired military chaplain with over 35 years of experience in pastoral care and leadership.

He talks about a couple he was counselling. The man, Daryl, was suffering from an addiction to pornography. Realizing that he was headed in the wrong direction, he picked up a Bible and started to read. When he did so the words mysteriously disappeared from the page. He knew something demonic was happening. It was trying to prevent him from reading words from God.

Then he started to pray. As soon as he began, he felt an invisible hand on his neck trying to choke him. His girlfriend, Chelsea, was there. She was a Christian and remembered something her grandma used to say: “I rebuke you in the name of Jesus!” The choking stopped. 

Daryl explained what happened next: “Immediately I felt the need to throw up. So I ran to the bathroom, and I vomited a strange tar-like substance. I sat on the bathroom floor for a moment. Then I stood up and felt lighter. Then I looked at Chelsea and said, ‘For the first time in my life, I feel clean!’”*

This is a fairly dramatic story. But even when we aren’t engaged in something as startling as that, we are still involved in spiritual battles for our families, against temptation, and for the kingdom. 

The kingdom of darkness is real. Satan is real. His workers (demons/‘unclean spirits’) are real. But if you are in Christ, you live under the authority of the Lord God the Almighty. As a result, there is nothing to fear.

You’re on a spiritual battlefield whether you realize it or not. Be confident. Our big brother Jesus offers us effective spiritual protection in his name.

---

Notes and extra content:

–The Up Devotional is published 5 days a week (Monday-Friday) and returns on October 21, 2024.

–*Steve Dabbs, When Demons Surface: True Stories of Spiritual Warfare and What the Bible Says about Confronting the Darkness (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 2024), 182.

–“Our Big Brother Jesus.” Sermon. October 13, 2024. Click here.

–Bible quotes are from the NIV.