Spiritual Warfare

1 - Beginner

40 Questions About Angels, Demons, and Spiritual Warfare

image/svg+xml writer John Gilhooly

John Gilhooly’s book on this topic has a self-explanatory title. One of my favorite things about this book is that it is entirely Word-centered. As he says on the first page, “Perhaps the most troubling tendency in literature on spiritual warfare, however, is the extent to which mere anecdote bears the brunt of the heavy lifting.” Instead of telling stories of his own spiritual conquests and confrontations with demons, Gilhooly’s book is truly helpful by being focused and centered on the Biblical text, not anecdotes. If you are looking for a level-headed book that will answer your basic question about the angelic and demonic, this may be the best place to start.

2 - Intermediate

Against the Darkness: The Doctrine of Angels, Satan, and Demons

image/svg+xml writer Graham A. Cole

It is challenging to find a modern work on the topic of demons, Satan, and angels that doesn’t seem like it’s been written by someone who is obsessed with horror films like the Exorcist. Cole’s book on this topic is grounded firmly in the text of Scripture, and is a serious exploration of this important topic. If anyone has a difficult question for me on the nature of angels or demons, this book is often the first one I reach for to have my memory jogged or a hard question answered.

3 - Advanced

The Christian in Complete Armour (in 2 Volumes)

image/svg+xml writer William Gurnall

Gurnall’s masterpiece has been called the single greatest book on the topic of spiritual warfare. Centered around Paul’s words in Ephesians 6:10-20, Gurnall is missing the fanciful mysticism that is so common today when the topic is often taught on. Gurnall takes the Christian’s enemies the world, the flesh, and the devil seriously and literally, but also says that God has given the Christian all the necessary means to overcome those enemies.