How do Christians fight against the devil?
Everyone given a view here treats the devil as a real enemy. Where they differ is in how believers have understood the fight itself: as carried on through the usual means of the Christian life, including asking God to deliver the afflicted, or also by commanding evil spirits to leave in Jesus’ name. A figure is placed in the first view for what they teach, and silence about casting out spirits is not read as rejecting it. That gives two views.
The 2 views side by side
| Scripture, prayer and faithThe means of grace | Those means, and casting out spiritsExorcism in Christ’s name |
|---|---|
| How is the fight carried on? | |
With Scripture, prayer, faith and watchfulness. Spurgeon answers the devil with “It is written,” and Calvin calls prayer “the true method.” From Charles Haddon Spurgeon, John Calvin, John Wesley, Westminster Confession, John Owen | With the same means, and also by driving evil spirits out in Jesus’ name. Athanasius names prayer, fasting and the sign of the cross, and Ortlund commands whatever is not in submission to Jesus to leave. From Athanasius of Alexandria, Gavin Ortlund, Irenaeus of Lyons, Augustine of Hippo |
| Is casting out spirits part of it today? | |
Not as something they teach. MacArthur calls Christian exorcism foreign to Scripture and Calvin scorns the office of exorcist. Luther says all we can do is pray God to deliver the possessed, though he holds the power remains in the church. | Yes, though never at the centre. Aquinas keeps it in the rite of baptism, Piper says it is much more common on the mission field, and Graham warned against “hocus-pocus.” From Thomas Aquinas, John Piper, Billy Graham |
| What do they warn against? | |
Blaming the devil for our own sin. Chrysostom says that is exactly what the devil wants, and Spurgeon warns against fearing him. | Fear and pride. Athanasius says to fear God only and take no credit for the signs, and Ortlund says it is not a matter of technique or ritual. |
| Key passage | |
| Ephesians 6:10-18 | Luke 10:19 |
| In their own words | |
“Let us fight Satan always with an 'It is written;' for no weapon will ever tell upon the arch-enemy so well as Holy Scripture will.” | “It is by true piety that men of God cast out the hostile power of the air which opposes godliness; it is by exorcising it, not by propitiating it; and they overcome all the temptations of the adversary by praying, not to him, but to their own God against him.” |
| On this map | |
| 12 figures | 7 figures |
Who holds which view
12 other figures on the map have no entry on this doctrine. That means nobody has assessed them on it — not that they hold no view.
Scripture, prayer and faith
Through the usual means of the Christian life: Scripture, prayer, faith and watchfulness, including asking God to deliver the afflicted
Those means, and casting out spirits
Through those means, and also by commanding evil spirits to leave, or exorcising them, in Christ's name
Figures who hold no stance here
These are not gaps in the table. Each group below says which kind of blank it is — searched and not found, held open on purpose, never framed in these terms, or deliberately unassigned because no stance fits.
How to read a cell — sourcing tiers, blanks, and why some figures are never quoted
A cell marked quoted carries the figure's own words — 359 of 518of them, about 69%. Where there is no quotation the claim is still sourced, and the tier says how far. 3 figures carry no quotation at all, for reasons that differ: a living author cannot be quoted at length under copyright where Calvin can, and a figure at the standard account tier has simply had no primary-source pass yet. 3 of them state their own reason on their page.
A state label ending in ° was read from the stance, tier and note rather than stated on the map. See themethodology.