When Jesus walked and talked with disciples during His earthly ministry, he often brought up the issue of spiritual warfare, like in Matthew 16:
13 Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” 14 And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” 15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16 Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 17 And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. 18 And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
Once again, this war, these battles are not against physical peoples or institutions. Even "the Church", of which this is the first mention, is not some earthly institution or political body - it is the people of God under the leadership and lordship of Christ. That is evident in that these other personalities were not kings or even priests - they were prophets who called people to repent. Our head is no mere man. The Son of Man is also the Son of God. He transcends the physical/spiritual divide. As such, He is able to give us the victory where it matters most and forever - in the heavenly, unseen places. To be sure, such victories will affect the here and now on earth, but their effect is much further, longer, deeper. The church grows as we allow Him to bring the victories in and through us. When we do, the power of darkness weakens.
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