Chapter 2: Know the Battlefield

Written by: Apostle Delmar and Gary Sheng

Before we dive into the practices, principles, and daily rhythms that will set you ablaze with the fire of God, we need to have an honest conversation about where you are right now.

Not where you wish you were. Not where you think you should be. Where you actually are.

Because here's the truth: if you're reading this book, you're standing in the middle of a battlefield. Your soul is contested territory. And the war for it has been raging long before you were born.

The War You Didn't Know You Were In

Most people live their entire lives without realizing they're in a war.

They wake up, scroll through their phones, watch their shows, go to work, consume their entertainment, follow the cultural currents, and never once stop to ask: Who is profiting from my spiritual slumber? Who gains when I waste my days on distractions that pull me away from God?

The answer should sober you: The enemy of your soul.

Satan is actively warring for our souls.

This may be a shock to you.

But we are not called to respond with terror. We respond with power, love, and a sound mind—grounded in the authority Christ has already given us.

Here's what's tricky about Satan's strategy to win your soul:

Satan doesn't need you to worship him directly. He just needs you distracted, lukewarm, and spiritually asleep. He needs you comfortable in a culture designed to keep you far from God while making you think you're doing just fine.

"Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour." — 1 Peter 5:8

Spiritual warfare isn't something that happens occasionally when you're under attack. Spiritual warfare is the default state of reality. Every moment of every day, there are forces working to draw you closer to God or further from Him. There is no neutral ground.

"For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." — Ephesians 6:12

You are either advancing the Kingdom of God or you're aiding the kingdom of darkness. Even if you don't realize it. Even if you don't intend to.

"He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad." — Matthew 12:30

The Terrain: A Culture Designed to Destroy Your Soul

Let's be brutally honest about the world you're living in right now, especially if you're in America in 2025.

The culture you're swimming in is as openly hostile to Christ as it's ever been—not through honest persecution that strengthens faith, but through something far more insidious: the normalization of rebellion against God dressed up as progress, tolerance, and enlightenment.

We are living under Satan's dominion on earth:

"In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them." — 2 Corinthians 4:4

And we know that Satan is the father of lies:

"Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it." — John 8:44

Scripture warned us exactly what happens when people reject God:

"And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity..." — Romans 1:28-32

The entertainment you consume, the music you listen to, the social media you scroll through—almost all of it is pushing you away from God. Most pop music celebrates lust, pride, greed, and rebellion. Most movies and shows normalize what Scripture calls sin. Most social media amplifies outrage, comparison, and tribalism.

God's Word is clear about what we should be filling our minds with:

"Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things." — Philippians 4:8

The Spiritual Reality Behind Cultural Decay

And here's what atheists and materialists will never understand: this isn't just about bad ideas or unhealthy habits. This has spiritual roots.

There are spirits of homosexuality. Spirits of gender confusion. Spirits of lust and perversion. Spirits of depression and suicide. Spirits of addiction. Spirits that cause autism and countless other afflictions.

Before you dismiss this as primitive superstition, understand: Apostle Delmar has been casting out these spirits for 42 years. He has seen autism cured, gender confusion lifted, depression broken, and every manner of bondage shattered when these spirits are confronted in the name of Jesus Christ.

Scripture is filled with accounts of Jesus and His disciples casting out demons:

"When the even was come, they brought unto him many that were possessed with devils: and he cast out the spirits with his word, and healed all that were sick." — Matthew 8:16

"And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues." — Mark 16:17

"Then he called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases." — Luke 9:1

The spiritual realm is more real than the physical realm you can see. And when a culture normalizes sin—when it celebrates what God calls abomination—it opens doors for demonic oppression on a massive scale.

Not All Churches Will Save You

Now, you might be reading about these cultural challenges and thinking: "Well, at least I'm not one of those people. I believe in the spiritual realm. I go to church. I know there's more than just the material world."

But here's the uncomfortable truth: just because you believe in the spiritual realm doesn't mean your church is feeding you or properly discipling your flock.

Rejecting this materialist dead-end is necessary, but it's not sufficient. You can acknowledge spiritual reality while still being trapped in powerless religion. You can sit in a pew every Sunday while remaining as spiritually malnourished as the tech billionaire chasing immortality through cryonics.

Here's a truth that many pastors won't tell you, but we will: the vast majority of Christian institutions today are failing to help people walk the Way of Fire.

(By "Way of Fire," we mean the biblical pattern of discipleship that produces Christians who are completely surrendered to Christ, walking in supernatural authority, operating in the gifts of the Holy Spirit, and advancing God's Kingdom with the same power and obedience demonstrated by Jesus and His apostles.)

We don't take pleasure in saying this. We say it in love because your eternal soul is at stake.

Many if not most churches—across denominations—have become lukewarm religious social clubs that make you feel comfortable about living like the world six days a week while showing up for an hour on Sunday.

Jesus warned about this exact condition:

"I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth." — Revelation 3:15-16

If your church doesn't make you hungry for more of God...

If you don't feel the presence of God when you gather...

If you're not being equipped to cast out demons and heal the sick...

If you don't see signs, wonders, and miracles...

If your pastor denies that God still works supernaturally today (cessationism)...

If the preaching doesn't convict your heart and challenge you to radical obedience...

Then you're not being fed.

Most churches have religious rules but deny the gifts of the Holy Spirit. They'll tell you the age of miracles ended with the apostles—a lie straight from hell designed to keep you powerless.

Apostle Delmar encountered this belief recently on a flight. A man insisted miracles died with the apostles. Apostle's response was direct: "What makes you think they are all dead?" The conversation ended abruptly, but the question remains unanswered by cessationists everywhere.

Paul warned about this religious form without power:

"Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away." — 2 Timothy 3:5

What It Costs to Fight and Win

In our experience—both Apostle Delmar's 42 years of ministry and Gary's own journey from atheism to fire—one truth has become crystal clear:

You must be willing to sever ties with this extremely fallen world.

Not partially. Not mostly. Completely.

Scripture commands this separation:

"Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world." — 1 John 2:15-16

"Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?" — 2 Corinthians 6:14

"And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." — Romans 12:2

This involves every aspect of your life:

• Your social circles: Most of your friendships are probably keeping you lukewarm. The people you spend time with shape who you become. If they're not on fire for God, they're pulling you away from Him.

• Your work life: Your career might be requiring you to compromise your faith in ways you've rationalized as "necessary" or "not that bad." God may be calling you to something completely different.

• Your entertainment: The music you listen to, the shows you watch, the content you consume—almost all of it is spiritually poisonous. It's normalizing sin and making you numb to evil.

• Your digital diet: The people you follow on social media, the websites you visit, the podcasts you listen to—most of it is either directly hostile to God or subtly pulling you away from Him.

The narrow path is shockingly narrow, and it costs you almost everything you thought you wanted.

"Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it." — Matthew 7:13-14

But here's what you gain: intimacy with the living God. Supernatural authority. Purpose that transcends circumstances. Peace that passes understanding. Power to heal, deliver, and transform lives. A life that matters for eternity.

"But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." — Matthew 6:33

The Choice Before You

This chapter isn't meant to be prescriptive—we'll get into specific practices and principles in later chapters. But this is meant to be a wake-up call.

You need to understand what you're up against. You need to recognize that:

• You're in a spiritual war whether you acknowledge it or not
• The culture around you is designed to make you fall or barely survive spiritually
• Most religious institutions won't help you walk in fire
• Your soul is a battlefield where the most important war is being fought
• Everything you consume is either drawing you closer to God or further from Him
• Neutrality is impossible—you're either advancing God's Kingdom or aiding darkness

Let this book be a palate cleanser for you.

If you're reading this, you already suspect that what you're doing isn't enough. You're not burning bright enough with the fire of God. You know there's more.

A lot of that has to do with removing what's dimming your fire before we talk about adding fuel.

You can't pour holy fire into a vessel filled with garbage. You can't walk in supernatural authority while remaining spiritually compromised by the world. You can't be on fire for God while spending most of your time, attention, and energy on things that push you away from Him.

"No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon." — Matthew 6:24

Understanding the War to Fight the War

This situational assessment isn't meant to discourage you. It's meant to clarify reality so you can fight effectively.

In physical warfare, you study the terrain, identify enemy positions, understand your vulnerabilities, and recognize what resources you have. You don't rush into battle blind.

The same is true in spiritual warfare.

You needed to understand:

• The battlefield (a culture designed to destroy your soul)
• The enemy's tactics (normalization of sin, demonic oppression, secular humanism, lukewarm religion)
• Your vulnerabilities (entertainment, relationships, work, digital consumption)
• The stakes (your eternal soul and the souls of everyone around you)
• The timeline (this war has been raging for generations and will intensify)

Now that you see the battlefield clearly, now that you understand what you're actually up against, now that you've accepted that most of your life as currently structured is probably working against your spiritual health...

You're ready for what comes next.

In the following chapters, we're going to give you the weapons, training, and practices that will transform you from a casualty into a warrior. From someone barely surviving spiritually into someone burning with holy fire. From powerless religion into supernatural authority.

And remember: we don't fight for victory. We fight from victory. Christ has already won:

"These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world." — John 16:33

"Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us." — Romans 8:37

Welcome to the battlefield. Now let's learn how to fight... with fire.