The Most Overlooked Lesson in Spiritual Warfare
What Balaam and Balak Teach Us About Satan’s Most Devastating Strategy
Many churches act like heaven’s road is wide and hell’s is narrow, yet Jesus warned, “Narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and few find it” (Matthew 7:14).
If this truth isn’t clear, our defenses may already be breached. Some, denying the existence of hell, have widened the path so much that they no longer know where it leads.
You Are in a War
Our Adversary—Satan—has been studying and manipulating humanity since Eden. He is ancient, observant, and ruthless. He knows how to exploit every weakness, every appetite, and every fear.
When Jesus rose from the dead, Satan was disarmed and publicly humiliated (Colossians 2:15), but he didn’t stop. He became enraged, waging war against the church (Revelation 12:17).
The resurrection brought about the promise of the Father, that He would fill us with His Holy Spirit resulting in an army of the Lord that would continue Jesus’ mission in the earth, which is to destroy the works of the enemy (1 John 3:8).
We’re not spectators. If you believe you’re sitting this one out, you’re already in danger.
He is still the ruler of this world and has not yet been cast out. But until that time he will use his powers of deception to steal authority and cause damage to the church.
Greater is He that is in us than he that is in the world (1 John 4:4). We have nothing to fear. But we must be sober and vigilant.
The Enemy Is Not Where We’re Looking
The Adversary rarely attacks where we’re watching. He is a master of distraction, a tactician of misdirection.
Satan doesn’t waste energy trying to overpower the Church. He knows he can’t. Instead, he outmaneuvers. He fights like every weaker army throughout history—by turning strength into vulnerability.
“All warfare is based on deception.” – Sun Tzu
This is asymmetric warfare—where the weaker side uses unconventional, hidden strategies to destabilize the stronger.
He doesn’t launch frontal assaults.
He seduces with money, power, pride, lust, sexual immorality, and the like.
He corrupts from the inside out. Quietly. Slowly. Strategically.
We prepare for a sword, but he brings a mirror.
His greatest deception? He’s not where we’re looking.
The goal isn't to overpower—but to outmaneuver.
To understand the enemy's preferred tactic—corruption from within—we need only look to one of the oldest spiritual ambushes in Scripture…
Balak’s Sum of All Fears
Picture the dusty plains of Moab. King Balak of the Moabites stands on a rocky ridge, gut twisting as he looks down on the massive Israelite encampment—600,000 warriors, with millions more behind them. The air is thick with dread.
Moab is still reeling. Sihon and the Amorites—once mighty—were annihilated when they denied Israel safe passage. Not one was left breathing.
“Sick with dread,” Balak mutters to Midian’s elders, “this company will lick up everything, like an ox devours grass” (Numbers 22:4).
He recalls the tales of the God who dismantled Pharaoh’s chariots in hot pursuit, seas being split, armies drowning, plagues that shook empires, and hornets that drove out nations before them. That nation is here. And their God is with them.
If Balak is going to win, he’ll need that God to turn against them.
So he hatches a plan…
Balak’s Botched Plan
Balak sends elders to Balaam—a prophet in Mesopotamia—with a bribe: Curse Israel for me. Balaam refuses at first because God had warned, “You shall not go with them; you shall not curse the people, for they are blessed” (Numbers 22:12).
But when the offer comes again—with the promises of wealth and honor—Balaam gives in.
Four times, Balak leads Balaam to high places overlooking the camp, hoping for a curse. But each time, Balaam speaks blessings—even prophesying the coming Messiah.
"The utterance of Balaam the son of Beor, And the utterance of the man whose eyes are opened; The utterance of him who hears the words of God, And has the knowledge of the Most High, Who sees the vision of the Almighty, Who falls down, with eyes wide open" (Numbers 24:15-16).
He sounds like a faithful prophet.
But what he does next reveals the truth.
Balaam’s Divided Heart
Balaam looked like a man of God. He refused the bribe—at first. He spoke powerful words from heaven.
But when the cursing didn't work, Balaam found another way to earn his reward.
He counsels Balak to send Moabite and Mediate women to seduce the Israelites into sexual immorality and idol worship (Revelation 2:14, Numbers 31:16).
As a result, 24,000 Israelites die under God’s judgment—until Phinehas intervenes with righteous zeal and halts the plague.
Balak represents the Adversary—his name means ‘annihilator’, while Balaam represents compromised individuals in the church—his name means ‘not of the people.’
Just as Balaam’s love for the “wages of unrighteousness” (2 Peter 2:15) resulted in him opposing God’s plans for Israel, so there are those in the church who love the things of this world, who will be used by the Adversary to attack the church from within.
Compromise In The Church
We shouldn’t be surprised by this. Jesus warned us in Matthew 7:21-23 that there are those that call Him Lord, work miracles, prophesy, cast out demons, who will expect to have passage into Heaven, but he will declare to them, “I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!”
The Adversary doesn’t knock on our door in red robes waving a pentagram. He whispers through ambition, flirts through compromise, and preaches a gospel without a cross—one without sacrifice.
He shifts focus to the things of this world, selfish desires, selfish ambitions, money, pornography, “the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, the pride of life” (1 John 2:16).
Some are compromised not by scandalous sin, but by subtle idols—a perfect lawn, a comfort-driven life, or a love of food that outweighs hunger for righteousness (Philippians 3:18). If it has our heart, it has us.
This is how the enemy weakens the church from within. The compromised become like yeast working through the whole batch of dough infecting the church (Mark 8:15, 1 Corinthians 5:6-7).
The Impossible Challenge
“No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon” (Luke 16:13).
It is impossible to love God and money or the world (1 John 2:15). Those who do so have knowingly or unknowingly challenged God.
Inside their heart, they will hate or despise God, even when they honor Him with their lips. The Pharisees were of the same heart and ended up crucifying our Lord Jesus.
By the time Balaam’s once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for fame and fortune presented itself, he was already well along the path of compromise.
The enemy will train them in his ways—as much as they allow him, until the time comes to serve him when they will struggle to refuse because the price will be more than they are willing to pay.
This isn’t a witch hunt. Everything we do is out of love with the hopes of bringing even the compromised back into the body of Christ.
But You, Beloved…
Jude, Jesus brother, when writing about those who would fall away from the church, had this to say to those who are faithful:
"But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. And on some have compassion, making a distinction; but others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh" (Jude 1:20-23).
Our safety is only found in Him and His Word. He is the only one who is able to keep us from falling and to present us faultless in the presence of His glory (Jude 1:24).
We must keep looking for the lovingkindness (mercy) of God to keep us from falling and to restore those who have been compromised.
Many of those who have been led astray will never do so again and will help to strengthen the body of Christ, just as Peter also strengthened the church after He had returned to the Lord.
Peter did not close the door to repentance when Simon the former sorcerer—who became a believer—tried to buy the power of the Holy Spirit (Acts 8:20–24).
If we close the door of repentance, we take up the role of the Judge of the earth, and with the same measure we judge, we also will be judged (Matthew 7:2).
If you have been compromised, come to the cross and find repentance. Repentance may cost you everything the world values—but you will gain your soul.
We need to intercede even weeping for those who have been compromised (Philippians 3:18).
We must also watch out that they do not cause damage to the church—the bride of Christ. This was one of Jesus’ important lessons about the leaven of the Pharisees (Matthew 16:11).
Balak was terrified of Israel—and so our Adversary is also terrified of the church. He will use whatever tactics he can to prevent the church from realizing her potential.
When the sons and daughters of God awaken to who they are, Satan trembles. They will storm the gates of hell—and the gates will not prevail against them (Matthew 16:18).
Who are these sons and daughters of God? They are those who are led by the Spirit of God (Romans 8:14) and not by the lusts of the flesh.
They have denied themselves, take up their cross daily and followed the Lamb (Luke 9:23-24).
Thanks, Dawn. Opportunities to be refined are the grace of our Lord Jesus to bring us closer to Him.
There is also a ditch on the other side, just being overly critical of ourselves. Our heart must be established by grace. Each day we listen to what He has for us and ask Him to lead us.
The tree of knowledge of good and evil brought mankind to look at ourselves (good or bad) than at the cross.
If we can walk in His righteousness and His grace by faith—His Word will transform us into His likeness. After all His yoke is easy and His burden is light.
God bless you—and thank you for your encouragement!
This is powerful. I need to take up my cross and surrender daily. Sometimes I feel I dont do these things or dig deeper in Gods word. I dont want to be lukewarm or spit out. Thank you once again,Troy for showing me what I need to see and grow in.