Doubting the Devil: Christians Who Deny Satan's Existence Are 'Sitting Ducks,' Says Lutheran Pastor

"The devil's at work in all of our lives all the time," Rev. Harry Ristau tells us.

Belief in God, heaven, and hell has steadily declined over the past 20 years, as has belief in angels and the devil, according to Gallup’s tracking of “Americans' Belief in Five Spiritual Entities” from 2001 to 2023. Not surprisingly, those who identify as Christian are most likely to believe the devil exists (80%), compared to just 58% of overall respondents. After all, Christianity’s sacred texts portray Satan as active in human affairs from beginning to end.

Yet, some believers insist the Bible’s claims about Satan and demons are not to be taken literally and that these entities should be viewed only as symbols of evil. This reductionist view leaves Christians vulnerable, according to Dr. Harold Ristau, a pastor who specializes in deliverance ministry and warns, “‘[I]f you don't know who your enemy is, you're a sitting duck.”

(Source: AI)

Ristau, a veteran military chaplain and president of Lutheran Classical College, is not a sensationalist. He is a sober-minded theologian who speaks from decades of frontline experience confronting the reality of demonic influence.

Faithfully Mag spoke with Ristau about his latest book, Spiritual Warfare and Deliverance: How to Minister to the Demonically Oppressed and Possessed, which dismantles modern assumptions and provides a framework for this controversial aspect of the Christian life.

In this gripping Q&A, we explore why he is convinced a baptized Christian can be demonically possessed, the three most common entry points he has seen demons use to gain a foothold in a believer's life, how he protects his family from “collateral damage,” and much more.

This excerpted Q&A has been edited for clarity and brevity.