Signs of a Spiritual Attack: 12 Warnings You Shouldn’t Ignore
Curated insights from Armed and Dangerous by John Ramirez
Signs of a spiritual attack include a sudden loss of spiritual strength, persistent tormenting thoughts, gripping fear, recurring destructive cycles, and a steady pull toward things that quietly erode your identity in Christ. The encouraging part is that the enemy is predictable, which means these warnings can be recognized and resisted.
The point is not to see a demon behind every bad day. It is to stop dismissing patterns that Scripture treats as warfare.
The biblical setting for spiritual attack
The framework for recognizing attack comes from Paul’s closing words to the Ephesian church. He urges believers to put on the whole armor of God, because the real conflict is not against flesh and blood but against spiritual powers and the schemes of the devil (Ephesians 6:10–18 ESV). In Armed and Dangerous, former occult high priest John Ramirez writes that this is the chapter he returns to whenever an attack approaches:
“Every time the Holy Spirit alerts me that some kind of demonic attack is coming my way, I make sure that I am meditating on Ephesians 6.” (pg.82)
Peter calls for alertness because the adversary prowls “as a roaring lion . . . seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8, KJV), and Jesus names the enemy’s intent: the thief comes “to steal and kill and destroy” (John 10:10 NIV).
What a spiritual attack is, and why the signs are recognizable
A spiritual attack is the enemy’s organized attempt to weaken, deceive, or derail a believer, and its great weakness is that it repeats itself. Ramirez writes that “Satan uses the same tactics again and again” and that “if you can recognize his patterns, you will see how predictable he is.” That predictability is what makes the signs worth learning.
He also warns that attack rarely announces itself. “The devil is like quicksand; he sucks you in a little bit at a time.” The warnings below, drawn from his teaching, are less about dramatic events and more about patterns that build quietly until they have a grip.
12 warning signs of a spiritual attack
The following signs are gathered from across Armed and Dangerous. Taken alone, any one may have a natural explanation. Taken together, or in a repeating cycle, they are worth paying attention to.
- A sudden draining of spiritual strength. Ramirez describes an attack in which all his strength left; he could not think or function, and even worship songs sounded foreign to him. A sharp, unexplained loss of desire for God can be a warning.
- Lost discernment. When a believer or a church can no longer tell the genuine presence of God from a counterfeit, Ramirez applies the word Ichabod, the glory departed.
- A counterfeit anointing. He cautions against leaning on charisma and performance in place of God’s actual presence, a substitution that leaves people spiritually anemic.
- Enticements that look good but turn bitter. The enemy wraps traps in attractive packaging, even “good deeds.” Ramirez compares it to honey that turns bitter once it hits your stomach.
- Open doors through occult-tinged practices. Activities tied to the occult can hand the enemy what he calls “legal rights” and chip away at your spiritual identity.
- Repetitive negative thought loops. The devil knows how to push the buttons of your mind through repetitive mental conversation loops and damaging words planted in your thought patterns.
- Compulsive fantasizing. Ramirez warns that the enemy plants imaginary scenarios so they can later be acted out in reality.
- Strongholds taking root. Addiction, pornography, and lust are named as footholds the enemy uses to break down the inner person.
- Anger, bitterness, and unforgiveness. Left unaddressed, these are described as roots the evil one uses toward destruction.
- Gripping fear, doubt, and unbelief. He treats these as hindrances the enemy exploits, urging believers to “kick fear to the curb” before entering any fight.
- Recurring patterns and cycles. The same trouble returning on a loop.
- Generational patterns. Ramirez addresses the consequences of ancestral sins and curses that repeat across a family line.
Where the enemy aims
Most of these warnings cluster around a few targets, which makes them easier to watch for:
| The enemy targets | How it can show up |
| The mind | Repetitive negative thoughts, obsessive fantasies |
| Your identity | A pull toward practices that erode who you are in Christ |
| Your spiritual vitality | A sudden draining of strength and desire for God |
| Your history | Recurring patterns and cycles, including generational ones |
How to respond when you see the signs
Recognition is only the first step. Ramirez insists the believer’s stance is offense, not fear, pointing to Jesus as the model: at the cross He “was never on defense” but destroyed the works of darkness. The practical starting point is the armor of God in Ephesians 6, prayed through and declared piece by piece. From there, we renew our minds and even our words, since “death and life are in the power of the tongue” (Proverbs 18:21 NASB), and we take our God-given position of authority, seated with Christ “in the heavenly realms” (Ephesians 2:6 NIV). None of this rests on our own strength. As Scripture puts it, “the Son of God came to destroy the works of the devil” (1 John 3:8 NLT), which is why the believer fights from victory rather than for it.
Frequently asked questions
What are the signs of a spiritual attack?
The most common signs are a sudden loss of spiritual strength and desire for God, persistent tormenting or obsessive thoughts, gripping fear, and recurring destructive cycles. These usually arrive subtly and build over time rather than all at once.
How do you know if you’re under spiritual attack or just struggling?
A spiritual attack tends to show a pattern, with the same temptation, fear, or oppression returning in cycles and pulling you away from God. Ordinary hardship and physical or medical issues are real as well, so prayer, discernment, and wise counsel matter before drawing firm conclusions.
What should you do during a spiritual attack?
Start by standing on Scripture and putting on the whole armor of God described in Ephesians 6. Renew your mind, guard your words, pray, and take your position of authority in Christ instead of fighting from fear.
Can Christians be under spiritual attack?
Yes, Scripture assumes believers will face spiritual opposition. Being a Christian does not exempt you from attack, but it does give you the authority and protection to resist it.
Further Reading
Armed and Dangerous by John Ramirez (Chosen Books,2017) is a former occult high priest’s frontline account of how the enemy operates, paired with a practical prayer guide for fighting back. It is written for readers who suspect they are under attack and want to move from recognizing the signs to actively resisting in the authority of Christ.
This article was drafted with an AI research tool and reviewed and verified against the source manuscript by Joyce Perez, Marketing Manager.
