Safe and Sound: Standing Firm in Spiritual Battles (Helping the Helper)

David Powlison entered the presence of Jesus on June 7, 2019. The church lost one of its modern-day giants with his passing. But he left behind a great legacy of material for troubled souls, and those who minister to them.His final gift to the church was this little, 103-page book about spiritual warfare. While intended primarily for those who minister to others, Safe & Sound is an excellent resource for those who are suffering themselves.Part One deals with the reality and description of spiritual warfare. The first chapter urges the reader to acknowledge and accept the truth that Satan is real and life is a spiritual battle in which the enemy of our souls plays a terrible role. The following chapter consists of an exploration of the key passages in the Pauline corpus that instruct us as to how to understand and wage spiritual warfare. Chapter three examines the weapons of the whole armor in Ephesians 6, and shows us that the imagery is not drawn from the panoply of the Roman soldier (which is how most teach this passage), but rather from images of the Messiah in Isaiah and the Psalms. Jesus is our Divine Warrior (a term I first heard from Tremper Longman) who both battles for us, and shows us how to conduct spiritual warfare.Part Two of the book applies the teaching of the first part to specific struggles. Powlison introduces this section by showing how, first, Jesus models this mode of warfare, and second, how Paul himself—taking his cues from Jesus—also employs this manner of fighting. For counselors and counselees—as for Paul and Jesus—prayer takes a central role as we seek the Lord on behalf of those who are suffering the moral and situational evil of this fallen world.This chapter is followed by a selection of major issues that a counselor will encounter with those he helps. Fighting the normal battles of anger, fear, and escapism; the battle with the shadow of death; conflict with the occult; and the battle with animism; these are the chapters in which Powlison demonstrates that the classic mode of ministry—finding our answers in Christ and His gospel rather than some sort of direct encounter with a demon—is first of all that which Scripture commends, and secondly, able to deal with any problem God’s people face regardless of the presence or absence of demonic involvement.Chapter 9 contains a case study of a truly bizarre encounter with a very troubled individual. Powlison’s intent is to show that the classic mode of ministry (as opposed to what he labels EMM—the ekballistic mode ministry which focuses on casting out demons) is called for even in such situations. By focusing on the person rather than the demonic aspect, and applying the gospel to that suffering heart with all its combination of hurts and sins, genuine deliverance is accomplished. “True spiritual warfare looks beyond the problems and sees the person” [76].The last chapter is Powlison’s testimony of his own final battle with cancer, one that ultimately took his life. In it he demonstrates that Jesus Christ and the gospel are sufficient to enable us to meet with—and defeat—all of our troubles.The book closes with an appendix in which Powlison contrasts classic mode ministry with EMM, and shows how classic mode is what the New Testament urges upon us. This brief appendix is a condensation of his larger exegetical studies on the matter, which are contained in a different, somewhat larger volume entitled Power Encounters: Reclaiming Spiritual Warfare. That volume provides the foundation for the applications Powlison makes in Safe & Sound.Safe & Sound is a book every biblical counselor should have. Five stars, highly recommended.

In Chapter 1, Dr. Powlison summarizes his book as follows: "How do we understand the role of the devil in the battles we are in?! These are hard questions and it is so easy to go in the wrong direction when thinking about the role the Evil One plays in this world. In Part 1 of this book, we will see how Scripture helps us wisely answer these questions. Perhaps the fullest expression of how we are to stand against evil is in Ephesians 6:10–20, the classic passage on our participation in the clash between light and darkness. The engine room of this book will be unpacking that passage and trying on, piece by piece, the equipment God has given us for fighting evil. In Part 2, we will illustrate what spiritual warfare looks like in real life with case studies of people facing different battles."An example of describing a Biblical approach to spiritual warfare is in Chapter 7 where he points out that physical ailments in Jesus' time were either plain physical ailments or had a demonic agency. Neither the former or the latter had a particular sin involved. In the former, Jesus healed. In the latter, He cast out the demon. However, where there is the sin of occult practice, there is NOT a casting out. Instead, repentance is required.I have heard that proper Biblical interpretation requires weighing Scripture with other Scripture, i.e. not just the historical/cultural context but the context of the entire Bible. Throughout this book, the author interprets Scripture carefully and clearly, thereby giving a better understanding of spiritual warfare.

Excellent read for all who are preparing, in the midst of, or recovering from any sort of spiritual battle. Powlison gives a sensible approach to the armor of God, explaining each piece of armor and how it is used on the offense, rather than simply defending against the attacks of the world, flesh, and devil. He was a faithful servant during his life and I am thankful for his help through this book in my battles.

I grew up in the charismatic world and always had the nagging fear of the evil world. I remember listening to the audio series of Power Encounters by this author and I was set free of those fears. Sad that I didn't buy that book when it was still in print. But truly refreshed to read this book! Thanks to God for Powlison and a well finished race!

As one who is studying to be a Biblical counselor this is fantastic. Its a fast read and its easy to follow and to understand. His section on the dangers of Deliverance Ministries is very well thought out and well written.