Spiritual warfare continues to trend in modern ministry circles, but Alexander Pagani says what many call deliverance ministry today is often missing its foundation. During Media Day 2025 presented by Charisma Media, the deliverance pastor and author explained what believers need to understand and how they can walk in victory.
“Deliverance is not a power encounter. It’s a truth encounter,” Pagani said. “The number one or primary way to have effective spiritual warfare is you got to be submitted into the word. The word is sharper than any two-edged sword.”
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Pagani laid out three specific keys to effective spiritual warfare that all believers can apply immediately:
1. Be Grounded in Scripture
“The first practical step for any Christian to engage in spiritual warfare is they need to be literally grounded in scripture,” Pagani said. He emphasized that the Bible is not just a reference book, but a weapon. “Scripture has to be the primary thing.”
2. Submit to God in Every Area
Quoting James 4:7, Pagani said, “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil and then he would do what? He’d flee.” Submission, he explained, is more than obedience—it’s surrender. “We’re submitting to the Word of God. We’re submitting also to the spirit of God. And we’re submitting to our relationship with the Holy Spirit as well.”
3. Stay Connected to the Body of Christ
Pagani used a vivid analogy: “Being part of a herd… there’s safety in numbers.” He pointed to James again: “‘Confess your faults to one another.’ And he starts talking about things about spiritual warfare and then prayer.” Fellowship, whether in a local church or a group of believers, is critical. “That can be found within the context of fellowshipping… where two or three are gathered.”
As spiritual deception increases, Pagani also warned about the growing influence of artificial intelligence and digital content in shaping faith. He urged believers not to fear the advancement of technology but to remain dependent on the Holy Spirit for discernment.
“This is where the person in the role of the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit is the revealer of that which is hidden,” he said. “If the church would emphasize and press in in their relationship with Holy Spirit… it will be hard for us to get deceived.”
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Instead of being driven by emotionalism or culture, Pagani called for a return to Scripture-based living empowered by the Spirit: “We don’t want to be experience-driven Christians. We want to be Word-driven Christians.”
Ultimately, he said, the Holy Spirit will guide believers into truth and bring to remembrance the words of Jesus: “It becomes a little bit harder for the Holy Spirit to guide us if there’s nothing in us to be guided by.”
That is why, according to Pagani, spiritual warfare must begin with truth, not theatrics.
James Lasher is staff writer for Charisma Media.
