Book Review: Safe and Sound by David Powlison
Safe and Sound by best-selling author David Powlison guides readers to see the normality of their struggles with themselves, the world around them, and the powers of darkness.
Counselors tend to be interested in what they can easily describe: psychological dynamics, social influences, and physiological givens. But how does the uncanny power of darkness fit in with the more accessible factors in a person’s life?
By carefully unpacking Ephesians 6 with vivid case studies and biblical wisdom, Powlison helps readers humanize those struggles and bear the relevance of the love of God in Jesus Christ for those struggles to help grow their faith.
In this helpful guide, Powlison addresses many questions with biblical gospel answers regarding the reality of spiritual warfare, including What is spiritual warfare? and How does Ephesians disciple us in spiritual warfare?
Safe and Sound presents Ephesians as a book about our conflict with darkness within ourselves, with other people, and with the spiritual forces of evil. Powlison demonstrates how the message of Jesus Christ’s triumph over all that is evil, dark, and deadly rings true, and how spiritual warfare is our participation in the Lord’s cosmic war with darkness.
This is a very comprehensive and Biblical look at spiritual warfare, emphasizing Ephesians 6. The author starts with what warfare is, and then moves forward to applying the teaching of warfare in different situations. From what I’ve read, the author recently passed away and this body of work was left behind as a resource to the church. I agree with that assessment that it was written for those in authority who need to know more about spiritual warfare. The information is rich and accurate, but I felt written for pastors and those in leadership.
Julie Arduini
I definitely recommend Safe and Sound with the caveat above. If a lay person wants basic, starting information about spiritual warfare, this might be a bit overwhelming.
I received Safe and Sound from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. I was not compensated in any way.
