LA MIRADA, CALIF. — A new book authored by Biola University professor Tim Muehlhoff explores the realities of spiritual warfare in marriage: Defending Your Marriage: The Reality of Spiritual Battle. A quick search online will reveal that Muehlhoff’s book helps fill a gap on how Christians should address spiritual battle in their relationship. A recent conference held by Biola's Center for Marriage and Relationships exhibited the need Christians have to learn about the topic as the conference quickly sold out.

Muehlhoff, a professor of communication, wrote the book after encountering spiritual battle in his own marriage and was astounded there weren’t books already written on the topic.

“If we do acknowledge spiritual opposition, how can we be balanced? How can we tell if an argument is just a difference of opinion between spouses, or something else?” said Muehlhoff. “And, if the something else turns out to be demonically influenced, what are some practical steps we can take as a couple?”

Each chapter of the book, which released November 13, 2018 by InterVarsity Press, introduces readers to what Jesus and biblical authors have to say about Satan and spiritual forces at play today. To write the book, Muehlhoff read 20 books on spiritual warfare and consulted with experts including Biola’s Talbot School of Theology Dean Clint Arnold. Arnold wrote the foreword for the book.

“The wisdom imparted in this volume will help you discern what is going on in your marriage and give you important tools for handling a wide array of issues that have spiritual roots,” said Arnold. “In our culture, we’ve been socialized and educated to disregard the spiritual and think of the demonic as fantasy. But this isn’t the biblical perspective.”

Muehlhoff approaches the topic of spiritual oppression in a balanced and biblical manner. He aims to provide a helpful understanding of how couples might unknowingly invite spiritual opposition into their marriages and how to detect it and what to do if spiritual opposition is at play. Interspersed throughout the book are short interviews with Christian thinkers who have deeply walked with God.

“One of the great blessings of teaching at a Christian university is rubbing shoulders with individuals from diverse fields of study who can offer keen insight into spiritual battle,” said Muehlhoff.

Arnold and Muehlhoff recently discussed the reality of spiritual battle in light of Halloween on October 31 in a Facebook Live conversation. Watch the Facebook Live on Biola University’s page. The book is available for purchase on Amazon and at major book retailers.

Muehlhoff teaches classes in family communication, interpersonal communication, persuasion, and gender. He is the author of I Beg to Differ, Marriage Forecasting, and the coauthor of The God Conversation, Authentic Communication, and Winsome Persuasion. He also serves as a speaker and author with Biola’s Center for Marriage and Relationships.

For interviews, contact Jenna Loumagne, manager of media relations, at (562) 777-4061 and jenna.loumagne@biola.edu.