How to Go to Battle with the Enemy (and Win!)
By Courtnaye Richard
“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.” – Ephesians 6:10-11
When you are in a battle, I know it's hard. I know the weight feels really heavy to bear. I know the tears and the lack of understanding, "Why is this happening?" But when those things happen, I want to encourage you to pray for starters, but also call someone to pray for you as well.
Also, seek ways to calm down, release the stress in a godly manner, and allow the Lord to work it all out in His perfect timing to either ease the pain or hurt, or to work out the situation for everyone's good and best interest. He is a very BIG God and He cares about you and all that concerns you (See 1 Peter 5:7). He is with you in the battle. He's totally got your back! So trust Him for the victory.
Always remember that our battle is not necessarily with people. Our true battle is with our great enemy Satan.
Put on the Belt of Truth – Break out the Word of God. Whether that is reading your Bible in devotion or app, on your refrigerator, on a coffee mug, on an index card, or whichever method you use. Put that Word on! But also be truthful in all you do. In your conversations, writings, texts, inboxes, emails, etc. Make a conscious choice to live out God’s truth and be truthful.
Put on the Breastplate of Righteousness – Know that it’s His righteousness. So always make your boast in Him. Putting on this piece of God’s armor guards your heart from unwanted sin and it also tells the devil, “I’m living right according to God’s Word. So back up, because my heart is for God!
Put on the Gospel of Peace (Shoes of Peace) – Protect your feet by putting on the gospel of peace. Be ready to share the Good News about Christ, which brings peace to those who are ready to receive Him or hear about Him. Be ready to move when God says move.
Put on the Shield of Faith – When the enemy throws arrows of doubt, fear, worry, unbelief, defeat, lack of hope, lack of trust, depression, guilt, condemnation, you name it…raise up your shield of faith and raise it up quickly, so that it doesn’t penetrate your heart or head.
Put on the Helmet of Salvation - Guard your mind. Protect it at all cost. You do this by casting down unwelcome or unholy thoughts, a negative mindset, worry, fear, doubt, unforgiveness, and more. All of this weighs heavily on the mind. So think about God’s Word and what He says about you while in the battle you're facing.
Pull Out the Sword of the Spirit – This is the WORD OF GOD! And it’s a very powerful weapon used against the enemy. Second Corinthians 10:4 says, “For the weapons of warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds.” God will help you tear down strongholds in your life and help you fight against the enemy through His Word. So use it! And use it wisely. It’s there not only to help you fight against him, but also sin in your life.
Use the Weapon of Prayer - Whatever you do, don't stop praying. There is so much power in prayer. It's another great weapon. So use it! Ephesians 6:18 says, "Pray at all times and on every occasion in the power of the Holy Spirit." (NLT)
I want to also remind you that if you’re going to do anything for the Lord, know that you are going to experience spiritual warfare. It’s inevitable. And that battle can come from within and the outside of your home. But remember, we’re fighting unseen enemies that will stop at nothing to try to hinder us from fulfilling God’s plan for our lives or to just wreak havoc! However, you and I need to understand that we’re not alone and we have power. We’ve got supernatural protection for a supernatural fight.
Remember, Jesus is coming back soon! And those who endure unto the end shall be saved. So let’s be ready from the Inside Out!
~Courtnaye
Content for this devotional was taken from In a Battle? by Courtnaye Richard. You can read that piece in full here.
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