What better way to fight the enemy than knowing you already have the victory!
There are too many people living in fear and doubt, when Jesus died for that on the cross thousands of years ago. God knew that there would be an enemy who is seeking to steal, kill, and destroy us, but God also gave us just what we needed – something to help us withstand the attack. A lot of it can be found in Ephesians 6:10-18.
When Paul writes this chapter, he is basically talking to Christians about the Christian life. He shares with them that it comes with spiritual struggles, and it is not abnormal for them to face problems, suffering, and persecution.
I love these verses because this text is STILL relevant today! In case you missed it, it is not abnormal for you to face problems. I truly believe that it is actually common for you to face spiritual attack because the devil will do whatever he can to stop, distract, or discourage you from your purpose.
Thank God Jesus is greater!
When it comes to combatting spiritual warfare, Paul gives us the perfect blueprint on how to fight and defend ourselves in spiritual conflict.
Let’s break it down.
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.
11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.
12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.
14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place,
15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.
16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit,which is the word of God.
18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.
No Back Armor – Fight the Enemy
Right off the bat, something you will notice is that there is no armor for your back. Maybe Paul didn’t mean to leave this out, but I took it as a sign that we shouldn’t turn our backs on the enemy. Instead, we must face him and fight. For us to run away in fear is almost synonymous to a child being bullied and then running away.
If you were the parent of that child, you would tell him to address the bully face-to-face and tell him know who your father is. Yes, God is your comfort and strong tower, but you must address the attacker. Decide in your heart that you will not let him mess with you.
Victory is Yours
The main reason why we shouldn’t back down is because God has already given us the victory. We can find support for that in James 4:7 where it says, “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” If you’re going into this fight knowing that you’d win, would you still allow doubt and insecurity to run your life?
1 Offensive Weapon
When we put on the full armor of God, our only offensive weapon is the sword of the Spirit, which is God’s Word. As it says in Proverbs 18:21, “Life and death lies in the power of the tongue.” So instead of feeling overwhelmed or discouraged, we can overcome the assaults aimed to defeat us with our speech.
Here’s the best part though: praying and speaking God’s word brings results and answers because God Himself said that His Word would not return empty to Him (Isaiah 55:11).
Faith and Words Work Together
Your faith and your words go hand-in-hand. Literally. When you think about a knight or anyone in the old days who used shields and swords, they would have both in hand. They would use their shield to block, and their sword to stab and kill.
In the spiritual realm, this works the same way. As James 2:26 says, faith without works is dead. Speaking God’s truth or writing it out helps to activate your faith and you must use them together when you combat the enemy.
So now that you know all of this, what’s next?
- Pray. Prayer is your primary ministry and it is more powerful than you realize. Pray that you would not only use God’s Word more often, but that you would also start believing His promises.
- Find your fighting verses and speak them every day. Take some time to look up some scriptures that really speak to the problems in your life. And whenever you feel like the enemy is creeping his way into your mind, use God’s word and fight.
- Start the Confessions Challenge. For 30 days, recite your confessions OUT LOUD. Before your feet even hit the ground every morning, say them and don’t skip a day. Feel free to use mine or any from The Confessions Project devotional!
In the comments below, let me know what verses you’re going to use! If you haven’t already, grab the scripture cards that go along with this post!
Hanha Parham is a Christian author and speaker. Her personal mission is to provide the millennial woman that wants to experience more of God fun and practical resources that help them confidently believe who God has called them to be. When she is not encouraging others or writing her heart out, she enjoys watching Grey’s Anatomy, drinking iced chai lattes from Starbucks, and connecting with friends on Instagram. Come say hi!
Wonderful post, Hanha. We are in a battle, great tips! Especially love this, “If we’re being honest, I truly believe that it is more common for you to face spiritual attack because the devil will do whatever he can to stop, distract, or discourage you from your purpose. But thank God Jesus is greater!” Thanks so much for the reminder.
Hi Karen, I’m so glad you enjoyed this post! Thanks for stopping by and reading. 🙂
awesome absolutely love this!!! The more we focus on our righteousness in Christ and confess that the more we overcome. Another huge key I’ve found in fighting the enemy is seriously taking communion with your family on a regular basis. I’ve written a series about this over on my blog. Sharing, following you on Instagram too!
Lizzy, thank you so much for reading this post and giving me such great feedback! I’ll definitely have to look into your posts about communion. Praying great blessings over you and your family!
Our if all of the times I have studied the armor of God, I never considered that there is no armor on our backs. I like to forget we are at war sometimes, and God faithfully slaps me in ge face with reminders her and there. Wonderful read ????
When I read the commentary on it, I was completely taken back. And I’m the same way. Lately, I’ve been finding myself in my prayer closet a lot more. Thank you so much for reading this! So thankful for you.
I found the link to this post as part of my subscription to the confessions project today. And I would just like to thank you because it could not have come at a better time! I’ve spent this past year battling self-doubt, focusing on my shortcomings and I really needed the reminder and encouragement of this post. Whatever battle I am currently fighting, the God I serve is much much greater!
Yaa, glory to God!! I’m so glad that this blog post has encouraged you. I cannot wait to see how your life will change now that you know the power of speaking God’s word over your life! I hope you know that knowing, understanding, but most importantly applying this concept has changed the entire course of your destiny! Everything will be different now. Sending so much love your way! <3