One of the fundamental practices of warfare is to learn how to anticipate an attack. If you know where your weak spots are and where your enemy is most likely to attack, you’ll spend more time and energy fortifying those areas. You’ll keep a closer watch on them to head off an attack instead of leaving yourself wide open to attack and letting the enemy do a lot of damage. The same is true in spiritual warfare. The Bible has given us a clear tactical advantage over Satan by telling us not only where he’ll attack, but also by telling us what weapons he has at his disposal. When we focus on defending this area of attack, we minimize the damage that Satan can do in our lives.
We have a real enemy, Satan. He’s been around since the beginning, trying to wreck all of God’s plans. Adam and Eve could see and hear Satan, but they didn’t know he was their enemy. We may not be able to see Satan any more, but we definitely know that he’s the enemy. Ephesians 6:12 (KJV) begins: “For we wrestle…” For some believers, they focus on the first four words, “for we wrestle not” and think that life with Jesus should never be a struggle, but the emphasis here is on “for we wrestle.” “For we wrestle….not with against flesh and blood, but against principalities….” When you were saved, you became a part of God’s army. You joined the Kingdom’s military force. Whether you realized it or not, you put yourself smack dab into the middle of a war.
It’s Satan’s forces against the army of God. It may sound scary, but God is in control. Nothing surprises Him. He knows where Satan is going to attack us. He knows the types of attacks that Satan is going to use, and He has prepared us through His Word to not only defend against those attacks, but also to go on the offensive and win back territory for the Kingdom of God. We know the ultimate outcome–God wins–and so we know the outcome we want to have for every battle–total victory. If we pay attention to what the Word says, we can have total victory in every battle we encounter.
The battle happens in our minds. We believe what we think. Thoughts lead to beliefs and then to actions. Spiritual warfare comes down to lies versus truth. God is the ultimate source of truth. At a casual glance, God’s Truth may seem limiting. It may seem like holding on to God’s Truth is going to keep us from being free, but think of it this way. Consider a skeleton. It is extremely rigid. No flexibility at all aside from the joints, and even those are limited in their range of motion. A skeleton can be limiting. After all, our skeleton restricts what we can and can’t do. At the same time, consider yourself without a skeleton. You’d be just a puddle of muscle and tissue on the ground. This limiting skeleton is actually what gives us the freedom to move the way that we do!
Lets consider some words that describe our mind: accessible, private, plausible, predictor, and overpowered by words. Our mind is accessible to us. It’s also private. I can’t read your thoughts, and you can’t read mine. Thoughts that enter our mind seem plausible, at least on the surface. The more ignorant we are of absolute Truth, the more plausible our thoughts will seem, even if they come from the enemy. The more educated and disciplined we are in the Truth, the less plausible thoughts from the enemy become. We are able to recognize those thoughts from the enemy more quickly. Meditating on God’s Word makes us quicker at identifying the enemy’s lies. Once we identify the lie, it is easier to mount a counterattack.
Our mind is a predictor of our actions. The longer a given thought is allowed to occupy our mind, the more likely it becomes that it will come out of our mouth. That thought will then become our truth and predicts our actions. Consider this: the more we think about something, the more likely we are to say what we’re thinking. Our pastor tells a story about his father that illustrates this point. His father served in WWII. All his life, he felt he was supposed to die in the war, but he had survived. Because he entertained that thought, he began to say things like: “I should have died in the war, but I’ll never live to be 50.” For as long as our pastor could remember, he would hear his father say those things. That thought became speech, which then became his truth. His father passed away at the age of 49. Speaking out a lie encourages the enemy. He knows his attack has been successful. It also makes the thought more ingrained in our process. Eventually it will become an act.
The enemy has access to our mind. He can plant thoughts there. He may do this through something we see. He may do this through something we hear. He may do this through a conversation we engage in. Almost anything can give him access to our minds. He can also speak directly to our minds. Thoughts from the enemy don’t necessarily have to originate in something from the physical realm like what we see or hear. Spirits can speak directly to our minds. BUT Satan can not read our mind. Only God can do that! Satan only knows if his attack is effective by looking for evidence. He may see evidence that his attack has hit its mark in our body language, but he can also see that it was effective by listening to our speech–what we agree with– and our actions.
When you have a troubling thought that you’re not sure what to do with, you can pray over your thought life. It can be as easy as saying, “God, I just can seem to shake this thought. What should I do about it?” If it is truly an attack from the enemy, God will remind you of a Scripture and help you stand against that wrong thought. The Word you have inside of you, even if it’s only a single verse, coupled with the Spirit of God upon it is powerful enough to destroy any weapon of the enemy. John 10:10 (NIV) says, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” This is an easy test to determine if your thoughts are coming from the enemy or not. Do they steal your peace or joy? Kill off your ambition or your dreams? Speak death and destruction over your life or your family or your situation? Then they are from the enemy!
We need to immerse ourselves in God’s Word. We need to memorize it, and meditate on it. We need to chew it over. It’s kind of like when you have a worry. When something is bothering you, and you are worrying about it, you turn it over and over again in your mind. Worry is meditation gone wrong! Instead, you want to turn the Word of God over and over again in your mind, to dwell on it, and to focus on it. Reading the Bible out loud gives you more avenues for the Word to get into our souls and to renew our souls. Our spirit is not the problem. As soon as we were born again, we received a new spirit that is completely in line with God’s will. Our soul, on the other hand, is our mind, will and emotions. They aren’t automatically changed when we get saved. We have to renew our mind with the Word of God (Romans 12:2). When we read the Bible out loud, we are seeing it with our eyes; we are hearing it with our ears; and our mouth is speaking it in agreement.
We were not created for lies. We were created in God’s image, which means we were created with God’s Truth in mind. When we believe a lie, we become enslaved to that lie. Let’s look again at the first part of Ephesians 6:12: “For we wrestle…not with flesh and blood…” This means that people are not our enemies. When we wrestle with flesh and blood, we stir up arguments, strife, contention, drama, and conflict. The enemy loves to get our focus off of him and onto others. He would like nothing more than to deceive you into thinking that your neighbor is the enemy or that your friend is the enemy or that your family is the enemy or that your spouse is the enemy. If he can get you to believe the lie that your enemy is another person, then none of your weapons will hit the right target. You’ll be fighting on one side of the field, chasing down shadows, while the real battle is on the other side.
Avoiding strife does not mean you have to be a “yes man.” It doesn’t mean absolute agreement on everything. It doesn’t mean not be allowed to have your own opinion. Strife boils down to an unhealthy means of communication. Healthy communication requires wisdom, compassion, love, understanding, forebearance, longsuffering…basically it requires us to wrap our words in the Fruits of the Spirit. When we focus on the fruits of the spirit, we put an end to strife, and we don’t fall for the enemy’s schemes. It’s like a light switch. Strife turns the lights off. It leaves us trying to fight the battles in the dark. 1 John 2:11 says, “But anyone who hates a brother or sister is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness. They do not know where they are going, because the darkness has blinded them.” Satan has the upper hand if you allow him to turn the lights out on you! But when we operate in the fruits of the Spirit, we operate in love; and love keeps the lights on!
Let’s go back to the last quality on our list in describing the mind: overpowered by words. James tells us about the power of the tongue. In James 3:5a he says, “Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts.” He has been describing how we control a large animal like a horse with a small bit and how we can change the course of a large ship with a small rudder. Now he compares those concepts to the tongue and the damage it can do. Our words have the power to change our thoughts. Wrong thoughts are overpowered by right words. That’s why it’s so important to speak God’s Word over your life. It re-centers your mind on God’s Truth. The Hebrew word for meditate is “הָגָה” or “hagah“. It literally means to moan, to growl, to utter, to speak, or to muse. God meant for us to meditate on His Word by speaking it to ourselves!
Satan’s only weapons in this war are lies and accusations. He has no other weapons in his arsenal. He has no new methods of attack. He’s a defeated foe. He may go about as a roaring lion, but he’s a lion that has had all his teeth pulled out! On the other hand, our weapons include our spiritual armor, the Sword of the Spirit (Word of God), prayer, worship, and faith–to name a few. Pastor Dave Christian from Disciple Heart Ministries has this theory about the armor of God listed in Ephesians 6:14-17 (KJV). He believes that each piece of armor represents an area where Satan likes to attack and that the armor is listed in order of the ways that Satan will approach us to launch an attack.
- Belt of Truth–corresponds to the identity of Jesus. What do we believe about who He is and what He has done for us? (Proverbs 20:27; John 16:13-14).
- Breastplate of Righteousness–corresponds to our identity in Jesus. (1 Thessalonians 5:8)
- Shoes of the readiness of the gospel of peace–corresponds to our purpose. What do we believe about our ability to be used in ministry to change the world? (Isaiah 52:7)
- Shield of Faith–corresponds to our prayer life. Our convictions about prayer motivate us as we pray. Are we truly praying effective prayers of faith? (1 Peter 3:12)
- Helmet of Salvation– corresponds to our redemption, specifically my health and prosperity (Romans 2:4; Psalm 35:27; 3 John 2; Ephesians 1:14).
Every time truth is challenged by a lie and you answer with the Truth, you strengthen your belief and conviction in that area. You can be persuaded. Are you going to be persuaded to believe the lies of the enemy, or are you going to be persuaded to believe God’s Truth? Train yourself to be persuaded by God’s Truth. There are levels to conviction. Perhaps you are at the lowest level, but as you respond to those challenges and lies of the enemy and strengthen your conviction, you’re going to move up to the next level. God knows what level you are at. He knows what will stretch you and grow you and what will break you. God does not send Satan after you, but we learn in Job that God watches Satan’s comings and goings and restricts what he can do. That’s why Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 10:13 that we will not be tempted beyond what we can bear and that God will provide a way out.
The final piece of armor is the only offensive weapon.
- Sword of the Spirit–corresponds to our effectiveness in praying for others (1 John 3:8; Isaiah 59:16-17). This is revelation, Scripture, and Truth that God has given you to speak over another person, to aide them in their battle. It allows you to speak over the situation and take authority over it.
You don’t have to agree with Pastor Christian’s interpretation of the armor of God, but it is an interesting concept to think about and study out for yourself. Ask God what He wants to tell you about the armor. Is there a piece you have neglected? Is there something you need to polish up and apply to your life? God will speak to you if you listen. You can go to Him for Truth at any time and in any place. That’s the crux of spiritual warfare, so strap on your armor and get fighting!
A Beautiful Mess 