I don’t always recognize when it’s time to do battle. The enemy is sneaky in his tactics. But as I found myself sinking in the mire, I started to recognize the pattern: depression, anxiety, self-doubt, and irritability . . . to name a few. Have you been there? Have you found a way out? In this post I want to look at a few things: who are we fighting, what are his tactics, and what is our battle plan.
The Enemy
Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.
Ephesians 6:11-12 NLT
In this passage from Ephesians we are given a glimpse into the camp of the devil’s forces. We learn that the devil is mentioned specifically, but also unseen entities and evil spirits.
Then the angel showed me Jeshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord. The Accuser, Satan, was there at the angel’s right hand, making accusations against Jeshua.
Zechariah 3:1 NLT
In this passage we are given two pronouns, The Accuser and Satan. In other translations it is only Satan that is capitalized with accusing as the action. But here is another example.
The great dragon was thrown out, that ancient serpent, also known as the Devil and Satan [the Adversary], the deceiver of the whole world. He was hurled down to the earth, and his angels were hurled down with him.
Then I heard a loud voice in heaven saying, “Now have come God’s victory, power and kingship, and the authority of his Messiah; because the Accuser of our brothers, who accuses them day and night before God, has been thrown out!”
Revelation of Yeshua to Yochanan (Rev) 12:9-10 CJB
Now we see each name refers to the same enemy. He is called the great dragon, the ancient serpent, Devil, Satan, and Accuser. We also see that he has enemy forces with him, the angels that have fallen.
The Enemy’s Tactics
We have already seen one of his tactics in the passage from Revelations. He accuses us before God, day and night. Here is the original tactic – causing doubt.
Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?”
Genesis 3:1 NIV
He not only causes us to doubt ourselves, but he causes us to doubt our perception of God, twisting our thoughts about what God says. The devil uses half-truths and outright lies to deceive us.
“You are the offspring of your father, the devil, and you serve your father very well, passionately carrying out his desires. He’s been a murderer right from the start! He never stood with the truth, for he’s full of nothing but lies—lying is his native tongue. He is a master of deception and the father of lies!”
John 8:44 TPT
His true endgame is revealed in this next passage.
Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.
1 Peter 5:8 NIV
He’s looking for the crack in your armor.
and do not give the devil a foothold.
Ephesians 4:27 NIV
Our actions can give him a way in, but Jesus gives us a way to boot him out.
The Battle Plan
Spiritual warfare will always lead us back to Christ. Let’s do some research.
The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
Psalm 18:2 ESV
Running to God is finding our refuge, our safe place of protection when we feel attacked.
Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
Ephesians 6:11 NKJV
There are books written just about the armor of God, so I won’t go into detail here, but when we stand in our faith in God, he provides his armor and the devil can’t stand against us.
What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? No one—for God himself has given us right standing with himself.
Romans 8:31, 33 NLT
Sometimes all we need is to acknowledge our fight against the enemy is God’s fight and he’s already won.
Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:7 NLT
Peace is available. Jesus gives it to us freely, and his peace is not impotent. His peace can guard our thoughts and our emotions when we feel we are under attack.
The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.
2 Corinthians 10:4-5 NIV
I love how this translation defines spiritual weapons, “they have divine power to demolish strongholds.” All those measly footholds the enemy has taken, even when they grow into strongholds, have no chance of surviving God’s power. And the lies the enemy tries to twist our thoughts to believe? We take those back to Christ and he tells us —
“You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
John 8:32 CEV
There are many more scriptures giving us ways to fight, resist, guard, and turn the tide of battle, but my favorite weapon is song. When I turn on praise and worship, God surrounds me.
You are a hiding-place for me, you will keep me from distress; you will surround me with songs of deliverance. (Selah)
Tehillim (Psa) 32:7 CJB
I hope I pointed you to the armory God provides for your own battles. I pray you will always remember, “God’s got this.” If you know someone who feels they are under attack, point them back to Jesus, and if they won’t look, pray the words of these scriptures over them.
Grace & Peace,
Sandy
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