James 4:7-8, “So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world.”
Live your life so deeply rooted that when your feet hit the floor in the morning the devil says, “Oh no, they’re up!”
The devil saw me with my head down and thought he had won until he heard me say AMEN!
Satan trembles when he sees the weakest Christians on their knees.
Shame, fear, brokenness, self-destruction, helplessness, anxiety, self-hatred, sinfulness, loneliness, depression, confusion, distortion, rejection, exclusion, etc.
Is there not one of us who has lived in one of these categories a time or two? Maybe in a few of them? The list could go on and all of us have been through our share of battles in life. Maybe you’re in one right now and feel the weight of your burdens heavily on your soul and you’re wondering what to do or if you’ll ever be free.
We have a mission as God’s people. As Christians, we walk with a wonderful God who provides only the best for us. When we invite Jesus to live in our lives and try to live like Christ, we have a promise of salvation. Our mission is to go preach the gospel and share with others the love of Jesus and pray God will work in their lives too.
The problem is this makes satan very unhappy. He already has been cast away by God, he has lost his way and promise of salvation. He knows his hold on this world will end one day. He will lose the battle, actually, he already lost the battle at the cross where victory was secured. He is angry, bitter, and jealous. Now he has set out to destroy God’s people. His weapon of choice works in ways that distract God’s people from their mission. Since he can’t defeat God, he tries to defeat us. Since he can’t destroy and overcome God, he tries to destroy and overcome us.
He won’t fight fair, and he’s going to attack when you are tired, hurt, feel isolated, and at your weakest and lowest. He will try to divide you from the herd (other Christians) and wear you down until you are too weak to fight back. Satan is the father of lies and will use all he has to fill you with those lies about yourself and others. He will make you feel guilty and unworthy by using your past against you. He whispers in your ear that you’re nothing special and he uses our self-consciousness of our images to make us feel ugly and outcast. He’s great at tearing friends and families apart. The truth of it is we will be caught unaware, unprepared, and ambushed by an invisible enemy in our hearts and homes.
Remember this, Christians don’t fight for victory, they fight victoriously! And our most powerful weapon of choice: God’s Word! God’s Word when faithfully applied will expose and eradicate the enemy’s lies. God’s Word helps us see the lies and gives us the strength to declare the enemy can no longer define us, we belong to the King of Kings.
When you are facing lies, fears, hurt, bitterness, attacked, and like the arrows won’t stop coming at you, remember to fight back with these truths:
– The enemy is attacking you because he’s working hard to get you. If you were caught up in living the lifestyle that he wishes you would, he wouldn’t bother you. Look at it as a compliment.
– Those thoughts aren’t you. Know they come from the enemy, so instead of being mad at yourself, be mad at him.
– Jesus is your standard. If Jesus wouldn’t say it to you then it’s a lie. His thoughts are your strength, and His thoughts are righteous.
– Satan is already ready to attack you when you’re tired and down, so you be ready for it. He doesn’t play fair, so be ready with a, thus sayeth the Lord.
– The piece of armor that is the most offensive- the Sword of the Spirit (God’s Word). Use it, find the verses that tell you how God sees you and feels about you every time the enemy begins his lies. Fight with Jesus’ words, ‘It is written’.
Whatever troubles you are facing, whatever spiritual attacks you are feeling, whatever sufferings you endure, whatever temptations you face. You will overcome because, in the name of Jesus, you have victory!
“The mighty hand of God is fighting your battles for you. He is on the front lines working all things together for your good. He will restore you! He will confirm you! He will comfort you! He will establish you! He will strengthen you! You will overcome your battle by God’s grace and his power!” -Blake Allan
When you feel hurt or offended by a friend or another Christian- PRAY.
If you feel beat down and see no light through the forest- PRAY.
If you need to know where to go from here- PRAY and ask for wisdom. Our faithful God will provide.
It’s time to get up, wipe the dust off, and stand firm today. Resist the lies and say, ‘Not today satan’. Push back in faith for in Jesus the devil has no victory over you and the battle is won.
“When you carry the Bible, the devil gets a headache. When you open it, he collapses. When he sees you reading it, he faints. When he sees you living it, he flees.”
This sums up the best way to defeat satan, God’s Word is the most powerful weapon we have against the attacks the devil will throw at us. Each day, take time to read, take in, and hear God’s voice speaking to you through the Bible.
This is an updated edition of a post originally published on ConnectWithGodDaily
Featured Image by Zoltan Tasi on Unsplash
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