Now, I’m not
one of those women that is really into sports, but I've seen enough sporting
events and sports movies to know that it’s really important to know your
opponent and what you are going up against, to know their strengths,
weaknesses, and tendencies. Good coaches have their players study tapes of
different teams they will play in the future, to prepare them for what is to come.
They study the plays and the players on the opposing team. They practice for
hours, they go over their own plays over and over again, they make
improvements, they make sure to take care of their bodies, they make sure they
get rest, they do everything in their power to prepare and make sure they
really know their opponent and are ready to truly fight for the win. As
Christians we are in spiritual warfare. Spiritual Warfare means that we as
Christians are involved in a war. We are soldiers waging war against the enemy.
I believe the best definition for spiritual warfare is
found in Ephesians 6:12, “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but
against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of
this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” We are
soldiers in the army of the Lord and every day we have to fight the devil. Now
in order to be the most effective soldier possible we must first do as Paul
instructs us in Ephesians 6:10-11, 13-18:
10 A final word: Be
strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on
all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all
strategies of the devil. 13 Therefore, put on every
piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of
evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. 14 Stand your ground,
putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. 15 For shoes, put on the
peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared.[d]16 In addition to all of
these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil.[e] 17 Put on salvation as
your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
18 Pray in the Spirit at all times and
on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all
believers everywhere.[f]
Paul gives
us specific instructions. He tells us to 1) Be strong in the Lord. Remember
that His strength is made perfect in your weakness (II Corinthians 12:9).
Realize how dependent you are on God. Without Him you can do nothing, rely on
Him. 2) Put on all of God’s armor so you can stand firm/rooted against the
strategies of the devil. God showed me this awhile back….Going out without
having spent time with God, without devotions, without praying, without diving
into the Word of God is like going to battle naked! It’s like going to battle
with absolutely no armor. It’s going out without a covering. It’s going out and
forgetting your weapons. If you saw someone going to war with no armor, no gun,
no weapons you would think they were crazy, disillusioned, and potentially
suicidal. The same is true for us as children of God (This is an area that I
need to grow more in myself y’all, God’s still developing me). Stop going out
without your covering! 3) He also tells us to pray at all times and at every
occasion. This means that we don’t just go to God when our situation is a mess,
but we go to Him when things are good, bad, ugly, beautiful, difficult, easy,
etc. 4) He lastly tells us to be alert and persistent in our prayers for other
believers. Prayer isn’t just about you, others need your prayers too. All these
things will make you an effective soldier in spiritual warfare.
So now that
you know to put on the whole armor of God, let’s talk about knowing your
opponent. Now we all know who our opponent is, but there is a difference
between knowing who your opponent is and knowing about your opponent. While
it’s great to know who your opponent is, it doesn’t really give you anything to
go on. You need to know him, how he
operates, you need to know his tactics and tendencies. Don’t you realize that
he knows your’s?!? The devil studies you. He knows your strengths, your
weaknesses, your likes, your dislikes, your past, your family, your friends,
your fears, and yes he knows your type and you better believe He will send you
a man that looks like Lance Gross to try to get you to fall! We need to know
the enemy, so that we are fully prepared when he attacks. We need to be
prepared to the point where we can anticipate what he’s going to do and we
aren’t taken by surprise when he pulls out certain plays.
So let’s
dive in. The first thing you need to know is the devil’s motive, what is he
trying to gain? What is his ultimate goal and purpose? John
10:10 tells us the answer to that question, “The
thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a
rich and satisfying life.” The devil is ultimately out for your destruction.
His goal is to take you out. He can’t afford to have you out there making more
disciples, walking in your calling, and fulfilling your purpose. He desires that as many as possible join
him in hell for eternal damnation (Misery loves company y’all!). So each and
every day he will try to pull you away from God and onto his side.
The next thing you need to know about the enemy is his
tactics. God has given us the inside scoop, the Bible is littered with the
devil’s tactics (We got the devils playbook in the bible y’all. And better than that we have in the bible
counterattacks to the attacks of the Enemy. God’s got our backs! He has already
mapped out the game plan!). As Christians in today’s age, we can see how Satan
used specific tactics on other believers. We see some caught in the Enemy’s
traps and others that manage to escape. So now on to the tactics of the Enemy…
The first tactic of the Enemy is DOUBT. Doubt is when you are
uncertain about something, you consider it questionable or unlikely; you
hesitate to believe. The devil loves to play mind games. He likes to plant seed
of doubt in your mind with a simple thought that causes you to question God,
His Word and His goodness. When the devil tries to wage a battle in your mind
you need to do what it says in II Corinthians 10:5, “Casting down imaginations,
and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and
bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.”
Cast out those thoughts that cause you to question and doubt God. Bring those
thoughts under subjection, refuse to allow them a place of exaltation above God
(refuse to allow them a place of exaltation period.) and make those thoughts obey Christ. Remember the devil knows when you are operating in doubt you aren't operating in faith and he begins to do a mini victory dance! Shut those
doubtful thoughts down and shut the devil down too!
The next tactic the Enemy uses is DISCOURAGEMENT. To discourage is to deprive of courage, hope, or
confidence; dishearten; dispirit. Being a Christian doesn't exempt you from
difficult situations. When things get hard the devil loves to play on that
situation. He can make you feel discouraged by causing you to look at your
problems rather than at God. When the devil tries to pull this number on you do
what is says in Psalm 121:1, “I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from
whence cometh my help.” When the devil tries to discourage you by having you look at
how bad your situation is, you look up at God and realize that He is greater!
He is greater than whatever you situation might be and He is able. Look at Him
and see Him walking you through that Red Sea situation on dry land.
Stop letting the devil and that situation make you think that God can’t bring
you out. God is able. You are a child of God and the God we serve is a big God.
That situation you’re in is like an ant trying to come up against God. Tell
the devil to go kick rocks with that discouragement mess and that your Daddy is
already in the process of handling the situation.
Another tactic of the Enemy is DIVERSION. A diversion is an act of diverting or turning aside, as
from a course or purpose. As Christians we are all on a specific road with a
specific purpose and calling on our lives. The devil desires to steal you away
from your purpose. So he sets up diversions on billboards along your road to
your purpose and calling to try to lure you away from your purpose by making
the wrong things seem attractive so that you will want them instead of your
purpose and God. **Added Bonus** Many of us are on the road to our purpose and
we’re also single. This Word is for all my singles. The One that God has picked
out specifically for you is not a diversion. He/she doesn't take you off
course, they keep you on course. He/she is not a distraction. They were created
to be your companion on this journey; God is taking you both in the same
direction because there is some way in which He is going to use you both to
build up the Kingdom of God together. The One for you pushes you closer to God,
they don’t pull you away from Him. So do you have a diversion or the One?!?
#diversioncheck
Another tactic of the Enemy is DEFEAT. In this life we have things we deem successes and things we
deem failures. Defeat in this instance is the devil preying on your feelings of
certain situations and making you feel like a failure so that you don’t even
try. I know I've been in a place where I didn't even want to try because things
just weren't working out. But here’s the thing that made me laugh while I was
typing this blog, the devil tries to make us feel defeated when he’s the one
that’s defeated (In this instance to defeat means to overcome in a battle,
contest, election, etc; prevail over; vanquish.). It’s almost like he’s trying
to project his own feelings onto us by trying to make us feel defeated as well.
Honey, stop wallowing in feelings of defeat, lift up you head and try again,
you posses the favor of the King of Kings. That thing didn't work out because
it wasn't meant too, it was all a part of God’s plan and He’s got better in store for you. Remember in the end you win, you’re on the winning team, we've got the victory. The devil has already been defeated. Stop allowing him to make
you feel defeated too. Act like you’re on the winning team! You're a victor, not a victim!
You have to know your opponent in order to fight effectively
and ultimately win. Let's wise up to the Enemy's tactics so that we are better prepared when he tries to use them on us. Part II will be up soon. I love you all so much!!!
Mariah
(All definitions are from Dictionary.com)
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