The enemy, also known as Satan or the devil, seeks to attack believers in Christ and disrupt their relationship with God. As Christians, we face spiritual battles daily and must use the full armor of God to stand firm in faith (Ephesians 6:10-18). This blog post will examine biblical strategies for overcoming the enemy’s attacks through prayer, God’s Word, praise and worship, and other spiritual disciplines.
Key Takeaways:
- Recognize that our battle is not against flesh and blood but against demonic forces.
- Put on the full armor of God daily through prayer and studying Scripture.
- Resist the devil by submitting to God and drawing near to Him.
- Guard your heart and mind and take every thought captive.
- Pray without ceasing by living in communion with God.
- Speak God’s Word aloud to overcome demonic lies and attacks.
- Worship the Lord despite feelings or circumstances.
- Walk in holiness and repent of any sin that gives the enemy footholds.
- Forgive others completely to close doors to the enemy.
- Surround yourself with strong believers for prayer support and accountability.
- Focus on Christ and His victory rather than on demonic attacks.
Recognizing Our True Enemy
As Christians, we must understand that our struggles are ultimately not against people or flesh and blood. Ephesians 6:12 states:
For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.
Our real enemy is Satan and the demonic forces of darkness. The people who hurt or attack us are being influenced by these evil spirits, often without realizing it. We should not retaliate against them but pray for their deliverance.
Sometimes the enemy’s attacks can be overt through oppression, affliction, or persecution. But often his schemes are more subtle and stealthy, seeking to deceive, accuse, and discourage believers. We must stay alert and sober-minded against his tactics (1 Peter 5:8).
As we resist the devil, James 4:7 promises that he will flee from us. But we must first submit to God, drawing near to Him in intimacy. Let’s examine how to practically abide in Christ amidst spiritual battles.
Putting on the Full Armor of God
In Ephesians 6, Paul urges believers to put on the full armor of God to withstand evil. Through relationship with Christ, we have access to His divine power and protection. But we must appropriate it daily through prayer.
The armor includes the belt of truth, breastplate of righteousness, shoes of gospel peace, shield of faith, helmet of salvation, and sword of the Spirit which is God’s Word. As we abide in Christ, He secures us in His armor and fights for us.
A vital key is praying on the armor: verbalizing each piece and asking God to clothe us afresh with His provision and strength. We can pray through Ephesians 6:10-18 daily.
This protects our minds and hearts from the enemy’s attacks. But we must also be proactive in renewing our thinking according to God’s truth and taking rebellious thoughts captive (2 Corinthians 10:5). Meditating on Scripture renews our minds in Christ.
Resisting the Devil through Submission to God
James 4:7 exhorts: “Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” These two commands are linked. Only as we submit to God can we resist the devil effectively.
Submission means humbling ourselves before the Lord, surrendering our will to His complete authority, and aligning our thoughts with His truth. It requires intimacy with Jesus cultivated through prayer and Bible study.
As we get closer to God, the devil flees because he cannot stand the presence of holiness. He is powerless compared to the sovereignty of Christ. So we focus on pursuing closeness with the Lord, rather than battling demons which empowers them. Our submission activates God’s protection.
Guarding Our Hearts and Taking Thoughts Captive
Spiritual warfare starts in our thought-lives. The enemy seeks to instill doubt, fear, confusion, anxiety and other lies contrary to God’s truth. If we allow these thoughts to take root, they provide footholds for demonic influence.
Proverbs 4:23 warns: “Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life.” Our thought patterns drive our emotions, choices and behaviors. So we must capture each stray thought and make it obedient to Christ, refusing to allow anxiety, bitterness, lust and other toxins to accumulate (2 Corinthians 10:5).
Prayerfully rejecting demonic lies while declaring God’s truth secures our minds against attacks. We guard hearts by meditating on Scripture, thus building an arsenal against temptation. But if we neglect spiritual disciplines, we remain vulnerable.
Praying without Ceasing
1 Thessalonians 5:17 commands believers to “pray without ceasing.” This means developing a continual attitude and awareness of communion with God throughout our day. Through practicing His presence, we remain covered by Christ amidst spiritual battles.
When we feel attacked, stressed or overwhelmed, we must immediately lift our hearts to the Lord in prayer. We can pray simple sentences calling on Jesus for help and protection while affirming His sovereignty. This provides refuge and recalibrates our minds to His truth, thwarting the enemy’s lies.
We overcome by the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony (Revelation 12:11). As we verbally declare who Christ is and what He has done, our words echo His victory. This builds our faith muscles when under assault.
Wielding the Sword of the Spirit
God’s Word is a powerful weapon against demonic powers. Quoting the Bible aloud builds our faith while directly contradicting the enemy’s deceit. There is power even in whispering Scriptures to ourselves.
When Jesus was tempted in the wilderness, He responded to each temptation by quoting the Word (Matthew 4:1-11). He modeled using Scripture to counteract demonic lies.
We can memorize key verses on God’s promises and protection to have at the ready when spiritual battles arise. The Holy Spirit will bring particular passages to mind as they are needed to overcome specific attacks. Hiding God’s Word in our hearts helps us wield it accurately.
Worshipping Despite Feelings or Circumstances
Sometimes spiritual attacks aim to disrupt our intimacy with God. The enemy may incite feelings of inadequacy, distance or boredom with prayer and worship. But we cannot rely on emotions. Worship is a choice, an act of surrender by faith.
So when we least feel like worshipping, that is when we most need to worship! We can declare truth aloud through song despite our emotions. As we focus on the greatness of God, the atmosphere changes and feelings eventually align. We enter God’s glory, receive breakthrough and the devil flees.
Worship invites the Holy Spirit’s presence, renews our spiritual strength, reminds us of God’s promises and victory, and empowers our warfare against demonic forces. It is potent weaponry against attacks.
Walking in Holiness and Repenting of Sin
Demons gain footholds in areas where we tolerate sin or compromise. Even secret sins grant access, so we must ruthlessly eliminate anything contrary to God’s nature.
1 Peter 5:8-9 exhorts: “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith.” Sobriety requires living holy and repentant.
By confessing and renouncing specific sins, we shut the door on the enemy and receive cleansing through Christ’s blood. Where we have granted him access, we must revoke it through sincere repentance. This closes off demonic oppression.
Practicing Complete Forgiveness
Unforgiveness towards others also empowers demonic influence by harboring bitterness. We must ask the Holy Spirit to reveal any unforgiveness lurking in our hearts.
Even if reconciliation isn’t possible with someone who hurt us, we can still choose to forgive them. This closes the door on retribution and releases them into God’s hands.
Matthew 6:15 warns that if we do not forgive others, God will not forgive our trespasses. So practicing forgiveness is vital for our protection against the enemy.
Finding Support through Prayer Partners
We were created for community and need fellowship for our spiritual strength. Surrounding ourselves with mature believers provides protection and support when under attack.
James 5:16 states: “Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed.” Sharing vulnerably with prayer partners allows them to intercede for targeted breakthrough.
Accountability partnerships also help us walk in consistent holiness by exposing areas of temptation or compromise. We should have trusted friends who can speak truth in love when we need rebuke and correction.
Maintaining Focus on Christ’s Victory
A key strategy when under demonic assault is averting our eyes from the attack to focus fully on Jesus instead. The devil uses attacks to distract us from growing intimacy with Christ or lure us into sin.
But through the cross, Jesus has already conquered Satan and his demons! Colossians 2:15 assures us that He disarmed and triumphed over them. So we keep our eyes fixed on Christ’s supremacy, not on the enemy’s temporary schemes.
Our worship exalts Christ’s greatness. Declaring the Word focuses us on His promises. Prayer aligns our hearts with His truth. And serving others displays His transformative love. Our focus must remain entirely on the victory of our Savior.
Conclusion
Spiritual warfare is unfortunately part of living in a fallen world under demonic influence. But Jesus has already won the victory! As we submit to Christ, resist the devil, walk in holiness, use our spiritual armor and weapons, and focus on God’s sovereignty over all powers and rulers, we can stand firm and overcome.
We have nothing to fear, because God promises to be with us and uphold us with His righteous right hand (Isaiah 41:10). Through intimacy with Him and wielding Scripture, we will walk in triumph over every evil attack as our faith grows. The Lord fights for us, so we can confidently enter His rest. Hallelujah!
