There is one thing that makes me really angry! There are so many people with unused gifts, talents and dreams because the devil has managed to rob these aspirations from them. This makes me angry!
John 10:10 tell us something about the devil.
The thief does not come except to steal, and kill and destroy, I have come that they have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.
The life God has for you is a great life, and he wishes you the best, but the devil doesn't want you to realize this life.
My wish is to make you aware that you are in a battle. You have an adversary who walks around trying to steal and devour your hope and joy.
It is important to know that there is a spiritual world, and everything you say and do influences the spiritual world, even things you do when nobody sees you.
The devil attacks in cunning ways, therefore it is important to find the strategy the enemy has for you. If you find the enemy's strategy, you have an advantage, because then you will know where he will attack.The devil has a strategy for every country, city and person. Even though he tries to attack in very shrewd ways, you can know where he is going to attack you. Ask yourself this question: If I were the devil, where would I attack? The devil will always attack you where you are the weakest.
The devil doesn’t want you to discover, or enter, into the life God has for you. Take on the full armor of God and fight the good fight. You are able to win it!
In Eph 6:10-18, you find some key verses about spiritual warfare.
10Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.
11Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes.
12For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
13Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.
14Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place,
15and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.
16In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
18And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.
1. The Belt of truth.
The belt of the armor holds it together. Knowing the truth is very important in spiritual warfare. Lies create confusion, but the truth holds things together.
2. The Breastplate of Righteousness
The breastplate on armor is vital, it protects the heart and lungs. Solomon said:
Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life. (Prov. 4:23)
If the enemy hits your heart, you are dead. There are many ways the enemy can hit your heart, and one of the biggest areas is your own self-righteousness. Religiosity kills your spiritual life; religion tells you that your own deeds make you righteous. If you have thoughts such as: “I am not good enough, God is not satisfied with me!” Or the opposite: “I do a lot of good deeds and have to be righteous!” Your spiritual life will soon fade away.
3. The Feet Fitted With the Readiness that Comes From the Gospel of Peace.
Shoes make us move fast and effectively. The Romans had rivets under their shoes, so they could have a good grip.
It is important to be ready to tell others about the good news. When you have the opportunity, take the challenge right away. We come with the gospel of peace, not a gospel that gets thrown over your head with force. Many have made big mistakes in this area. (E.g. the Crusades)
4. The Shield of Faith, With Which You Can Extinguish All the Flaming Arrows of the Evil One.
The shield protects you from the enemy’s flaming arrows. On Roman soldiers, the shield was so big that it covered the whole body, and it could not be put aflame by arrows from the enemy. This is how faith functions, faith covers you so you can’t be hit. Faith is all about knowing who God is. The more you see who He is, the more faith you acquire, consequently, disarming the enemy. Keep your thoughts on God and His character; it will help you conquer every bad situation.
5. Helmet of Salvation
The helmet protects your head. This is the center of your thoughts, and it is in your thoughts that the enemy can put you on the defensive. Be aware of your position in God and don’t let the enemy get into your thoughts. Salvation means more than being saved, it involves protection and preservation (whole, intact).
6. Sword of the Spirit, Which is the Word of God.
The sword is the only offensive weapon of the armor. The sword is your attack weapon; it is the word of God. The word of God will tear down every stronghold or lie the enemy tries to give you. There is enormous power in the word of God. When Jesus spoke, something always happened, and he only had to say one word.
Declaration of the word makes the enemy tremble; it is sharper that any two-edged sword and can penetrate every stronghold.
Heb.4: 12
12For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.
7. Do this in prayer!
It is in prayer that you can use the armor. Without prayer, you can’t keep the armor on.
Before Paul talks about the attack of the enemy, he says one thing: "Be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might." First of all, it is important to see that in Jesus you have all might, Jesus conquered Satan and his demons on the cross, defeating them.
The enemy can't touch you if you have Jesus as Lord of your life.
1John 5:18
We know that whomever is born of God does not sin; but he who has been born of God keeps himself, and the wicked one does not touch him.
An easy mistake to make in spiritual warfare is to focus on the wrong side, the enemy. Remember to always stay focused on God; He is the mighty one and He is the powerful one! The devil is already defeated.
- Be aware of your enemy, but focus on the almighty God. Be impressed by God, not the devil.
We can be more that conquerors
It is possible to conquer every attack the devil makes, if you take up the fight with the armor on. A question: Is the armor of God something you have on all the time or do you take it on and off? The answer is both yes and no. You are seated together with Jesus in heaven, and you are in Him. That is a position you have, and you have it as long as you are a Christian. But, because you do sin, whether in words, acts or deeds you give the devil an opportunity to attack. There will be an opening in the armor where sin is coming into your life. So, you need to check your armor vigilantly, looking for any sin the enemy can use to win victories in your life.
- One important thing: To live a victorious Christian life doesn’t mean you can't fall, it means you will arise when you have failed.
A scripture I often use when I have fallen is from the prophet Micah.
Micah 7:8
Do not rejoice over me, my enemy; when I fall, I will arise; When I sit in darkness the Lord will be a light to me.
Don’t let the devil rejoice over you when you have fallen, but take up the fight! Arise again and claim victory in Jesus. He who is within you is stronger than the one that is in this world.
1Joh 4:4
4You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.
Remember too that you will not win every battle, but you will win the war, Jesus has already won it for you. I like to quote this sentence: We may lose some battles, but we will win the war.
