Ephesians 6:12 (NLT), “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.”
Do you realize every day you wake up you are at war? Do you get up every morning putting on armor, prepared for battle? If you don’t realize this battle is taking place and if you aren’t protecting yourself, you are already at a disadvantage and the enemy is winning the battle. This battle is real and it takes place each and every day without you seeing it, but it’s happening. As it says in the verse above from Ephesians, the battle takes place against those evil spirits who want to destroy you. That’s a pretty scary picture isn’t it.
Every day a battle is being waged for your soul and you are a key player in it. The enemy wants you to believe the battle is not real so you don’t fully protect yourself from the attacks. And sadly enough, many of us are fooled into thinking that way. The devil will come at you in many different ways but one of his most effective ways is when he comes after your mind and your thoughts. As Joyce Meyer said in The Power Of Positive Thinking devotional, “Satan loves to put wrong thoughts in our minds – thoughts that are not in agreement with God’s Word – hoping we will meditate on them long enough for them to become reality in our lives.”
I can reflect back on many times in my life where Satan used this tactic against me, with success. This tactic is very effective when you are not in God’s Word, in the church, etc. When you are separated from God in those ways it’s easy for Satan to get you thinking thoughts that aren’t of God. This is when you start to doubt things, you become more self-centered, and you no longer focus on the needs of others. I have gone through many times like these in my life, and I had no idea what was really going on. It’s so easy to believe the lies the enemy tries to tell you when you’re already down. Lies about yourself. Lies about those you love. Lies about how much God loves you. Anything he can use to push you further away from God.
The great news is, God equips each one of us for this battle. Ephesians 6:13-17 lays it all out for us, “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. Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”
The battle is real, and it’s waged every day, but the beauty is it’s a battle you can win. Rely on God’s armor to bring you through this battle victorious each and every day!
Truth In Love! ~ Chuck