As a Child of God, it’s important to understand that you are engaged in active warfare every day. The Bible is very clear about the fact that each day, we engage with an enemy who is “like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8). While the imagery of standing toe to toe with a roaring lion may make it sound like we have little to no hope of coming out of that battle victorious, God’s Word also ensures us that we are “more than conquerors” because of the One who loves us (Romans 8:37-39).
In Ephesians chapter six, Paul discusses the importance of putting on the whole armor of God. In the verses that are the most detailed about our role in ongoing spiritual warfare, Paul outlines every piece of armor that God provides to His people in order to help us survive and advance in the battle for the souls of humanity that we are actively engaged in. While there is only one weapon mentioned in Ephesians six, which we will take a look at in a moment, Paul discusses our call to battle in another section of Scripture as well. Understanding what those weapons are and what they allow us to do helps ensure that we are battle ready and can stand victorious against our enemy, the devil.
2 Corinthians 10:3-6 (TPT)
For although we live in the natural realm, we don’t wage a military campaign employing human weapons, using manipulation to achieve our aims. Instead, our spiritual weapons are energized with divine power to effectively dismantle the defenses behind which people hide. We can demolish every deceptive fantasy that opposes God and break through every arrogant attitude that is raised up in defiance of the true knowledge of God. We capture, like prisoners of war, every thought and insist that it bow down in obedience to the Anointed One. Since we are armed with such dynamic weaponry, we stand ready to punish any trace of rebellion, as soon as you choose complete obedience.
History teaches us that Paul wrote this letter to the church at Corinth during a very difficult time in the church. Roman government officials and other unbelievers were coming into the church to try to make the members doubt that Paul was truly an apostle and that Christ had truly raised from the dead. The people who were serving the Lord in Corinth were in a battle in the spirit realm. While they were fighting against people who were being used as vessels of Satan that sought to spread doubt and discord, they were also battling within their own minds.
Our greatest battles take place on the same battlefield. Our minds are a tricky beast to try to tame. The thoughts that rush through your head may seem fleeting, but they often do lasting damage. Take for instance a moment of guilt. While you know that you’ve been forgiven by God because of your relationship with Jesus Christ (John 3:16), there are still moments where fleeing thoughts of guilt often enter our mind. It may seem like they were only there for a moment, but they often leave a wake of damage that resembles a flood ripping through a small town. Before long, that thought of guilt leaves you trying to put the pieces back together while struggling to convince yourself that God has truly forgotten your past and given you a fresh start. That’s why the ability to “take our thoughts captive” is so important. So, what are these weapons and how do they come into play on the battlefield of our mind?
The Word of God
At the end of the Scripture that discusses the whole armor of God, Paul offers up the only offensive weapon that is a part of the arsenal: the “sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God” (Ephesians 6:18). The Word of God is our greatest weapon in our battle against the lies of our enemy. Why? Because every word contained in Scripture is truth. That means when Satan tries to create a hint of doubt in your mind, the most reliable weapon you have at your disposal is the power of truth contained in the Word of God.
Matthew 4:1-11 tells a story about Jesus being led into the wilderness between the time He was baptized and when His public ministry truly started. At the end of a 40-day fast, Satan came against Him and tried to tempt Him. Jesus responded to every lie that Satan tried to tell Him with the truth of Scripture. He didn’t do it because He lacked the ability the snap His fingers and make Satan go away. Instead, He responded the way He did because He was presenting us with a battle plan about how to handle Satan when he tries to lie to us.
Reading God’s Word should be a part of your everyday schedule. If your schedule doesn’t lend itself to a great deal of reading time, consider listening to an audio version of the Bible on your commute to or from work. Having His Word ingrained in your mind will allow you to rebuff the attacks that Satan launches against you that would make you doubt, ensuring that you can take every thought captive.
Prayer
In 2 Chronicles 14, we read a story about a lesser-known Biblical character named Asa. He was the king of Judah after his father, Abijah died. Asa was a righteous king who made his first act in office the removal of altars that had been built to false gods. While Asa had an army of around 580,000, the first enemy he faced was from Ethiopia. An army of 580,000 sounds large enough, but the Ethiopian army that came against him had more than 1 million men enlisted.
Outnumbered by an army that doubled his, Asa did the only thing he could think of in the moment: he prayed.
2 Chronicles 14:11 (ESV)
And Asa cried to the Lord his God, “O Lord, there is none like you to help, between the mighty and the weak. Help us, O Lord our God, for we rely on you, and in your name we have come against this multitude. O Lord, you are our God; let not man prevail against you.
Asa knew that his army was no match for the opposing forces, so he took himself completely out of the battle. Instead, he trusted in the Lord. God answered, and Judah won the war.
2 Chronicles 14:12 (ESV)
So the Lord defeated the Ethiopians before Asa and before Judah, and the Ethiopians fled.
Did you see who won the battle? The Lord defeated the opposing army because Asa prayed. When you accept that the battle is not yours to fight, God will defeat your enemies for you.
Praise
The Bible encourages us to praise the Lord in multiple verses. While we may believe that it’s because God wants us to be thankful in all things (and He does), it’s also because our praise is a weapon. Just six chapters after Asa’s miraculous victory, King Jehoshaphat found himself also outnumbered. After he prayed and asked God for direction, he did something unorthodox.
2 Chronicles 20:21-22
And when he had taken counsel with the people, he appointed those who were to sing to the Lord and praise him in holy attire, as they went before the army, and say, “Give thanks to the Lord, for his steadfast love endures forever.” And when they began to sing and praise, the Lord set an ambush against the men of Ammon, Moab and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah, so that they were routed.
Jehoshaphat decided to rely on praise as his weapon of choice. When the people began to praise, God showed up and defeated their enemies for them. Your praise has the same power. The Bible tells us that God inhabits the praise of His people (Psalm 22:3). When you start praising and your focus shifts from your enemy to your Savior, God shows up and the enemy is defeated.
Our weapons are spiritual because our enemy is in the spirit realm. Knowing how to use the weapons that God has equipped you with will allow you to stand in victory over the enemy of your soul.
A Closing Prayer:
God, thank You for the weapons that you have given me in the spiritual realm. Help me to rely on Your Word, prayer and praise when the enemy comes against me. I know that You are a God of victory, and as Your child, I am a child of victory. In Christ’s name, Amen!