“The Christian life is not a playground; it is a battleground.”
Warren W. Wiersbe
Being aware of Satan’s strategies gives us an upper hand in our ability to fight back. It’s to our advantage when we expect how our enemy may attack. There is a war over our identity, who we are in Christ, and who God created us to be.
One of the schemes of the enemy is to attack after we experience a victory or success. This is when we are most vulnerable to pride and to trust in ourselves, instead of thanking God for all He’s done and glorifying Him. Satan equally attacks us in our weakness, just as he did when Jesus fasted for forty days in the wilderness. I’ve been consistently waking up really early and the loss of sleep has made me more vulnerable to thoughts and feelings that aren’t aligned with God’s Word.
Sometimes the enemy is subtle and not blatantly obvious, while other times he is in our face, and we can’t miss him. Satan plants seeds of doubt about God’s goodness and His nature, who God says we are, and how He feels about us. The deceiver sets up circumstances in such a way that it affirms the lies we’re believing which confirm our doubts, making them seem true. The enemy distorts the truth and lies to us to break our trust in the Father. And when that happens, we’re more susceptible to temptation which leads to sin.
Ephesians 6:10-18 gives us practical ways to fight back. Paul encourages us to put on the whole armor of God. Clothing ourselves with the belt of truth and the breastplate of righteousness, having our feet fitted with the gospel of peace, using our shield of faith and sword of the Spirit, and wearing the helmet of salvation, are ways we defend ourselves against Satan’s tactics.
We’re instructed to “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 Lord’s people” (Ephesians 6:18). Assume the enemy will attack, be on guard, and pray the Word of God out loud. This is our best defense against Satan’s strategies.
“The spiritual battle, the loss of victory, is always in the thought-world.”
Francis Schaeffer
Relevant Reflections:
When are you most vulnerable to the enemy’s attacks?
What steps can you take this week to win the battlefield over your mind?
What strategies has Satan used in your life and how did you defend yourself?
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