If you are not a bible believing Christian, this post is not for you. It will not make sense to you.
We don’t like to talk about this, as a church. We know, intellectually, that there are spiritual beings all around us. Some serve Yah-Weh, and some serve Satan. The ones that serve Satan are referred to as demons. I am not trying to scare you. You have authority and the One who overcame them on the cross. But they are there. Always watching, and when they see a weakness, a tired Christian ,a hungry Christian, anything like that. They’ll hit you, and they’ll always try for what hurts most.
So, what do you do? You learn to fight back. You put on the full armor of God (voice this section from Ephesians). And your only offensive weapon? The bible, the Word of God. That’s how you disarm, deflect, and it’s in His Name, we can rebuke them (resisting the devil). Non-believers do not have this ability. They are at the mercy of the rulers of the kingdom of darkness.
But we are not. But we get tangled up in stuff sometimes, that we know better, or aren’t sure about, that give the devil a “foothold,” literally, a “place” You can probably think of one or two “places,” Those things you brought into your house and new better. That sin you failed to confess, or failed to repent of. All these things give the devil power over parts of your life. And he will use, as we said, any opportunity he has.
Satan is defeated by Christ. We are on the winning side. But we are in a war zones, still fighting the hundreds of thousands of battles before its resolution. And before its resolution, it will be Hell on earth. So keep your eyes focused on Jesus. Don’t be a friend of the world. Know the bible, know how to fight back.
My friend and I share a problem. It’s not the same problem. It’s a different problem, but it follows the same pattern. Satan can not get you with a blatant lie. But he will plant things in your mind. And it’s a string of thoughts. Satan can program your mind, not literally, but he can try to insert thoughts. He knows just which “protocols, passkeys” etc. It will usually be three or four lies. And these three or four lies will be what you want to hear. They will be like warm oil on your ears. And when you believe them, you will sin. You have the natural tendency to sin (sin dwells in us). Sin is not in our nature, but it’s in our body, in our brain and mind. We lean towards it. We want to sin. Which is why we need daily to pray for God’s Holy Spirit to fill us, lead us, and help us walk in Him.
The only way to understand spiritual warfare, and start winning those battles, is to fight back. And I have been, for 25 years. There’s not a quick fix. It’s a war, even now, and although our enemy is defeated, he’s not retreating. Not without having the spiritual weapons pointed in his face. And not without using them.
Let me address the various pieces of the armor, that you need daily.
1) belt of truth-
Speak the truth. Do not lie, and if you do, confess it very quickly. The belt holds the armor together. Disarm Satan's lies, and believe God and His Word.
2) The breastplate of righteousness-
Christ is our righteousness, but a few well placed arrows and you will feel "unworthy, unforgivable" So you deflect those arrows, with the shield and the sword. We cannot lose our breastplate. But our confidence in God and Jesus and His atonement/righteousness will strengthen it.
3) Feet shod with the good news of the gospel of peace-
When you make God's business your business. His kingdom your top priority, then you are rightly wearing these shoes. Our goal should be to win souls, disciple believers, and put His will above ours. Then your feet are protected, because where you go will be limited by what places bring Him glory.
4) The shield of faith, with which you will quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one-This one should get better the longer you know Jesus, although you may be weak in this area at times. When you trust God (and don't worry, but give your concerns, worries, and fears to Him), it's harder for Satan to hit you. The shield will deflect a lot of what you're dealing with. But affirming your trust in God, submitting to Him, and recalling the past times God has been faithful, the truth about His goodness in His Word, will help.
This is one of the first targets of Satan. If he can get your shield, he can strike at your head or your heart, deadly blows.
5) The helmet of salvation-The belief that you are saved, backed up by God's Word. "If you believe in your heart that God raised Jesus from the dead, and confess with your lips that He is Lord, you will be saved,"
This piece of armor never really comes off, but Satan can still appear to do it damage. If he can get you to believe you're not saved, even if you are, you are not going to be effective in the fight. Your feelings can lie to you, your past can haunt you, but Jesus saves us. We don't earn it, we never deserve it, but neither can we lose it. This one should get better with time, but it will take internalizing God's Word in the bible, particularly of our identity in Christ.
6) The Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God-
This is why it's important to not only read the Word, but memorize it, more than just John 3:16. You should continually be sharpening this weapon, but knowing more of God's Word. Some of us are good at this, and some are not. But you defeat lies with the Truth. God's Word is Truth. God sanctifies us by His Truth. This one takes a lifetime to get good, but you never really master it. That's why you read the bible, daily, for life, and you "hide it in your heart"
All the armor works together. You need every piece. Your armor is weaker or stonger depending on your walk with God, your fellowship with Christ, and your willingness to be filled with God's Spirit. Your submission to Christ's Lordship, and your casting down every idol, delusion, and lie. You can find the full armor of God quoted in Ephesians. Recite the words of putting on the armor. Every morning would be great, but the moment you sense an attack, you put it on immediately. That coffee shop you were sitting in? That church pew (yes church pews)? That night alone in the house? You're in a battle in a spiritual realm with an enemy or enemies you can't see. Fight back! Victory through God's Spirit will come. And ultimately, Christ will return to reign!
Hope that helps. If God is your Father and Christ your Lord? Your soul is saved. But you may experience defeat, setbacks, complications. But remember, God wins. Jesus wins. God’s Spirit wins. And because of them? We win.