Be alert and of sober mind. Your Enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.
1 Peter 5:8
Being At the Ready in spiritual warfare means recognizing that the enemy is a persistent adversary who will try to rob us of what God has given us in Christ – our identity, our inheritance, and our calling in the Kingdom of God. However, we don’t need to be afraid – Jesus has given us power and authority over the enemy.
Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you.
Luke 10:19
Temptation and Warfare
One of the ways the enemy tries to deceive us is through our thoughts. When sin first entered the world through Adam’s disobedience, the first attack from the enemy used thoughts of shame that he was naked, and he hid himself from God in the bushes. God responded “Who told you that you’re naked?” Adam’s thoughts were not his own, they were coming from the enemy through sin working in his flesh.
The best weapon against deceitful thoughts is to read and know the Word of God. When the enemy tries to tempt you with lies, you recognize they are lies because you can test them against the truth of Scripture. Scripture gives us a foundation of truth which acts as a weapon against the enemy’s lies.
When you get a thought which is contrary to what God says, you can recognize that it’s coming from the enemy. This is how we take every thought we have captive so that we can choose to discard the enemy’s lies and walk in obedience to Christ instead (2 Corinthians 10:5).
Your Sword Against Tempting Spirits – “It Is Written”
Jesus used the Scriptures against Satan when he was trying to tempt Jesus. Satan tried to tempt Jesus to disobey the Father, and He responded:
“Be gone, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.’”
Matthew 4:10
Ephesians 6:17 calls the word of God a “Sword.” When we know the Scriptures we can wield truth as a sword against the enemy.
The Holy Spirit will reveal the word of God to you, not only what it says but what it means. The Holy Spirit’s job is to lead us into all truth in every situation in life, and Holy Spirit will always agree with the word of God. When you encounter a deception from the enemy, the Holy Spirit reminds you of truth so that you can apply it by faith in every situation. We don’t always get it perfect, but that is part of how we grow and walk by faith.
Being Active in Spiritual Warfare
Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
James 4:7
Notice the Scripture doesn’t say ignore the devil and he will flee, it says resist the devil. Resisting the enemy is active. It doesn’t matter whether you want to be in battle or not, the enemy is already in battle against the children of God, and will use any tricks and schemes he can come up with. God has equipped us for every battle, we just need to put on the armor and weapons we’ve been given.
Sometimes this is recognizing where the enemy is working, exposing his evil works, and commanding the enemy to leave.
Other times it may be repentance that needs to happen when you recognize you have been agreeing with the enemy in a certain area of sin. When you repent of it and plea the blood of Jesus you are declaring yourself free from the enemy’s grasp.
Spiritual warfare isn’t a one-time thing, it’s a lifestyle as we grow in Christ and are refined by God in our daily walk.
Authority in Spiritual Warfare
We also need to recognize that our ability to wage war derives from authority we’ve been given. Authority comes from God – from God the Father to the Son, and from the Son to us. When we engage in spiritual warfare it’s only because of the authority we’ve been given by Christ – we aren’t fighting battles from our own strength. Do you know the authority you have been given in Christ?
Behold I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you.
Luke 10:19
Spiritual Warfare Over Family
There is a God-ordained order in family life. As husbands, we have been given authority and headship over our household, and just as God has entrusted us to physically protect our family, we’re entrusted to spiritually protect our family as well. This can only happen when we come under the obedience of Christ. The God-ordained order of family functions best when the head of the household submits himself to Christ. When husbands and fathers submit to the spiritual protection of Christ, that protection covers his family. Husbands and fathers have a unique calling to be active in spiritual warfare in our own leadership roles in marriage and family. When we choose to submit to Christ, we are fighting spiritual warfare for our marriage and family.
When both husband and wife are joined together in spiritual warfare in the authority of Christ over their family, it’s a force to be reckoned with! There is something powerful about spiritual unity in a marriage.
But I want you to understand that the head of every man is Christ, the head of a wife is her husband, and the head of Christ is God.
1 Corinthians 11:3
Walk in Obedience, Your Identity, and Truth
- Your obedience to God is the enemy’s worst nightmare.
- Knowing your identity in Christ tears down the enemy’s plans.
- Declaring truth in your authority exposes the enemy and causes him to flee.
Because of Jesus, we have everything we need to battle against the schemes of the enemy where God has given us authority over our lives. You are equipped for every battle when you follow Christ.