Overcoming the Enemy

We conclude our series through Praying God’s Word with this week’s post, and my heart is overwhelmed by the goodness of God to hold our hands and walk us through His Word these past three months as you and I together have practiced the discipline of praying God’s Word. What a gift it has been for me to revisit these truths with you! I hope you have loved it just as much as I have, but more importantly, I pray and trust that you have experienced freedom!

Because all strongholds are directly linked back to the Enemy, I find no better way to wrap up this series than to address our adversary himself. Many Christ followers know that we are engaged in a spiritual battle that is waging constantly around us in the unseen, but I would also say that many Christ followers aren’t using the power that has been given to them to overcome and defeat our very real enemy. There are just too many believers living in unbelievable defeat.

I want us to take a look at Ephesians 6:10-18, the well-known passage that introduces us to the Armor of God. For years, that’s what I thought this passage was about and nothing more, and even then, I didn’t fully understand the importance of this armor and the power that we have been given as followers of Jesus through this armor.

The Apostle Paul begins this famous passage with a strong command: Be strong in the Lord and in His strength. How often do we instead try to be strong in ourselves and in our own strength? His instructions continue with the call to put on the full armor of God so that we can stand firm against the Enemy. The armor’s purpose is both for our defense as well as our opposition against the Enemy. And then there’s verse 12, perhaps my favorite in the entire passage.

“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” Ephesians 6:12 NIV

After studying the book of Ephesians for a few years and then proceeding to write a verse-by-verse Bible study on it, you can imagine that I learned a lot and that I have innumerable “Aha moments” from this remarkable book of Scripture. However, this one verse probably changed my life more than all of the rest. Why? Because it tells us who our real enemy really is. My enemy, your enemy is not the person who hurt you or betrayed you. The Enemy is your enemy. Your enemy is not your mom or your dad or your sibling. The Enemy is your enemy. Your enemy is not the person who abused you, rejected you, or abandoned you. The Enemy is your enemy, and it’s time for followers of Jesus Christ to start fighting the right fight.

Through the list of the Armor of God, we are given five pieces of armor that are defensive in nature, pieces intended to defend and protect us: the belt of Truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shoes of peace, the shield of faith, and the helmet of salvation. The list concludes with two more pieces, two offensive pieces that we have been given to fight with: the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, and prayer (verses 17-18). Did you know that the Word of God is a weapon? Did you know that prayer is a weapon?

Unfortunately, too many Christians have used the sword of the Spirit as a weapon against other people, but that was not its intended purpose. The sword of the Spirit has the power to slay and completely destroy our very real Enemy. Are we using it against Him? Are we speaking God’s Word over our circumstances and claiming the victory that Jesus Christ died to give us? It is time, believer, to stand firm in Truth and to start fighting the right fight against the Enemy of our souls.

Below are a few Scripture prayers taken from Beth Moore’s Praying God’s Word from the chapter Overcoming the Enemy. Freedom from every single spiritual stronghold, including freedom from the Enemy himself, is yours for the taking. Claim it in faith today.

Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but I trust in the name of You, the Lord my God. My enemy will be brought to his knees and ultimately fall, but I will rise up and stand firm. (Psalm 20:7-8)

Though my enemy plots evil against me and devises wicked schemes, he will not succeed if I am walking with You, O God. You will make him turn his back when You aim at him with drawn bow. Be exalted, O Lord, in Your strength! I will sing and praise Your might! (Psalm 21:11-13

Father, I pray that You will cause no weapon forged against me to prevail. Enable me to refute the tongue of my accuser. Thank You for giving this as a heritage to Your servants, O Lord. (Isaiah 54:17)

Victorious God, I celebrate the fact that You, the God of peace, will soon crush Satan under Your feet, and until then the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ is with us. (Romans 16:20)