There are going to be times in our journeys that it seems like we are in the midst of a great physical battle. The real war is against the powers of spiritual darkness. The enemy’s goal has not changed since the fall of man. Satan knows the His destiny, but he is not going to go down without a fight. He is never going to give up taking as many people to hell with him as he can.
Stop and imagine that for a moment. Satan knows his destiny. He hates God so much that he is working as hard as he can to steal as many human lives as he can.
“The devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet are, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.”
Revelation 20:10 CSB
I almost pity him. He is going to spend an eternity in torment and he knows it, but he does not give up. This is the source of all hate, cruelty, malice, abuse, and sin in our world.
The only way he can do damage to the kingdom of God is by enticing God’s beloved children to yield to sin. That sin damages our fellowship with the Lord.
The enemy seeks to discourage you by filling your mind with an array of doubt and confusion. Satan is the source of doubt. If you start questioning God, know it comes from evil. If you become confused (we are not talking about academic confusion), that confusion comes from evil. He works through other people to get you to doubt who you are, who God says you are, and who God is. He works through others to cause you confusion about the truth. Most often he steps close to truth but twists it to his agenda. We need to have ears, eyes, and a heart tuned to the Holy Spirit to give us discernment about doubt and confusion.
Friends, you DO NOT have to listen to him! You are not forced to believe him! The message of the gospel of Christ is given to you as a sure authority. God’s Word provides all the details you need to know about Satan!
Paul laid the battle plan out for us in Ephesians 6:
“Put on the full armor of God so that you can stand against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this darkness, against evil, spiritual forces in the heavens. For this reason take up the full armor of God, so that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having prepared everything, to take your stand. Stand, therefore, with truth like a belt around your waist, righteousness like armor on your chest, and your feet sandaled with readiness for the gospel of peace. In every situation take up the shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit — which is the word of God. Pray at all times in the Spirit with every prayer and request, and stay alert with all perseverance and intercession for all the saints.”
Ephesians 6:11-18 CSB
Identify who the enemy is 6:11-12
Put on all of the Armor of God and STAND 6:13-17
Finally, we must appropriate the strength of the living God. This is key to withstanding the enemy’s onslaught. How do we get His power into our lives to be unleashed in any circumstance?
Prayer 6:18
Each morning we need it be a habit to put on the full armor of God. This is a conscience act of submitting your life to the Lord as your final authority. It is making Christ the lordship over your life. If is allowing the Holy Spirit free and complete control over you. We must acknowledge our need for Him is not a sig;of weakness rather a sign of unshakable trust. When we put our faith is Jesus, all of heaven is on our side.
No matter what the circumstances or whatever transpires in our lives, the wisest decision we make is to take this ware to the floor. We need to spend time in prayer with the Lord. This needs to be a consistent part of our daily lives. This teaches us the movement of the enemy and prepares us for the enemy when he approaches. Paul told the Ephesians they were at war, but clothed in the armor of God was the assurance to victory.
If we want God’s victory we need to daily put our armor on, stand, and spend time in prayer.
Principle 1: Living God’s Way
Principle 2: Surrender: The Starting Point
Principle 3: Grace: Why we need it
Principle 4: Connection with God: The most effective way to live
Principle 5: Trust: Faith in Action
Principle 6: Obedience: It always brings a blessing
Principle 7: God’s Will: It’s worth the wait
Principle 8: Adversity: He refines us by fire
Principle 9: Prayer: It’s War on the floor
Principle 10: The Bible: Our sourcebook for life
It Starts Small 
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