I constantly battled with the lies of the enemy. Telling me that we would never make it. Telling me that I was wasting my time, and that I was stupid to believe that it would work out. And I believed him. I believed the lie that my marriage would never be anything besides what it had been. Now, I have to admit that I am naturally a glass half empty kind of person. I tend to find reasons why things can’t work. I tend to look for the catch in things that seem too good to be true, so the negative feelings that I had towards my marriage almost went unnoticed. Those feelings fit right along with the mindset that I’ve had my entire life. If we’re being honest, we’ve all dealt with some type of negative thought pattern at some point in our lives. Whether we've had thoughts that we won’t be able to reach our goals, thoughts that we’ll never be good enough, or even thoughts that we are unwanted and that we’ll always be alone, they all stem from old wounds, or situations where we’ve been hurt in the past. Yes, those events did happen, and yes, the pain is real, but those circumstances don’t define who we are, nor do they depict the future of our lives.
But, this is what the enemy wants us to believe. This is the tactic that he uses against us. First, he reminds us of our past hurts and fears…the things that we don’t even realize we’re still dealing with. And then, he tells us that we have no chance of getting free from the pain of those circumstances. He continually reminds us about what has happened, so that we might be paralyzed, and unable to even attempt to experience something new. How scary is that? The hold that the enemy can have on our minds, and more importantly, the affect that that hold can have on our future. Just think with me. What if I had continued to believe the enemy’s lies about the state of my marriage. Do you think that I would have had the will to fight for healing? Would I still be married? Where would my husband and children be? Where would I be? Certainly not here… writing to you. This is how strategic our enemy is. He doesn’t just want our purpose; he wants the purpose of those surrounding us. You must not forget that the enemy wants your future; he wants your purpose. Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. (1 Peter 5:8 NLT) The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life. (John 10:10 NLT) For you are the children of your father the devil, and you love to do the evil things he does. He was a murderer from the beginning. He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies. (John 8:44 NLT) Your enemy is always looking for an opportunity to speak his lies into your life. Why? Because he wants to steal, kill, a destroy God’s plans for you.
So, how do we prevent his tactics? How do we block him from influencing our thoughts, and affecting our lives? We must learn the truth from the word of God. Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:31-32 NLT) When we study the word of God, we expose ourselves to the truth of what God says about us. Conversely, when we decide not to study the word of God, we expose ourselves to the lies of the enemy. Why, because the truth of the word is what illuminates the lies. Without the truth, the lies get lost in our pain and insecurities, so it is easier for the enemy to disguise his suggestions as truth. But when we know the truth, when we meditate on His word, we are transformed by the renewing of our minds. We are set free. Once I realized the enemy’s tactics, I completely changed the way that I lived. I reasoned that he was coming for my purpose, and he was coming for that of my husband and my children. I realized that the enemy was actively working to thwart God’s plan for our lives. And that, is where I drew the line. I told the enemy that he would no longer have free reign to work his schemes in my family. And I told myself, that I would not just sit back and do nothing. I decided that I would fight back. How do we fight? In Matthew chapter 4, Jesus is led by the Holy Spirit to the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. During that time the devil came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become loaves of bread.” But Jesus told him, “No! The Scriptures say, ‘People do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ ” Then the devil took him to the holy city, Jerusalem, to the highest point of the Temple, and said, “If you are the Son of God, jump off! For the Scriptures say, ‘He will order his angels to protect you. And they will hold you up with their hands so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone.’ ” Jesus responded, “The Scriptures also say, ‘You must not test the Lord your God.’ ” Next the devil took him to the peak of a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. “I will give it all to you,” he said, “if you will kneel down and worship me.” “Get out of here, Satan,” Jesus told him. “For the Scriptures say, ‘You must worship the Lord your God and serve only him.’ ” Then the devil went away, and angels came and took care of Jesus. (Matthew 4:3-11 NLT) Don’t get fooled into thinking that you can beat the enemy without speaking the word of God. If Jesus used the word of God to refute the lies of the enemy, what makes us think that we don’t have to do the same. And remember, the enemy only has one purpose. He wasn’t just tempting Jesus out of fun; he wasn’t seeking to play a game of who knows the bible more. No, he was trying to prevent Jesus from fulfilling His purpose… saving humanity. But, Jesus knew the enemy’s schemes, and He was prepared to fight back. Jesus’ response wasn’t just to think good thoughts, and he didn’t stop at telling the devil to leave him alone. He fought back, by speaking the word of God. The word of God is the weapon that God gave us to fight the lies that the enemy speaks over us. In Ephesians, we learn about the armor of God, and how to use it to protect ourselves from the schemes of the devil. But, I want us to pay close attention to the last piece of armor, the sword of the spirit, as it is the only offensive piece of armor that we are provided with. Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. (Ephesians 6:13-17 NLT) Not only do we need to stand firm in the promises of God, but we need to fight back. We need to use the weapon that God gave us… His word. This, is the only weapon that works. Notice what happened when Jesus replied to Satan. After His third response, it says, Then the devil went away, and angels came and took care of Jesus. (Matthew 4:11 NLT). The enemy can not remain where the light of Jesus resides. This is why he tries with all his might, to prevent us from reading the word of God. And this is why he seeks to keep us from declaring it over our lives. Just like Jesus, we have to know who we are. We have to understand the authority that we have over the enemy. Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. (Matthew 28:18 NLT) Look, I have given you authority over all the power of the enemy, and you can walk among snakes and scorpions and crush them. Nothing will injure you. (Luke 10:19 NLT) We don’t have to play games with the enemy. We don’t have to allow him to wreck havoc in our lives. Jesus has given us all authority over the enemy. Remember, Satan has a plan concerning you. He desires to, by any means necessary, thwart the plan of God from manifesting in your life. Most importantly he hates unity. He hates marriage. Why? Because the covenant of marriage strengthens us against his schemes. A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken. (Ecclesiastes 4:12 NLT) God created marriage as a fortress to protect us. When He created Eve, it was because He knew that, “It is not good for the man to be alone…” (Genesis 2:18 NLT). This is why the enemy seeks to cause division. As a wife, the enemy wants you to believe that your husband is the problem. He wants you to believe that all your marital issues are being caused by the details of your situation. He wants you to focus so much on the issue at hand, that you don’t even have the capacity to see him at work. For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. (Ephesians 6:12 NLT) If we are to win the fight for healing in our marriage, we must use our weapon. So how do we apply this in our lives? We start by studying the word of God. In God’s word, we will find the truth about what God says about us. And, we will gain the faith to resist the lies of the enemy. So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. (Romans 10:17 KJV) But, we can't stop there. Remember, Jesus didn’t just think the devil away with good thoughts. He spoke the word of God out of his mouth. If we are to be victorious, we must follow His example. We must speak the word of God. Now, learning the word of God takes time. The amount of heart, mind, and life transformation is determine by the amount of time spent studying. When you meditate on the Word, God's thoughts become your thoughts. I am by no means immune to the enemy’s attacks, but I can say that he does not have a hold on my mind any longer. And when he attempts to come at me or my family, I have the word of God down in me, to rebuke him anytime, anywhere. But, don’t let this discourage you. Don’t let the enemy tell you that you can't be victorious because you know too little. You can still effectively and successfully, fight back right now. What are the areas that you or your husband need healing in? What negative thoughts do you struggle with? Thoughts of hopelessness, anxiety, and fear, are not from God. And the word of God always has something contrary to say. God loves you so much, that he provided a love letter that is relevant to every area of your life. Whatever it is that you are facing, search the word of God for the truth concerning that topic. Quite practically, get online and look it up. Our lack of knowledge is only another strategy that the enemy uses against us.
This is still something that I practice on a regular basis. If I am dealing with a tough situation, I look it up. If I’m dealing with fear, I look up scriptures about fear. But I don’t stop there. I speak that scripture out loud. I also keep a prayer journal, where I have listed my favorite scriptures, so that they are ready whenever I need them. But remember, your enemy is persistent. Jesus had to rebuke the enemy repeatedly. You will have to stand firm on the word of God. Don’t give up. Continue to resist your enemy. When faced with the word of God, he will flee. So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. (James 4:7 NLT) Ask yourself, what is the enemy trying to accomplish? Why does he continually seek to create division in your marriage? He doesn’t come after the children of God for no reason. He is trying to steal, kill, and destroy the plan that God has for your life, and your marriage. Will you just let him continue without putting up a fight? Or will you fight back? Prayer, Heavenly Father, I thank you for giving me the tools to fight back. Today, I make the decision that I will no longer allow the enemy to have free reign in my life, the lives of my family, or my marriage. Today, I am making the decision that I will fight back. I will use my weapon. Remind me that Jesus Christ has given me all authority over the enemy and anything that he throws my way. I declare that we already have the victory through the perfect sacrifice of Jesus Christ. I declare that You are our shield of protection, and that no weapon formed against us shall prosper. Nothing will prevent Your promises from manifesting in our lives. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
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