When midnight prompted 2023 to begin this year, I didn’t anticipate big changes. I just wanted to get some sleep before an early morning at church.
It was supposed to be a happy new year.
I originally was going to share about how I woke up, exhausted and running on a few hours of sleep, and wound up having a great day. I felt God’s presence as I watched the vibrant sunrise on my drive to church. I saw Him work when He placed a specific person in my path. I felt His peace as I sat in the church lobby, quietly pondering the sermon. I finally feel healed and free from all the past hurts and drama. Praise God!
All it took was a text message from a “friend” to stir up unwanted and unnecessary issues. That message became a lengthy phone call, and before I knew it, my mind reverted to unhealthy mindsets. Every word they spoke carried a heavy weight to it. Do I let their drama, one-sided perspective, and lies become my reality? I became passive to people-pleasing, subconsciously allowing the exact situation I walked away from recently to find its way back to me. “This can’t be happening,” I thought to myself. “Not after God delivered me from it.”
I prayed about how to move forward graciously. I asked God to help me maintain the boundaries I needed. And, maybe most importantly, I asked God to help me combat this spiritual attack.
Our reality consists of the natural and the supernatural together. In my situation, it was the lies in the natural realm that revealed the supernatural battle. The enemy’s strategy was an attempt to make me feel defeated, fall into deception, and walk away from God. Just when things finally felt healthy in my life, he used someone I thought I could trust to reinforce false narratives like “people I have trusted aren’t safe,” “I’m not good enough,” and “life can never be drama-free.”
The enemy’s schemes are nothing new. While your situation may be different, pay attention: is there opposition coming up against something God delivered you from? Is there an unusual temptation to turn back to old ways or pick up new, sinful habits? Oftentimes, once you’ve been freed from something, the enemy tries to pull you back in, question your progress, and contemplate your beliefs. It’s in these moments, when we might be tempted to pull away from God, when really, it’s Him who we need the most.
Spiritual warfare is real and we must be ready for combat at any minute. Ephesians 6:10-12 says:
“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.”
In this world, we are expected to pursue false religions and prideful positions. Our culture tells us that we must gain enough attention and we have to make a name for ourselves to have value. That’s the only way to succeed in this world. But instead, what if the winning battle plan was one of humility and dependence, not arrogance? We can choose to believe what the world promotes or we can proclaim the truths of the Gospel. God is for us and He is with us (Isaiah 41:10). He is protecting us (2 Thessalonians 3:3). He makes all things work together for good (Romans 8:28). What the enemy means for evil, God uses for good (Genesis 50:20). When we submit to God, He protects us, does the hard work, and gives us the victory (1 Corinthians 15:57).
Our enemies are the spiritual forces of evil. They seek to steal, kill, and destroy from us. We have hope in Jesus, who promises us abundant life and fights our battles for us. He won’t abandon you in your struggles (see John 10:10).
In the thick of it, I anticipated how God would work in this situation. Reality shocked my system. I knew God would come through, yet I anxiously prayed for when and how He would do it. I so badly wanted to control what I could, but searching for answers and striving would have kept me running in circles.
Ephesians 6:13-20 tells us how to prepare for spiritual warfare. Rather than picking up a sword and shield, we must hold firmly to the spiritual equivalents while continuing in prayer:
- The belt of truth
- The breastplate of righteousness
- The shoes of readiness (given by the gospel of peace)
- The shield of faith
- The helmet of salvation
- The sword of the Spirit (which is the Word of God)
When I put on the armor of God, everything shifted. My circumstances didn’t change, but I allowed this opportunity to change me. I stopped caring about the world and its cheap drama. When my mind wanted to panic, I chose to pray and praise. I stopped trying to make everything work in a way I saw fit. I gave up people-pleasing and set better boundaries with unhealthy relationships. I rested peacefully, knowing that God was – and is – protecting me in every possible way. I submitted to Him, followed His leading, and walked out in victory.
When we question how the Lord will come through, or if we will indeed win the war, we must turn to Scripture. We do know how the story ends, even if it doesn’t unfold as we would have planned or expected.
“No weapon that is fashioned against you shall succeed, and you shall refute every tongue that rises against you in judgment. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord and their vindication from me, declares the Lord.” - Isaiah 54:17
That situation could have made for an awful start of the new year. It could have ruined the way I perceived the last several months, too. By putting on the armor of God, I wasn’t swayed by unstable circumstances. I stood strong because my Savior, my Source, fought the battle for me. This may not be the end of the battle, but I don’t need to worry about what’s next. I’m well-equipped for war, not by my efforts or armor, but God’s. And He always has the victory.
When we come up against opposition and spiritual warfare, friend, we don’t have to muster up the strength to fight. We don’t have to pretend we have it all together. We just need to bring it all to God. He will fight our battles and He will have the victory…every single time.
Resources for further reading:
“How to Pray through Spiritual Warfare” by Ross McCall (cru.org)
“Understanding Spiritual Warfare and the Importance of Prayer” by Matt Erickson (lifeway.com)
Consider the Joy 
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