Since my recent post, How to Stand Firm During Spiritual Attacks, had such a great response, I thought I would follow up with more tips on how to engage in spiritual warfare. I found five gems of truth in my recent One Year Bible reading, and I’m sharing them with you today.
5 Ways to Engage in Spiritual Warfare
Be on guard. Stand firm in the Lord. Be courageous. Be strong. And do everything with love.
1 Corinthians 16:13-14 NLT
Let’s unpack each one of these great tips for engaging in spiritual warfare.
Be on guard.
The enemy prowls around like a lion, waiting to devour us at the first sign of weakness (1 Peter 5:8). He also disguises himself as an angel of light, pretending to be good when he is wicked (2 Corinthians 11:14).
We must constantly guard ourselves with the truth of God’s Word. It will help us determine what is false and misleading. Memorizing and meditating on God’s Word every day will help us defeat our enemy on our mind’s battlefield, where so many of our struggles begin.
Stand firm in the Lord.
We cannot rely on our own strength when facing spiritual battles. We are only made of flesh, and the enemy is privy to our weaknesses. Just as he tempted Eve in the Garden of Eden, so he will tempt us by twisting the truth and telling us lies.
When we stand firm in the Lord, we our building our spiritual strength on rock instead of sand (Matthew 7:24-27). The fierce firestorms of spiritual warfare will not destroy us, because our foundation of faith will stand firm.
Be courageous.
As the mighty warrior Joshua prepared to lead God’s people into the Promised Land, God said over and over, “Be strong and courageous” (Joshua 1:6). Why? Because God knew Joshua’s heart and the hearts of all the people. God knew the Israelites would be tempted to worship other gods again once they settled. They were tempted to cling to what they knew—wandering in the desert—more than embrace what they were made for.
Big transitions can be times of big temptation. This is no different for us now. The enemy wanted to thwart God’s master plan for his people, just like he wants to thwart God’s master plan for you. When opportunities for growth, change and forward movement happen, expect the enemy to attack. But as you take courage, trusting God to strengthen you, you can face those battles with firm faith.
Be strong.
God will provide all the strength you need to face your battles. He equips you with truth, righteousness, peace, faith, salvation, and the power of the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 6:14-18). When you meditate on scriptures about these virtues, you will feel stronger and more prepared to face your battles.
Another comforting thought: God will always provide an escape route for your temptations (1 Corinthians 10:13). As you rely closely on the Holy Spirit, your spirit will be attuned to the way out, so you can stand strong.
Do everything with love.
Does this surprise you? You probably expect terms like “be on guard,” “be strong,” “be courageous,” and “stand firm” when you think about facing battles. But this virtue sets us apart from the world as we handle spiritual warfare.
The world lashes out, takes revenge, and holds grudges. But if we really want to fight back the way Jesus did, we will stay calm, think before we speak, confront wisely, turn the other cheek, pray for our enemies and do good to them, and even forgive them when they are actively hurting us. I simply thought over Gospel lessons when compiling that list.
Jesus always showed love, no matter how people treated him. No matter how much pain and rejection he faced, he always gave the most loving response, perfectly speaking the truth in love. His words and actions heaped burning coals on his enemies’ heads (Proverbs 25:22), and he wants our words and actions to do the same.
How do these scriptures inspire you to engage differently in spiritual warfare?
How to Engage in Spiritual Warfare: 5 truths from 1 Corinthians 16:13-14 NLT. #spiritualwarfare Click To Tweet
If you liked this post, I would appreciate your shares on social media!
This post may be linked up at these linkups.
If you make a purchase through the provided links, I receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you in advance for supporting my writing ministry!
My weekly newsletter Tea on Tuesdays is delivered at 3:00 p.m. Central time every Tuesday. I write an exclusive devotion for you each week that I share with you first.
To receive the newsletter, please subscribe below. I can’t wait to share personally with you each week!