Your Battles Belong to the Lord

by Joyce Meyer

  When we are hurting or frightened, we are tempted to say many negative things and vent our feelings through words, but these are times when we need to be most careful. Jesus was always careful with His words, and even in His time of greatest agony He did not speak negatively. This may be one of our biggest challenges in life, but we should work toward it and regularly see improvement in this area. It requires discipline, self-control, and lots of help from the Holy Spirit. I urge you to pray daily about the words of your mouth. It is part of my regular prayers, and a Scripture I like to pray is Psalm 19:14: “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer” (ESV).

  Our actions also release our faith. Genuine faith always obeys God. As the apostle James said, faith without works is dead, devoid of power (see James 2:17). Faith can be seen or released only as we take action based on what we say we believe. I can pray for a job if I need one, but I also have to look for a job. I can pray for an increase in finances, but I also need to be faithful in giving to God’s work and helping people in need.

  The Helmet of Salvation

  We are told to put on the helmet of salvation. I believe this means to think like people who know they have been born again, who know they are God’s children, and who know who they are in Christ. When we are going through trials and difficulties, our temptation is to dwell on many negative thoughts. The devil uses these times to fill our minds with thoughts that make the situation worse instead of better if we take them as our own and meditate on them. Be watchful about your thoughts at all times, but especially in hard times.

  I suggest that you not merely resist negative thinking, but take the extra step and purposely think thoughts that will help you in your battle. For example, you can think thoughts such as, This thing I am going through will end well, or, God will work this out for my good, or, Today I am going to have a breakthrough—I am expecting something good to happen today. If we are going to think anything, it may as well be something helpful. Think hopeful, happy thoughts.

  The Word of God

  Paul’s instruction is to take the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. We are to remind the devil of what God says about our situation. When the devil tempted Jesus for forty days and nights in the wilderness, each time the devil told Him a lie, Jesus responded, “It is written…,” and He quoted a Scripture that refuted the lie (see Matt. 4:1–11). We should do likewise. God said, “Let him who has my word speak my word faithfully” (Jer. 23:28 ESV).

  God’s Word is referred to as the sword of the Spirit. As we speak the Word, it is like we are wielding a sword, using it to protect ourselves and attack our enemy, the devil. Satan hates to be reminded of God’s promises.

  Prayer

  Paul’s last instruction regarding the armor of God is to cover everything with prayer. He says we are to pray “at all times [on every occasion and in every season],” and to that end we are to be watchful and keep alert (see Eph. 6:18). Remember, prayer is one of the most powerful privileges we have been given. At any moment you and I can call for God’s help and be assured that He will answer.

  We should pray for other people who are in need or fighting battles. They need the strength our prayers give them, just as we need the strength of the prayers of our friends and family. Intercession, or standing in the gap for someone, is one of the greatest ministries God gives all of us. We are all called to intercede on behalf of those in need. Paul understood this and regularly asked the churches to pray for him.

  Start your day with prayer and continue throughout the day. Talk to God all the time about everything.

  The armor of God is spiritual, yet it is very practical. Each morning we can remind ourselves of these seven pieces of armor and make sure we have each of them in place. We can ask ourselves:

  • Am I believing and walking in the truth?

  • Do I see myself as the righteousness of God in Christ?

  • Am I walking in peace?

  • Am I living by faith by praying, saying, and doing God’s Word in all areas of my life?

  • Am I thinking like a child of God?

  • Am I regularly studying and speaking God’s Word?

  • Have I developed the habit of praying my way through the day?

  It is easy to get so caught up in the battle that we worry instead of praying and begin to think negative thoughts instead of the ones God wants us to think. It is also easy to speak negatively out of our emotions or to start feeling guilty, thinking our problems are coming from some sin we have committed. We may have opened a door for the enemy through sin, but we can close it just as quickly as we opened it by repenting of sin. God is not the author of our problems—the devil is, and we should always remember that.

  You would never go out of your house without your clothes on (at least I hope you wouldn’t), and neither should we go out undressed spiritually. I spend a great deal of time each morning getting dressed in something that looks good on me and fixing my hair and makeup, and many of you do, too. Perhaps if we spent equal time getting dressed spiritually, we would have less trouble with the devil because he wouldn’t be able to get to us.

  The armor of God is a package of wonderful gifts God has supplied and all we need to do is put them on. God has not left us defenseless in this world to battle on our own with no help. The Holy Spirit is our Helper, and He never leaves us or forsakes us. He will show us what to do in each situation if we will listen and stand in faith while we’re waiting for our breakthrough; but we don’t always get immediate deliverance. As Paul said, “Put on the complete armor of God, so that you will be able to [successfully] resist and stand your ground in the evil day [of danger], and having done everything [that the crisis demands], to stand firm [in your place, fully prepared, immovable, victorious]” (Eph. 6:13). While you are standing firm, be sure not to take off your armor.

  No one but God knows the exact time of your deliverance, but it will come at just the right moment. In the meanwhile, you are gaining experience that will make you stronger for the future. Isaiah wrote that we should not fear, because God will use our difficulties to turn us into new, sharp threshing machines, and we will crush the mountains and make them as chaff (see Isa. 41:15). I don’t know about you, but I like the sound of that.

  Going through difficulty is not much fun, but keeping our eyes on the prize gives us strength to endure. Knowing that we have the victory and living in God’s peace are blessings that God wants us to enjoy. Not only can we know that we are more than conquerors while the battle still rages, but the devil knows it, too.

  The Lion

  A story I found from an unknown author makes an important point about spiritual warfare:

  Two explorers were on a jungle safari when suddenly a ferocious lion jumped in front of them. “Keep calm,” the first explorer whispered. “Remember what we read in that book on wild animals? If you stand perfectly still and look the lion in the eye, he will turn and run.”

  “Sure,” replied his companion. “You’ve read the book, and I’ve read the book. But has the lion read the book?”

  Yes, the devil who comes as a lion roaring in fierce hunger seeking someone to seize and devour has read the book. He knows the Word of God well, but if we don’t know it, his schemes and deceits will defeat us. Reading and studying the Book (the Bible) is one of the best investments of time we can ever make.

  CHAPTER 11

  Strength for the Battle

  Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.

  Ephesians 6:10 ESV

  The previous chapter dealt with Ephesians 6:11–18 and the spiritual armor God has provided and instructed us to put on in order to be properly dressed for battle. But if we don’t understand the significance of Ephesians 6:10, the verse just before that passage, we will discover that no matter what we put on or try to use to fight our battles with, nothing will work!

  I love the Amplified Bible version of this verse:


  In conclusion, be strong in the Lord [draw your strength from Him and be empowered through your union with Him] and in the power of His [boundless] might.

  Our strength is in Christ. He is in us and we are in Him. We draw our strength from Him as we live in close, intimate relationship with Him. The word union, which is used in the Amplified Bible, means “oneness.” We become one with Christ through our faith in and fellowship with Him. The apostle John writes about the importance of “abiding” in Christ, and that means “living, dwelling, and remaining” with Him (see John 15:5–11). In other words, God’s strength doesn’t merely come to those who go to church and believe that God exists and that Jesus is His Son, Who died for our sins. God’s strength comes to those who are doing life with Him, in Him, and through Him. They know they can do nothing without Him, and they don’t waste their time trying to. Paul said, “In Him we live and move and exist [that is, in Him we actually have our being]” (Acts 17:28). That doesn’t sound like a casual relationship, but a very committed and serious one.

  I was a Christian for a long, long time before I became a serious, fully committed Christian. As I look back I now realize that the devil was successful in controlling me and my behavior because I had no biblical understanding of him as my real enemy, and I certainly didn’t know that divine power was available to me. I believed God was powerful, but I was never taught His power could be mine if I only knew how to receive it.

  Ephesians 6:10 deserves an entire chapter dedicated to it in this book because it is the prelude for winning our battles with the enemy. Not one of us, no matter how religious we may be, has the strength to defeat the devil. He is not afraid of us unless we know who we are in Christ. The phrase “in Christ” is seen often in the New Testament, and the apostle Paul uses it frequently in Romans and in the Epistles.

  To be “in Christ” means that we believe in Him, but it also means that we do everything in our life with and for Him. Our strength comes from that kind of relationship. We should not try to live life on our own and then—when we think we have a really big problem—call on God to strengthen us. We need to realize that we can do nothing without Him (see John 15:5). We need Him and we need His strength every moment of every day. We need Him surrounding us with His mighty presence at all times.

  God has made supernatural power available to us. The word strong is taken from a compound of two Greek words, en and dunamis, making endunamoo. We get our English word dynamite from the word dunamis, because it means “explosive strength, ability, or power.” The two words put together convey the idea of being infused or filled with this amazing power. Not only do we have this power, but we have the authority to use it. Paul is clearly reminding the people that in Christ, they have the power to successfully stand against the principalities and powers that are against them.

  If we want to overcome the devil’s attacks against us, we must have this power. It is not optional; it is imperative. We ask for it, receive it by faith, rely on it, and refuse to attempt anything without it. We may not feel powerful all the time, but God’s power is something we receive through faith, not through feeling. We will see the result of God’s power in our lives if we consistently rely on it. We are strong only in the Lord!

  Paul wrote to the Philippians that he could do all things through Christ, Who was his strength (see Phil. 4:13). He always made clear that our strength, our power, our ability, and our might come from Christ. We are weak, but He is strong! Paul made that easy to see in 2 Corinthians 12:7–10, when he wrote that God’s strength is perfected and “shows itself most effectively” in our weakness. It is only because we are weak that God offers us His strength. If we will humbly remember that without Him we are nothing and can do nothing, but that in Christ we are made strong and can do all things, then we will live effective lives in which the devil’s strategies and deceits are not successful against us. He will never give up trying, but as we remain vigilant and watchful, he will not succeed. Remember that in the midst of many difficulties, we are more than conquerors through Christ Who loves us (see Rom. 8:37).

  The Greater One Lives in Us

  The apostle John writes about the Antichrist (the devil), and all those who do not confess Jesus. He says that we have already overcome them because He Who is in us is greater than he who is in the world, meaning the devil (see 1 John 4:4).

  Satan has power; he is intelligent, cunning, crafty, deceptive, determined, and capable. He takes advantage of every opportunity given to him. Our own power and intelligence doesn’t come close to matching his, but Christ’s power is much greater than his and His Spirit lives in us. The One who is in us is greater than the devil. The One who is for us is greater than the one who is against us.

  Satan’s power is no match for the power of the Holy Spirit. God never asks us to do anything without giving us the power to do it. He has commanded us to resist and stand firmly against the devil and his demonic forces, and we have what it takes to do it as long as we remember that God is our strength.

  Paul teaches us that we are strong in the power of His (Christ’s) might. The word translated power is an important word. It is from the Greek word kratos, which is the same word used to describe God raising Jesus from the dead. We have that same power in us! We are told that if the Spirit of Him who raised Christ from the dead dwells in us, it will quicken or give life to our mortal bodies (see Rom. 8:11). The life it gives us is not only the ability to walk around and breathe, but to be powerful and live as more than conquerors.

  Stop for a moment and just take in this truth: The same power that raised Christ from the dead dwells in you!

  Just think of the tomb where Jesus’ dead body lay. Consider how dark and cold it must have been. Roman soldiers stood outside guarding it. But on resurrection morning, the mighty, unmatchable, unimaginable, immeasurable power of God came into that dark tomb and filled it with light. God’s life flowed into the body that lay there, the tomb blasted open, and the soldiers crumpled to the ground. They lay paralyzed by this mighty power, totally unable to move until Jesus’ resurrection was complete.

  Now think about it again: This same power dwells in you and me as believers in Christ! It is a power that defeats Satan, changes circumstances, heals sick bodies, and enables us to stand strong through the storms of life. It enables us to do anything we need to do, and it is available to us in unlimited supply.

  Be Strength-Minded

  No matter what is ours in Christ, if we don’t believe it is ours, it does us no practical good. As we have already established, our thoughts are very important. They prepare us for action. I have known many weak-minded people in my life and at times my life has been adversely affected by some of those people. They believed they could not do things and therefore they did not try. My mother did not believe she could face the scandal of having people know my father was sexually abusing me, so she stayed with him and hid from the truth. Her weakness hurt my brother and me, and it destroyed her chance to have a good life herself. By not confronting my father, she enabled him to keep hurting people.

  Sadly, the world is filled with people who are weakness-minded. Most are unbelievers, but many are believers who do not yet know who they are in Christ and Who He is in them.

  We should be strength-minded. Remind yourself every day, and several times a day if needed, that you are strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. That the greater one is alive in you, and His strength is made perfect in your weakness. Say out loud several times a day, “I am strong in the Lord.”

  I love the Amplified Bible Classic Edition version of Philippians 4:13, which says we are “ready for anything and equal to anything” through Christ. Let your thinking be I can do whatever I need to do in life through Christ. Paul tells us that we are more than conquerors through Him Who loves us and that nothing can separate us from that love (see Rom. 8:37–39). I believe that being more than a conqueror means you know you have victory before the battle ever begins. This means that you believe and fill your m
ind with thoughts of strength, power, ability, and might. It is full of “can do” thinking, not “can’t do” thinking.

  If you will form a habit of being strength-minded, it will prepare you for whatever comes your way in life. Not every storm is in the forecast, and we need to live ready for each one—not simply try to get ready when we are already in the heat of battle.

  In addition to the Scripture verses I have already mentioned, here are a few others you should learn and meditate on regularly to help you become strength-minded. As you fill your mind with these, instead of seeing yourself as weak, incapable, unable, and unsure, you will see yourself as strong in Christ and able to do what needs to be done. This new thinking will add enthusiasm to your life, and you will feel on top of things rather than under all of the trials and anxieties of the world.

  • “He gives strength to the weary, and to him who has no might He increases power” (Isa. 40:29).

  • “But those who wait for the LORD [who expect, look for, and hope in Him] will gain new strength and renew their power; they will lift up their wings [and rise up close to God] like eagles [rising toward the sun]; they will run and not become weary, they will walk and not grow tired” (Isa. 40:31).

  • “Do not fear [anything], for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, be assured I will help you” (Isa. 41:10).

  • “But the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen you [setting you on a firm foundation] and will protect and guard you from the evil one” (2 Thess. 3:3).