Will the real enemy please stand up!
Today’s Truth
For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ (2 Corinthians 10:3-5).
Friend to Friend
Have you ever had one of those days when you thought…What is going on? I just don’t understand what’s happening? Have you ever had one of those weeks when you felt that there was some invisible force working against you? Well, sometimes there is. The Bible tells us that there is a spiritual realm that we cannot see and there are angels working on your behalf!
Perhaps one of the clearest examples of this spiritual battle is recorded in 2 Kings Chapter six. The King of Aram was furious with the prophet Elijah because he continued to reveal his battle plans to the King of Israel. During the night, the King sent horses and chariots and a strong force to surround the city where Elijah was stationed. When the sun peeked over the horizon, Elijah’s servant pulled back the curtain and stood in horror at their certain doom.
“Oh, my lord, what shall we do?” The servant asked.
“Don’t be afraid,” the Elisha calmly replied. “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them”
Elisha prayed, “O LORD, open his eyes so he may see.” Then the LORD opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.”
Elisha knew that God’s warring angels were there to protect them, defend them, and fight the battle for them. While most likely we will never have the privilege of having the curtain that separates the seen from the unseen parted as Elisha’s servant did, we can be sure that God has his angels in place to minister to us in mighty ways (Hebrews 1:14). There is a battle raging for our marriages, for our husbands, for our children, for our joy, and for our peace. But just as Elisha encouraged his servant, “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” We have the LORD on our side!
In Ephesians 6:13-17, Paul describes the armor God provides for each of us to fight those spiritual battles. The helmet of salvation protects our head, the breastplate of righteousness protects our hearts and vital organs, the peace of God protects our feet, the belt of God’s truth holds it all together, and the shield of faith (holding up what we know to be true) blocks the fiery darts of the devil. All the pieces of the armor are for defense except for one – the sword of the spirit, which is the Word of God. With the truth of God’s Word, we fight the lies of the enemy (which is his most effective weapon).
When Jesus was tempted by Satan in the desert after fasting for 40 days, He had only one weapon of defense and it the same weapon that is available to you and me. He used Scripture to fight the enemy. “It is written, it is written, it is written,” Jesus said. Satan couldn’t stand up under that kind of attack, so he fled. “Resist the devil and he will flee from you,” James tells us (James 4:7). Satan can’t stand the Word of God and he can’t stand up to the Word of God.
Evil is something to be aware of, but girlfriend, it is nothing to be afraid of. Greater is the One that is in you than the One that is in the world. Just pull out that sword and stand your ground.
Let’s pray
Dear Lord, thank You for not leaving us defenseless. Help us to recognize the true enemy in our lives and fight with the mighty weapon of the Truth that You have given each one of us. I thank You for the power that lives within me…the power of the Holy Spirit. I thank You for the power that rules around me…the power of God. I thank you for the power that prays for me continually…the power of Jesus. I thank you that “those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”
In Jesus’ powerful Name,
Amen
Now It’s Your Turn
Read the story of Elisha and his servant in 2 Kings 6 from your own Bible.
What amazes you about this story?
Does Elisha seem worried at all?
Why or why not?
As you go through your day, remember Elisha’s confidence and apply it to your own life!
More from the Girlfriends
Today’s devotion was adapted from Becoming the Woman of His Dreams: Seven Qualities Every Man Longs For by Sharon Jaynes. When facing marriage struggles, sometimes we simply need to remember who the real enemy is. It’s not our husbands. It is Satan who wants to destroy our marriages. To learn more about how to protect your marriage through prayer, click on the link to
Girlfriends In God
P.O. Box 725
Matthews, NC 28106
Originally published Friday, 23 February 2007.
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