Does your life feel like a constant battle? Mine has for so long that I get uncomfortable when there are seasons of peace. Crazy right! Over the years God has taught me how to prepare for spiritual warfare by being still when fear attacks.
The truth is, there is a real battle happening that we can not physically see. There is a Spiritual War happening whether you acknowledge it or not. Today we will see how to be ready to win the victory!
“Do not fear them, for the LORD your God is the one fighting for you.” (Deuteronomy 3:22 NASB)
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Why Prepare for Spiritual Battle?
The story around Deuteronomy 3:22 helps us see Spiritual Warfare as something real. As if this nation needed more proof that God was real and was really on their side of the battle… except that they did need more proof!
We already saw God do the impossible and part a sea while fighting for Israel. Then we saw God turn a nation of slaves into a nation of warriors who could fight giants and win. The Israelites were about to face another battle.
Some things to know as we begin:
- God set aside a portion of physical land for Israel.
- Other nations were living in that land and dishonoring God – on His land.
- God is judge over the whole earth and all its inhabitants, not just Jews and Christians.
- The nations were up to their eyes in sin and God had to act…
- The justice of God is hard to see but can’t be ignored.
Israel was walking toward a promised blessing from God, but like it or not, want it or not, battle stood in their way.
It is often the same with us. God gives us so many promises in this life.
- Abundant life
- Peace
- Joy in the presence of the King
- Comfort
- Provision
But there is also a very real enemy of God standing in the path of those blessings. Why prepare for spiritual warfare? Because, ready or not, like it or not, the battle is waiting for you as you pursue the LORD.
Fear is Natural but Not Necessary When Preparing for Spiritual Warfare
As we read Deuteronomy 3:22, we see that Israel is on the brink of war. Terrified. Afraid. Rightfully anxious. This is not a nation of warriors yet. They doubt God (their defender) and turn from Him every chance they get.
Can you relate?
In the midst of the legitimate, logical fear, God tells them, “Be still and do not fear.” Are you serious?
When facing war, God was talking about stillness and a lack of fear! This is one of those moments in Bible study where I want to be eye to eye with God to see if He’s for real!
If any circumstances on earth demand fear, war demands fear. Right?!?!?!?!
But God says, “Do not be afraid.” Why does He say that?
“The Lord your God is the One fighting for you.”
That one phrase changes the whole conversation. Israel was not a nation of warriors, but God was, is, and always will be a mighty warrior.
They were terrified, but God was victorious. That is why God can say, “Be still and do not be afraid,” because He is there and promises to stay there.
This is a trust issue.
Be still and trust God when you face war. When you are under attack, be still and don’t be afraid.
Physical War Can Be Spiritual Warfare
What is it about that one plot of land that has spurred so much war? There must be something holy and amazing about it. Right?
Now, to be clear, we know the land of Israel is special because God chose it. God made it and set it aside for Israel. Of course, the enemy wants to make war over it. How does the rest of that region not see how crazy it is to fight of that wilderness land… apart from acknowledging the Great God of the Universe?
Make no mistake, this was to be a physical war Israel faced, but it was also very much spiritual warfare! When the enemy is fighting over or against something God promised it always has an element of spiritual battle.
You Are Chosen, Holy, and Set Apart
Just like God set aside that special piece of land for His children, God also made you and chose you and set you apart.
The enemy is at war over you. Do you believe that today?
There is a spiritual war happening right now and the enemy has long used a strategy that has proved successful. We consistently see him use the 4 D’s to defeat believers in times of battle.
- Discourage you from your faith.
- Stir discontent for your physical life.
- Distract you from your calling with worldly temptation.
- Breed discords between you and other believers to stop the unity of the Gospel.
What is Spiritual Warfare?
The term spiritual warfare refers to a battle between God and the devil for lordship and rule of your life and the world.
The warriors in the battle are angels and demons. We are the target somehow in the battle.
Life would be so much simpler if there were no such thing as spiritual battles, but here we are. Today, engaging in spiritual warfare is necessary. You must learn how to pray and study the Bible to engage and win the battles that rage at you daily.
If you don’t engage… don’t commit to the disciplines of Bible study, prayer, Church attendance, service, tithing, etc…. you lose by default. The enemy will run rough shod over your life unchecked!
You. Don’t. Want. That!
You have to fight; be engaged in the battle!
How To Engage in Spiritual Warfare
I’ve heard Christians, in the heat of their own personal struggles, shrug off this idea. They would prefer to be neutral and not be judged as a radical religious person. If you are thinking that, you misunderstand what it means to engage in spiritual warfare!
What does it mean to be in spiritual warfare?
Just to be clear, you are in spiritual warfare whether you acknowledge it or not. If you ignore it, call others crazy for engaging, and walk away you are still under attack.
We are all engaged in spiritual warfare!
The better question is, “How can I prepare for victory in spiritual warfare?”
Did you find this 40-day Fast to learn How to Be still mid-series? Go back and catch up!
Prepare For Victory in Spiritual Warfare By Seeing It
When you begin to see with spiritual eyes you can engage in the battle more effectively. See the battles for what they are! Acknowledge that the war is real even if you don’t understand it or like it.
Need examples of spiritual warfare?
Think back to the last time you decided to have a daily quiet time. How hard was it to follow through? Did you start to struggle to get up early or stay up later? Were you distracted? Did you have trouble understanding the text? Were you feeling like Bible study was just for preachers? That was spiritual warfare.
Read more on how to know if you are in the midst of spiritual warfare or not.
Prayer Is Powerful For Spiritual Warfare
If you’ve been saved for very long you’ve heard that prayer is powerful, but this is different. Prayer, when you are in the battle, is powerful to win the battle!
What is warfare prayer?
Spiritual warfare prayer helps end the battles more quickly. It has also proved effective to get ahead of the attacks. This is a way to talk directly with God (who is fighting for you) and see what you can do to head off strongholds and improve your spiritual life to win the battles!
Learn more about becoming a Strong Prayer Warrior And Why
We ask how to do spiritual warfare, how to prepare for spiritual warfare, but I want to be clear. A spiritual warrior is nothing more than a believer taking the next right step. Share on XHow To Prepare For Spiritual Warfare
As we look to apply Deuteronomy 3:22, Israel’s physical war gives us a guide to prepare for spiritual warfare. Interestingly, we see that winning the battle has a lot to do with trusting that God has not changed. When we remember who God is, what God has done, and Whose we are, the spiritual battles end in victory!
- Remember past victories
- Remember God is always with you
- Know that God fights for you
- Determine to Know God More
- Put on the armor
- Do the next or last right thing
- Pray
I love that God knows we will forget all those things. It is a sign of His great love and grace that He reminds us over and over!
1. Remember The Past Victories
When we are faced with a battle, often we freeze like a deer in headlights. We forget everything good from the past in those moments. God reminded Israel of the past victories to help them be still and not fear while facing the next war. He will do that for you!
How many times has God shown up and shown off in your life? Do you keep a journal of those times? I do. It helps keep me focused on the LORD in prayer instead of overthinking about the problems in front of me.
A Victory in My Life
The last time God moved in a powerful way for me was over something so small, but so important to me.
A few years ago I began to feel so tired all the time; my brain was foggy, my body hurt, anxiety plagued me, the dizziness wouldn’t let up. As a result of my newly discovered Autoimmune disease, I had to step back from serving nearly everywhere.
Praise God, this year I am feeling so much better. I even felt God prompting me to step back into leading worship (there was such grief at the idea that this part of my life was over).
No sooner had the decision been made, than the enemy began his assault. He attacked my identity; my thoughts about my age, my ability, my heart’s condition. I was scared all of a sudden that I would never be used by God this way again.
Every delay brought fear. Each miscommunication brought doubt. I could see it was impacting how I treated my kids and husband. I felt more reserved like I was pulling away from things, preparing for the rejection I had already played out a thousand times.
All of that was just in the span of a few weeks. I wrestled with God over each fear. Prayer and journaling became my weapons. As the enemy whispered, I held what I heard up to the light of His Word.
Related: The Strategic Prayer Journal
2. Remember God Is Always With You
It’s hard to believe God’s Words when fear comes. So I wrote out God’s Words and repeated them to myself often.
This was my phrase: Lord, I will serve You where You call me to serve. If this is where You want me I believe You will put me there regardless of any fears I have. If this is not from You, close the door and make my heart happy about that.
Silly. All that fear over where to serve God…
Important. Singing is as much a part of me as counseling wives in difficult marriages. To take it away felt like losing myself.
God cares about you. He cares about the things you care about. God knows where the battle is raging in your heart, mind, and life. He is right there with you!
In our text, God reminded Israel that He promised to be with them. Why did He remind them? Because they forgot it so often. Can you relate?
“Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid or in dread of them, for the Lord your God is the One who is going with you. He will not desert you or abandon you.” (Deuteronomy 31:6 NASB)
I forget this promise so often! In my story from above I forgot it for weeks while I worried and feared and failed at my daily responsibilities.
The moment we remember He is right there with us, that is the moment we start winning the battle!
3. Remember God Does The Real Fighting
Not only is God right there with you through the battle, but He also promises to do the fighting for you!
You can’t always see God fighting your battles, but whew, He is! Sometimes He waits to show His hand, but His hand is working. Often He holds up the cavalry, but the cavalry is on its way!
Why does He wait? I think it’s to show us the strongholds of the enemy in our lives. Do you know what a stronghold is? Pause a Google, “What does the Bible say about strongholds.” I’ll wait.
I Have Strongholds in My Life
Areas of sin and fear and doubt that I’m not super intentional about cleaning up and clearing out. Ug… that’s embarrassing to admit…
As much as leading worship is a part of who I am, doubt about my gift, fear about aging, worry about pride and jealousy are right there in the same room.
To show me those things, God waited a few weeks to show me His hand – to clarify how to move forward. He also revealed those strongholds and challenged me to be honest about them. He wanted me to lay them at His feet before I started serving again.
Then… whew… God showed up and showed off!
One morning, after I had laid down my pride and jealousy, and fear about serving – God opened a door. I was serving somewhere else and the leader saw me and started to apologize for the delays and confusion. The next day I was scheduled to sing for the next few months.
I don’t know what was happening on their side. Were they concerned about my age, my few years off, the state of my health? Maybe, or maybe they were busy and human and it took longer than expected. What I know is that God called me and God put me in the place He wanted me to serve. And through the process, He fought for me, my spiritual growth, and more. All praise to HIM!
4. Know God More
The fact is, God is with you and fighting for you from the first day you say, “Yes,” to salvation. The sad reality though, is that we often neglect to know God more.
It is critical to remember who God is in the battle; that is powerful for spiritual warfare. Thankfully we live in the New Testament and have something the Israelites didn’t have. The Holy Spirit and the Bible.
The Bible is the most powerful weapon we could wield in spiritual warfare. Do you read it? Do you know how to read it? Reading the Bible helps us get to know God more. Knowing God more helps us be better prepared for spiritual warfare! The Holy Spirit enables all of that!
Look up, “Prepare for battle Bible verse,” and you will see that those who God called to fight, knew Him, served Him, and were improving their spiritual life.
You might be asking some questions right now.
- How can I improve my spiritual life?
- What is spiritual preparation?
- What are the weapons of spiritual warfare?
Improving your spiritual life and being intentional with spiritual preparation is as simple as spending time with God every day.
Read the Bible.
Pray.
Get to know God more. Victory is on the other side of that relationship!
Related Post: How to Read the Bible Consistently
5. Put On The Whole Armor Of God
What are the hard things in your life right now?
Has it felt like one impossible thing after the next with no letting up? Does it feel like there are giants you just can’t face?
Google, “Spiritual warfare in the Bible,” to see all the times others were in the same situation. In Ephesians, God tells us to put on the whole armor of God because we are not fighting flesh and blood.
What is the whole armor of God and how do you put it on?
Ephesians 6 is filled with many prepare for battle Bible verses. The key verses are 10-18.
- Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist…
- With the breastplate of righteousness in place…
- Your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace…
- Take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one…
- Take the helmet of salvation…
- The sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God…
- Pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests…
Read more about The Armor of God here.
Don’t forget that prayer is a part of the armor of God and we need to put it on every day as we engage in battle in this spiritual war.
We need to believe in the power of prayer -warfare prayer.
6. Do The Next (or Last) Right Thing
This fight is a spiritual battle in the mind, you know… The enemy fights hardest over your thoughts, your desires, your purpose…
What is your calling in life? Is there something God has said to do?
So much of the enemy’s efforts are to keep us out of the Bible and out of prayer so that we can’t even recognize God’s voice when He does call us. This is a spiritual battle in the mind of every Believer!
We must learn to hear God’s voice! Consistently! Intentionally! It is life!
We ask how to do spiritual warfare – how to prepare for spiritual warfare – but I want to be clear. A spiritual warrior is nothing more than a believer taking the next right step.
A spiritual warrior is nothing more than a believer taking the next right step. Share on XMaybe you need to go back and take the last right step. You know, that last thing God said to do and you said no or got distracted from doing.
Often I find that when I am dry or spiritually cold, I find God right where I turned off the path. He was waiting there for me the whole time. Thank the LORD!
LOL, sometimes I am all in a deliverance prayer mode, and God’s all like, “Hey, Tiffany, I’m over here, just get back on the path.” Praise God He is patient with me.
7. Pray: A Prayer for Victory As You Prepare For Spiritual Warfare
Father God,
Thank you for being patient with me. Forgive me for all the times you said to do something and I said, “No,” and went my own way. Thank You for being right there when I turn back. You are so kind, compassionate, merciful, and gracious to me in my stubbornness.
There is a battle happening in my life. I feel it in my marriage. It’s in my conversations with the kids. Even my body is involved in the war. Help me be still and not be afraid.
Oh Lord, I am afraid. This is not what I signed up for when I said, “Yes,” to salvation. I pictured a prosperous, healthy, and blessed life. This Christian life is hard and the battle is long and I need you, Lord. Hear my prayer Father, help me win today… even if the victorious life is not what I imagined…
Thank you for the reminder that You are the One fighting… sometimes I forget and try to fight in my own strength. I give you control, Lord… Today. Be glorified as I sit hidden in the shadow of Your wings.
Amen
Will You Prepare for Spiritual Warfare?
Do you believe that we are all caught in the middle of this great spiritual battle for the souls of mankind?
The enemy wants every soul to burn in Hell with him. God, on the other hand, loves every soul so much that He sent His only Son to die, paying the price for the sin we so easily fall into, to make a way for Eternal Life with Him.
The battle is real, but we are not helpless in the midst of it! God has equipped us with armor and weapons. And He fights for us Himself! Victory is assured.
Will you prepare for spiritual warfare today? These 7 things will bring the victory you are dreaming about!
- Remember past victories
- Remember God is always with you
- Know that God fights for you
- Determine to Know God More
- Put on the armor
- Do the next or last right thing
- Pray
These seven steps have been effective for me as I engage in the battle and win victory after victory.
How do you know you are winning the victory?
Fear becomes less.
Joy fills you even when facing battles.
God is glorified in your life as you continue to grow and walk with Him daily!
You can do this!
in HIM,
Tiffany of Hope Joy in Christ inspires Christian Women to grow in faith, live out Biblical Marriage Principles and raise Godly Children. Join the Wives Only Facebook Group here or keep up with her through Pinterest.
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Amen and amen! Spiritual warfare is very real. Thank you for sharing your battles. I’m glad you were able to get back to singing. Praise God for his everlasting love for us. We have to put our trust in him, that he will guide us where we take a turn off the path He has for us.
And all His Promises are “Yes and Amen”! So glad it blessed you, Marilyn!