God is working in you. No doubt he is in the details of your life, orchestrating all things to come together for the goodness he has planned. And where God is working, the enemy is poking.

And you’ve felt those pokes, haven’t you? Clouded in confusion, lurking in dark corners of desperation, hiding out in the chaos, there is the devil and his legion of demons just poking at the work God is doing. His intentions are to undermine what God is doing in and through us. His goal is to kill, steal and destroy. The enemy is constantly scheming, studying your weakness, searching for cracks, ready to pounce when you are vulnerable. My sister, he is real. His demons are real. His attacks are real. And we are in a real spiritual battle.

Your entire family is under attack. Your future is threatened. Your potential is held hostage. And if you sit there and do nothing, much will be lost. The enemy can poke away at you creating gaping holes of destruction, leaving you with doubts, fears, insecurities, and overwhelm. You’re in the battle whether you want to be or not … decide now, you’re fighting back!

Ephesians 6:12 “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”

This is who we are fighting. He is the source of this chaos and destruction. He is behind every attack. He’s a coward so he hides in the crowd, but he is responsible for this.

In this battle we must know our enemy and fight with the full armor of God. This full armor is listed in the next 4 verses after defining the evil powers we’re really struggling against. Verse 13-17: “Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”

Each piece of your armor is priceless. Each one protecting you so make sure you put it on in this battle you’re in. But today, I will focus on the one thing you have been given to fight. Everything else is defense, but one thing is offense. You have been given a weapon to fight back. You fight with your sword. This is the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

The more you learn to listen to the Spirit of God dwelling within you, the more you are strengthened for battle with God’s word. Scriptures come to mind and you are strengthened with God’s promises. These promises are a sword that cut through the attacks of the enemy and take him down.

Some scholars have counted the promises held within the bible and have numbered them to be 7,147 promises. These are guarantees of God’s provision, God’s protection, God’s grace and mercy, God’s love, God’s guidance, God’s strength and power. This is what we fight with my sisters.

Don’t sit there and take it. And certainly don’t co-sign the attack.

We come back at the lies of the enemy, the low blows and mistruths, the twisted deception and mass chaos, the attacks of division and blame, and we cut them down with our sword. Yes, the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. We remember what God has promised and we claim it as ours.

If you’re under attack, feeling the pokes of the enemy that rock your peace and steal your joy, held back in darkness where he whispers despair in your ear … it’s time to come out fighting! The enemy is defeated by the truth. He can’t stand against God’s promises. He has no power over the sword you hold in your hand. Now, let’s use it.

Come charging directly at the attack. Don’t shrink back and play little. You are not little. You are not powerless. You are not defeated. You have the spirit of the Almighty living within you and while you may not know these scriptures, the Spirit does.

Yes, isn’t that cool to know? The Spirit of God living within you knows every word of every promise. It’s already inside of you. That’s why when you read the promises for yourself, there is a feeling of confirmation within. It feels like a return to what you already knew, but maybe you had forgotten. It settles down deep in your soul and then you know that you know that you know … this is for me. THIS IS MY TRUTH. This I will hold to.

Pick up your sword and fight back sis! Don’t let the devil poke at you with his dark worries, insecurities, fears, and hurts. When you poke back, poke back with that sword and shut him up! You don’t have to sit in the corner under attack, the Lord fights for you and has given you a weapon to join the fight!

God’s promises are your comeback. A comeback is a sweet taste of revenge when used properly. A comeback shuts down the attacker and leaves them defenseless. Start using them in this spiritual battle.

The devil says you’re all alone, you’re not good enough, and you will never win. Your comeback is “God is with me and is strengthening me.”
The devil plants seeds of fear and anxiety over your future. Your comeback is “God has good plans for me.”
The devil attacks with thoughts of ‘why even pray, it doesn’t make a difference’. Your comeback is “God hears my every prayer and answers me.”
The devil stirs up a mess and brings harm. Your comeback is “Silly devil, God is going to use all of this for good.”
The devil reminds you of your past and your continual shortcomings. Your comeback is “God has made me a new person. I’m not who I used to be.”
The devil tells you you’re not deserving of God’s love. You’re a failure and an outcast. Your comeback is “Nothing will ever separate me from God’s love.”
The devil picks at your flaws and tells you your life doesn’t matter. Your comeback is “I am God’s masterpiece and he designed me for a purpose.”
The devil shows the darkness of this long night. You comeback with “My joy always comes in the morning.”
Now keep ’em coming …

I am a child of God.
God is able.
I can do all things with Jesus. Nothing shall be impossible.
Jesus has already overcome this trouble.
The battle has already been won and God has given me the victory.
I have no reason to fear.

We are battling evil. We don’t bow down to evil. We don’t back up in a corner and stay there. We don’t assume defeat here. WE ARE NOT DEFEATED. We are equipped for this battle. Know your enemy and know what you have to fight him. You are protected by the truth you buckle around your waist, the righteousness offered to you by Jesus worn on your chest, the good news of victory that keep our feet moving forward, the shield of faith we hold up against the attack, the helmet of salvation that protects our mind and keeps our thoughts from running wild. Now pick up your sword and fight with the promises God has given you. Cut down the devils lies. Slash through his chaos. Sever his deception.

Yes we’re in a battle. Yes we have to show up and fight. And yes, the victory is ours!