There are times when we straight up feel under attack. It seems that everything that could go wrong, does go wrong. And sometimes those attacks feel quite personal …. yeah, because they are. Yes, the enemy is after you and everything good in your life. Yes, as a follower of Christ you wear a target, but oh sister, never forget the power which you hold.

You are not here to fight on the defensive. Did you know being more that a conqueror in Christ Jesus means more than just dodging the fiery darts of the devil? Did you know it means more than surviving the attacks?

Romans 8:37 “We are more than conquerors through him who loved us.” Another translation puts it this way, “Despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.”

How do you have overwhelming victory? Well honey, it’s not just by playing defense.

Imagine a basketball game where one team only plays defense. They chase and they guard, they jump and they block, but the moment they rebound the ball, they give it back up to their opponent. “Here, this ball is yours, I’ll just try to keep you from scoring again.”

Honey, if you’re not playing some offense in this battle, you’re preparing yourself for defeat. It’s time for you to score!

You feel like you’re under attack? Okay, now is when you fight back. Now is when you put on the full armor of God and you go charging in!

Ephesians 6: 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.”

The sword of the Spirit means you’re going to do more than just survive the attack, you’re going to fight. You’re going to slay. You’re going to be more than a conqueror, you will have overwhelming victory here.

What has the enemy taken from you? Has he taken your confidence? Has he taken your peace? Has he taken hold of your husband or your child? Has he taken your passion and your energy? Has he taken your hopes and dreams?

Are you standing here today after his attacks feeling stripped of that which you once had, unsure of how to get it back? Well, mighty warrior, let me stir the fire in your soul once again and give you your battle cry.

Jesus said in Luke 10: 18-19 “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you.”

Check out what else Jesus said in Matthew 16:18 “On this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”

Okay, sounds to me like a battle cry, but what exactly does that mean? Jesus has given us authority to overcome and the gates of hell shall not prevail? I began studying this scripture on Sunday, digging deeper and deeper into the meaning because it confused me. Why would hell have gates? Is hell trying to keep me out? Isn’t hell trying to come after me? Isn’t hell trying to pull me in?

Understand, when these words were spoken, cities had great walls built around them for protection. The gate was to make the wall a sanctuary, not a prison. The gate was a way for the people to come and go from the city, but be able to close the gate for protection.
The safety of the people depended on the strength of it’s gates. Without a strong gate, they were vulnerable to attacks.

When in battle, the gate was the first place of attack. If the enemy could get through your gate, they could take your city and all you had in it.

So what Jesus is telling us is we are empowered to attack the gates of hell. We’re not here just to play defense, then turn over the ball every time we get it. It’s time for some offense. We don’t just hide behind walls, we attack the gates of hell. We come at the enemy with the power of God and we defeat him. We break through the gates and we claim back those the enemy has held captive. Are you ready to go get what the enemy took from you?

With God, we are the aggressor, not the victims of attack. We have authority to walk right through this and overcome!

Have we become so focused on the attacks we’re under, that we’ve forgotten we’re here to win the battle? Have we forgotten to take up our sword and fight? Have we forgotten the gates of hell shall not prevail, and that means we’re to go charging in and reclaim what the enemy has taken. His gates cannot stop us. He can’t keep us out.

Stop being the victim. You are more than a conqueror because of Jesus and the power he has given you. If you want back what he has taken from you, then charge the gates of hell. They won’t prevail against you and your full armor!

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.”

And not to spoil the story or anything, but we know how this ends. We know the devil is defeated. We know ultimate victory is here. We know greater is he who is in me than he who is in the world. We know when Jesus says “I saw Satan fall like lightening”, oh he will FALL LIKE LIGHTENING! And we’re the ones God has empowered to help take him down.

So, I’m just going to be really bold and say it like it is … stop giving up when the enemy comes and takes something from you. Stop settling in and assuming it’s just lost and this is the way it’s going to be. I know that’s a self-protection mechanism from the hurt of losing what you have lost, but this isn’t over! God is calling his girls to get up and fight!

Charge the gates of hell where the devil is hiding and holding all he has stolen from you. Oh his gates shall not prevail. They can’t hold us back. Don’t you dare give up and surrender in defeat. Don’t just fight this battle on defense. God has equipped you to walk through the fiery flames and not be burned. He will not leave you nor forsake you in this. He will make a way. He will supernaturally strengthen you to do impossible things through Christ Jesus.

Break through those dang gates and claim back what the enemy has held captive. What is it? Who is it? Name it now. What has the enemy taken from you? Say it. Get fired up and feisty, Sis!

Oh hail no you didn’t Satan! You didn’t come after my family. You didn’t come and take from me what God put inside of me. You thief coming in to steal from me. You murderer coming in to kill all that is full of life. You home wrecker coming in to destroy all that is good. You don’t get to just take, then hide behind your gates of hell and keep what is mine. The gates of hell are about to see some fired up mamas ready to reclaim the promises of God over their lives, over their marriages, over their children, over their God-given hopes, dreams and potential.

God’s purposes will not only survive the attacks of the enemy, they will thrive in the face of it all. This is our promise. God’s purposes will not be defeated. He started something good in you, and his purpose is to complete it (Philippians 1:6) … so that means the attacks of the enemy shall come under attack BY US!

We will not only protect what God started in our lives, we will fight to get it back!

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