4 Steps to victory; defeating the deceptions of Satan

I deal with a lot of spiritual warfare. Day in and day out I fight. Lies and accusations come hurling toward me like arrows over a castle wall. The enemy knows just where to aim to penetrate my defenses.

I often think of the 80’s song, Love is a Battlefield, by Pat Benatar. However, it is my mind that is a battlefield. At the end of most days, I feel bloodied and beaten.

I have often wondered, where is the victory that we are promised?

Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.   1 Corinthians 15:57

I know my God is victorious, and I can be too. So, why do I so often feel defeated?

Putting on the armor

Most Christians are aware of the armor of God described in Ephesians. However, do we know how to use it or put it on? Do we know how to activate the armor? For most of my life I certainly didn’t.

I recently started Priscilla Shirer’s Bible study, The Armor of God. And through it, I am starting to see the light of victory at the end of the tunnel!

One of the women in the Bible study with me is Sally, an extremely gifted Christian counselor. She relies heavily on God’s counsel with her clients. And, she is truly gifted.

One day when she was praying, lies from the enemy started to hit her consciousness. Right away, she started praying a four step prayer to fight these lies.

God showed her how to fight off lies from the enemy and gain victory over them. She gave me permission to share the four steps here.

Step 1: Identify the lie

I remember as a kid, seeing a TV commercial that showed a superhero with his fists confidently on his sides and a cape flowing behind him in the breeze. He would say, “Knowing is half the battle!”

Isn’t that so true?! Knowing is half the battle. I would even say, knowing is more than half the battle. And a lot of people go through their whole lives and never get the ‘knowing.’

One type of knowing is self awareness. There is nothing more annoying than people who aren’t self aware. It is a pet peave of mine. I know that certain things trigger me. I know when I tend to overreact. I know that I can be pessimistic and complain too much. I know the weaknesses in my character.

I am self aware. We all have weaknesses and being aware of them means that we are ‘in the know’.

Another type of knowing is discernment. Discernment is knowing where certain thoughts come from. Are they from God? Or, from Satan? Or, neither?

How do we discern God’s truth from Satan’s lies?

You can learn to discern!

If you have trouble discerning the lies of the enemy, ask God to help you see. The more we pray, the closer we walk with God and the more we study His Words, the more we will have His heart. And if we have His heart, the Holy Spirit will help us learn discernment.

Step one is identifying the lie Satan is using on you.

Step 2: Renounce it in Jesus name

There is one name above all names.  

Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,   Philippians 2:9-10

There is no greater name than Jesus. And there is power in His name. So, speak it. Shout it if you have to.

“I renounce this thought in the name of Jesus Christ!”

The seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.”   Luke 10:17

Step 3: Proclaim your identity in Christ

You and I are heirs to the King!

Satan would rather us not realize that we are royalty. He would prefer we not know our position and inheritance. He would like us to forget that we belong to God.

The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God   Romans 8:13

Proclaim your identity in Christ. Own it. live it. Nobody can take it away from you. Claim what is rightfully yours.

Step 4: Give thanks

The final step is thanking God for the battle you face and for the victory He will bring you.

“Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.” Luke 10:19

Thankfulness should be the posture of a follower of Christ. We have so much to be thankful for. We are alive and free because of the cleansing blood of Christ.

Giving thanks to God can do so many things. It can foster worship, it can put down pride, and it can restore peace.

Trust fuels thanksgiving, and thanksgiving activates peace.  -Priscilla Shirer, The Armor of God

We long for peace after the battle. Peace that God has won the day; peace that we have survived the battle; peace that God is on His throne, and therefore, we have nothing to fear.

Peace is the victory.

Thank you God for allowing us to have victory over the deceptions of the enemy!

It’s time to start experiencing victory in Jesus name!