Though Christians have trials and tests sometimes caused by the enemy. We can be assured of victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. In our last two series of blogs, we discussed the adversary and his tactics.Understanding the devil and his devices is not enough except the Christian knows how to respond to him. In our last series of blogs concerning the enemy of the Christitan, we will learn how to defeat the enemy.

The Word of God gives us the necessary weapons and armor needed to defeat the adversary. Paul gives us the primary list of weapons available to us in Ephesians 6.

THE ARMOR OF GOD

Therefore, take up the full armor of God, that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and have done all, stand firm therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace. In addition to all, take up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming missiles of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. (Ephesians 6:11-17)

Possessing weapons and armor without understanding them is useless. We shall now examine the armor given to Christians for victory over the devil.If we learn to adorn ourselves with the spiritual armor provided, success will be ours. In our first part of this series. we will discuss the “sword of the Spirit and the “belt of truth.”

The Sword of the Spirit

All of the pieces of armor listed, except the “sword of the Spirit,” are forms of defense. Although they can protect, they do not make effective weapons. Moreover, the only offensive weapon given to us is the sword, or the Word of God.

When Jesus was tested by the devil, He used the Word to combat him. We must also use the Word. We must not only quote the scriptures, but also believe in them. We must believe the scriptures and be dedicated to the study and application of the Word to everyday life. If we will not do this, we will be defeated. We must employ the Word of God in spiritual warfare.

The Word in action penetrates through all of the devices of the enemy. In order for the Word to perform its function, the believer must understand how to apply it. This is accomplished through the study of the Word. To ensure victory, the Word of God must be active in our lives.

The Belt of Truth

We need every part of the armor if we are going to stand against the enemy. The girdle or belt of truth is needed. It helps to hold everything that He has given us together. Because Jesus is truth, we can trust in everything that He has said or promised. In addition, we need to be people of truth.

Tomorrow, as we learn to defeat the enemy, we will examine more of the armor of God; that is, the breastplate of righteousness, the sandaled feet, the shield of faith, and the helmet of salvation.

We began our discussion yesterday on the device of lust. Continuing this, we will go further in our examination of the sower and the seed. We can overcome; even our fleshly lusts.

Some Fell Upon Rocky Places…

The second illustration Jesus used was that some seeds fell upon stony places, without much soil.

And others fell upon the rocky places, where they did not have much soil; and immediately they sprang up, because they had no depth of soil. But when the sun had risen, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away. (Matthew 13:5-6)

The seeds that fell on rocks sprouted quickly because they had no root. Therefore, when the sun came up, they were burned and were dried up. Jesus said that this referred to those who received the Word with joy, but had no foundation. Subsequently, when persecution and tribulation arose, they became overwhelmed and gave up (Matthew 13:31).

A closer examination of these verses shows us that these “rocky places” could also represent those areas in the believer’s life where there is a constant battle, making them targets for the enemy. Since there is a struggle, the believer is always looking for help and an answer. Therefore, when they hear the Word preached, they quickly say that they are delivered or set free.

They deceive themselves because they do not take the time to apply the Word to their weak areas. They do not allow the Word to take root in their hearts. Therefore, when the desire or temptation returns, they cannot handle it and give up. The Word they heard did not have much soil to grow in.

When we claim deliverance prematurely, we set ourselves up for defeat. We will become utterly discouraged and disappointed because we thought we were free when we were not. The enemy will use this to keep us in bondage and to cause us to lose hope of being delivered. We must not be like those in the parable. We must allow the Word to settle in us and grow before we claim complete deliverance.

And Some Fell Among Thorns…

The third illustration that Jesus used was that some seeds fell among the thorns.

And others fell among the thorns, and the thorns came up and choked them out. (Matthew 13:7)

The consequence of these landing among thorns was that the thorns choked them. Jesus said that this referred to those who received the Word, but the cares of the world consume him, making him unfruitful (Matthew 31:22). Let us consider the above in this manner: the thorns may represent known areas of sin and compromise in the believer’s life. We understand that the seeds and thorns were in the same ground. They each need soil to grow.

In Jesus’ parable, the thorns prevailed. This is indicative of the believer who hears the Word consistently, but chooses not to apply the Word to his life. The enemy deceives him into thinking that it is O.K. and God understands.

This believer fought for deliverance and victory in the beginning. However, when he saw that God did not judge him harshly and was patient with him, he decided not to try anymore. Thus, they attend Church and fellowship with believers. They will even grow in the knowledge of God, but their areas of sin will also grow and eventually dominate them.

We have seen that the enemy only has three main tactics: distraction, deception, and desire. His most successful tactic is man’s sinful desires. It is what he uses most to keep us from overcoming. The enemy keeps the believer in bondage by exploiting his desires and weaknesses. If he keeps us wrestling with our flesh, we will never overcome. However, once the tools of the enemy are discovered, we need to know what to do.

If someone asked you right now about the areas where you are having trouble, you could give them an answer immediately. However, knowing the problem without a solution is useless and frustrating. In our next series of posts entitled, “Learning How to Defeat the Enemy,” we will look at ways to overcome the enemy and his tactics. Only then can we live in victory.