7 Ways to Defeat the Enemy on the Spiritual Battlefield

We wake up every single day with a war growing inside of our heads. It is like a spiritual battle version of Groundhog Day. How do we fight it? How do we take on an enemy that is waiting for us as soon as we open our eyes? As a Christian, you have the gifts inside you through salvation on the cross. You have the power through Jesus Christ to take on the enemy and slay it. Here are 7 ways to take aim at the enemy every single day.  

1. Prayer

The first thing I do when I feel the shadows creeping in is call out in prayer. Prayer is one of the most powerful weapons we have against the enemy. When you call out in the name of Jesus the enemy cannot harm you. Remember when you gave yourself over to Jesus you were made new.

" Create in me a clean heart, O God, and 
renew a right spirit within me. 
Cast me not away from thy presence 
and take not thy Holy Spirit from 
me. Restore unto me the joy of thy 
salvation and uphold me 
with thy free spirit."  Psalm 51: 10-12 

King David was a man after God’s own heart. He had his own war raging inside his head and heart every single day. He handled it with the overflowing mercy and amazing grace of God. You hear the cry of King David in every Psalm as he sings out and calls out to our Heavenly Father who saved him from the darkness. A prayer of a mighty king to the ultimate king who will not forsake you.  

2. The Bible

The hardest thing for many of us to reach out to combat this spiritual battle with is the most obvious one, the Bible. The Holy Bible is the best way to defeat the enemy. However, for those of us who have been harmed due to bad teachings or flawed humans, we have a bad reaction to opening up our bibles on the battlefield. When you go back in the history of war the soldiers would take the Holy Bible to help them win the battle. The Holy Bible is your guide to understanding that spiritual path you are faced with every single day. For me, I have always had a hard time approaching the Holy Bible. There seemed to always be condemnation waiting for me there. Nothing but judgment and an angry God who couldn’t forgive what I had done. That is an example of the enemy at work my friends. When you shed off the enemy’s attempt to keep you from the Word of God you will see that a loving Heavenly Father wants you to know Him. He wants you to grow closer to Him. He wants to arm you with all the power you need to fight those daily battles. Sometimes all it takes is one verse. The power that is in a single verse can get you to the other side of that battlefield. Remember, the Holy Bible is the map when you are in full spiritual warfare!

"The light shines in the darkness, and the 
darkness has not overcome it." John 1:5 

 " Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, 
and a light unto my path."  Psalm 119:105

3. Worship Music

When you are in the full enemy camp and the shadows are rising there is nothing stronger than worship. Worship has been used for as far back as humanity can remember to fight the enemy. Nothing stronger than a heart for God in full worship. For me, before I go to bed every single night I will listen to music. I often listen to music throughout my day as well. It has always been my heartbeat. Often when God wants to get a message across, He will use a specific praise song to do it. When we are all singing for Jesus, we are calling out to him with our hands stretched out to the Holy Spirit. We are presenting an offering to our Lord for the grace, mercy, and love he shows us every day. Sometimes there will be a thread of songs given to you to get a powerful message across in a rather extreme battle. Think of worship as the morse code keeper who is giving messages to the soldier on the plane who is going to drop the bomb to take out the enemy. Some of my favorites are from my youth when the revival for worship was at its peak. However, the Holy Spirit has guided me to some new worship songs in the last few years that have brought an awakening to show me that worship is still all around us and growing stronger. God will direct you to the worship He wants you to have on that battlefield. He will place on your hearts the perfect songs to help you grow stronger and stronger. Listen to the words in those songs my friends. Listen to the message.  

4. Journaling

Often, I find myself keeping a record of times that the enemy has really hurt me the most. God will give me visions to quiet these voices in my head from the enemy. He will remind me of times that He has told us over and over how deeply we are loved. Psalm 139: 1 “O Lord, thou hast searched me and known me.” Psalm 139:14 “I will praise thee, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made, marvelous are thy works, and that my soul knoweth right well.” When I am at my darkest and feeling most defeated by the enemy, I like to write things down. I like to journal about my thoughts and feeling at the time. It reminds me that I am a Child of God. I was given the gifts to serve the Creator and the darkness has no hold on my life. 

"Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus.."  Romans 8:39 

 "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord. Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope for a future."  Jeremiah 29:11

5. Devotionals

Remember growing up how it was always an important thing to read the Daily Bread? It was in my home. We would always have the little devotionals that told us daily stories and verses to help us overcome the day. For some reason, you think that is something to do as a child. When you grow up it seems silly to go back to Daily Bread. However, there are thousands of devotionals to choose from out there. Daily Bread is still filled with important stories and verses as a grown-up. Find a spiritual leader you respect and find their devotions to help guide you through the battlefield. I have read many different versions over the years. Some good ones are the Oswald Chambers “My Utmost For His Highest”, The Upper Room, A.W. Tozer “The Pursuit of God”, Thompson Chains Reference Bible, and anything by Max Lucado.  

6. Books

There are several spiritually gifted authors out there who have helped me on my personal battlefield. Most famous are J. R. R. Tolkien and C. S. Lewis. You have to use discernment on who is giving you spiritual food and who is just using that platform for personal glory. Sadly, many have used this to make a quick buck and are not spiritually connected to the Source. They have driven people closer to the enemy with “good vibes” and “get healed quick” schemes. I would stay away from those fake Christians who are using that platform for personal gain. If you use books to help combat the enemy, I would stick to the ones who are doing it for the glory of God. Believe me, you can tell the difference. One of the best books I ever read to help me take on the enemy is Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis. It actually helped me erase a tape that had been on a loop in my head for decades. Fun fact: If I had to take three things on the battlefield with me it would be Holy Bible, Screwtape Letters, and a mixtape of my favorite worship songs. 

7. Fellowship

Isolation is the easiest way for the enemy to keep you locked inside your head. Surround yourself with others on the same walk as you. People who you know love you and understand the hardships you are facing. It is better to talk these things out with your church family than keep them locked up in your heart. They are there to help you carry the burdens with prayer, love, worship, and a kind word. We are called to lift each other up out of the darkness. It is easy to feel like no one can possibly understand, be drowning in sin, or be ashamed you are going through a trial. Jesus went through trials and was tempted by sin, but He overcame the world! He knows how hard it is for each and every one of us. He knows what is on our hearts. He is near to the broken-hearted. When we turn away from Jesus and fellowship, we give the enemy a foothold and the enemy will always seek to set us apart from the flock. Remember that Jesus always leaves the 99 to go after that one lost lamb. You are never alone. No matter what you have done, no matter what you have seen, and no matter what you are feeling, you are never alone. Jesus was hated, beaten, tormented, ridiculed, persecuted, hunted, mocked, spit on, rejected, and misunderstood. Yet in the midst of all those trials and tribulations, his love for us never failed and His love is the answer. When the enemy comes at you with a mountain of lies you throw back at it the storm of God’s never-ending love.