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"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the
world-forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places." Ephesians
6:12 (NIV)
There are various areas the Enemy will try to attack us in, which parts are shown in 1 Thess. 5:23 ("And
the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless
unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ."). When we are in good fellowship and intimacy with God, it
is generally difficult for Satan to attack us in our spirit. Attacking our bodies is an entirely different topic,
but Proverbs 18:14 does show that if our spirit is in good condition, especially if our relationship and fellowship
with God is good, we can sustain through even physical infirmity! ("The spirit of a man will sustain his
infirmity; but a wounded spirit who can bear?") An illustration of why attacking the spirit does not necessarily
yield desirable results for the Enemy is this true story: there was a man with a terminal illness who laughed himself
back to health, getting his hands on every funny book, movie, and broadcast possible! Even Proverbs 17:22 says,
"a merry heart doeth good like a medicine."
But why attack the mind? By establishing defeat in our minds, Satan can render us ineffective with minimal effort
because that condition will dictate us, fueling off our own efforts! For example, a baby circus elephant may originally
need to be restrained by a chain around its foot. It will strain and strain against its bonds but after a while
it knows that it is impossible to break free, so it eventually gives up. When the elephant is older, all that is
needed to keep it from running away is a small rope. The adult elephant is very capable of breaking its bond now,
but because it has been conditioned with the impossibility of breaking free for so long in its mind, it's given
up without trying!
Ephesians 6: 16 says, "Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all
the fiery darts of the wicked" or "Wicked One". Another translation calls it "flaming arrows".
In old times, warriors invading villages would fire flame-tipped arrows at rooftops. Fire would spread wildly -
out of control - from rooftop to rooftop until the entire villiage was engulfed in flame.
If we allow our minds to be an open target, and if we don't yank those arrows out of our mind - so to speak - the
flames of the Enemy's thought-attacks will go through our minds, so that sin, depression, lust, guilt or whatever
stronghold there may be will strongly hold us.
Why does satan attack us in our thoughts? Our thought center controls our mind, will and emotions. Get that down
and affect that in a negative way, and that can further affect our spirit and our body. Discouragement from guilt
and condemnation can grow into depression might possibly result in appetite loss which further results in biochemical
imbalance in our systems, to the point that unless we completely reorient our lives, it is very difficult to shake!
Basically, the entire intent of the Enemy with regards to cause us to plunge into sin is to plant a "suggestion
snowball" which will, unhindered, will grow in size and might until it becomes an unstoppable force, overwhelms
your strength, and stops you.
Here is the procession of the "growing snowball" effect:
1. A Flash Thought - A temptation, a lustful feeling, a sudden silent shout in your mind of destructive
thinking. Satan plants a suggestion. Or he even tells you what to think! But know that he is a liar and incapable
of telling the truth (John 8:44 "Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do.
He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh
a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it."). Whatever he says will be contrary
to the Word of God, so you must fight his lies with the truth of God's word, just as Jesus did, in His temptation
by Satan in the wilderness! Satan will tell you to satisfy yourself, give yourself pleasure, recognition. He will
even use God's Word! Therefore know the Word like a combat soldier knows how to dismantle and reconstruct a standard
issue automatic weapon.
2. A Flood - If the Flash Thoughts are not repelled instantly, more come. Sometimes the thought attacks
can come in like a flood. If you dwell too long on those thoughts, they will become an irresistable force, affecting
your emotions (which in turn can affect you even hormonally).
That is why we must immediately quench these thoughts, and bring them down (2 Cor 10:5 "Casting down imaginations,
and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought
to the obedience of Christ;"). The enemy will try to convince you, "You might as well do it!"
"You've sinned already just by thinking about it!" "So why not sin anyway? God will forgive you!"
But, you are accountable only when you accept them as your own and you act upon them or dwell on them.
So when a flood of thoughts come, just ask God to cleanse your mind. Move on! Get into the Word. Put on a worship
music tape. Put in the positive and cut out the negative. Cut off all sources of sensory input that contribute
and reinforce and magnify the direction Satan is trying to yank you. That means that if you - for example - are
prone to pornography or indulging yourself self-destructively into sweets, then the Swimsuit Editions and the sweets
have to go! If bad company gives you bad thoughts then take a break from those people until you are stronger. Keeping
our minds renewed and taking action to prevent ourselves from falling into those mindsets makes us proactive versus
reactive when the attack comes. We will be better prepared to win.
Let's look at Ephesians 6:11-17 "Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the
wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against
the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you
the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand
therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet
shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be
able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit,
which is the word of God".
The whole armour consists of:
Loins Girt About with Truth
Breastplate of Righteousness
Feet Shod with Preparation of Gospel
Sheild of Faith
Helmet of Salvation
Sword of the Spirit (Word of God)
Picture if you can a knight in armour: the first five of the above pieces of armour are defensive weapons -- but
the Sword itself is a defensive as well as an offensive weapon. By immersing our minds in the Word of God, we are
not only preparing for a defensive battle (defending our spirits against the seige of the enemy), but we also are
actually fighting an offensive battle against the enemy by not allowing any strikes to penetrate the "force
field" that the Word of God places around us. The only part of our battle uniform which can be used as a weapon
against the enemy is the "Sword". Is it no wonder that Jesus, when tempted by Satan, came back and fought
the battle with the Word of God. (Luke 4:1-13 "And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan,
and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, Being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did
eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered. And the devil said unto him, If thou be the Son of
God, command this stone that it be made bread. And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not
live by bread alone, but by every word of God. And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, shewed unto
him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give
thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it. If thou therefore
wilt worship me, all shall be thine. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is
written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. And he brought him to Jerusalem, and
set him on a pinnacle of the temple, and said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down from hence:
For it is written, He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee: And in their hands they shall bear
thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. And Jesus answering said unto him, It is said, Thou
shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. And when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from him for a season.")
You can see from the very beginning that Jesus was prepared and "fitted" for the attack of the enemy.
How was he prepared?
1. He was full of the Holy Ghost. He had just been baptized and the Holy Ghost had desceneded upon Him like a dove.
Those that are full of the Holy Ghost are well-armed against the attacks of the enemy.
2. Jesus had just returned from Jordan where He was baptized and where God had declared "This is my beloved
Son in whom I am well pleased." This confidence that God was pleased with Him helped prepare Him for battle.
When we have had the most intimate and sweet communion with God, and feel God's approval upon us, we may expect
that the enemy will be allowed to attack so that the power of God's grace may be manifested and magnified in our
lives.
3. He was "led into the wilderness" like a champion into the field for the battle to conquer the enemy.
Jesus had just completed a 40-day fast in the wilderness whe he had taken his entire time and devoted it to meditation
and communion with the Father. This prepared him for Satan's assaults and fortified against them. He continued
his fast during the time of the greatest temptation keeping his body under subjection. The more we keep under the
body, and bring it into subjection, the less advantage Satan has against us.
The consequences of Jesus' actions against the enemy:
1. Because he would not do what Satan bade him do, he never appeared that there had been a compact between him
and the prince of the devils. Note, we must not do any thing that looks like giving place to the devil.
2. Jesus wrought miracles for the ratification of his doctrine, and therefore till he began to preach he would
not begin to work miracles. He stood firm in the face of temptation never yeilding to what would have appeared
to be common sense in the situation.
3. He would not work miracles for himself and his own supply, lest he should seem impatient of hunger, whereas
he came not to please himself, but to suffer grief, and that grief among others; and because he would show that
he pleased not himself, he would rather turn water into wine, for the credit and convenience of his friends, than
stones into bread, for his own necessary supply.
4. He would reserve the proof of his being the Son of God for later and risk being misunderstood and even considered
an unfit opponent by the enemy.
5. He would not do any thing that looked like distrust of his Father, or acting separately from him, or any thing
disagreeable to his present state.
How many times do we rush ahead of God and try to work out our own battles in our own way, not allowing God to
show Himself strong in the midst of our situation or battle?
Jesus used the "Sword of the Spirit" to fight His battle by proclaiming, "It is written ..
. ". Jesus held His ground and thus ended all the temptation. The battle was over and the enemy was defeated
and retreated from the battlefield for a season. He had finished the defensive part of this battle. Now he went
into battle in an offensive battle by preaching the Word, performing miracles, strategy which the enemy could neither
resist nor repel. Because of the victory during temptation, Jesus went in the power of the Spirit to proclaim the
Gospel.
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