No Longer a Casualty of War
“For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh.” 2 Corinthians 10:3
Hey mama,
I hope you are enjoying our time together as we dig into our series on the Armor of God! I sure am! It’s my prayer that your eyes are being opened to the spiritual battle raging all around you as you spend time with God in prayer and that you are becoming more aware of the enemy’s activity in your life. Not only just becoming more aware of it but gaining the necessary tools to combat the evil forces at work all around you.
Last Thursday, we dug a little deeper into praying for an awareness of the enemy’s schemes in our marriage. I pray that you have had some moments to sit still with God and listen to what He reveals to you, and you are one step closer to stopping the enemy in his tracks!
Last time we were together we discussed how our first line of defense must be prayer. Today we will develop a prayer strategy for ourselves and for our children. Because let’s face it - when you are a mama, you’re never just concerned about yourself. Our children and the weight of their worries also consume our hearts.
In our beginning post in the Armor series, we discussed ten strategies of the enemy from Priscilla Shirer’s Armor of God study. If you missed that post you can find it here.
Mama – rest assured that the enemy is masterfully crafty at paying attention to the areas that can ensnare us. He is careful to consider our current situations, paying close attention to our weaknesses, strengths, our past, our interests, and well, honestly everything. Anything that he can use to craft a specific strategy to suck the life out of you is right up his alley.
When we take the time to pay attention to his schemes and spend the time in prayer asking God to open our spiritual eyes to see the enemy at work, we will notice the battles he is waging against us and our family. We will become more aware of the pressure points that he has access to take us down and render us defeated. The strategic battle plan he is crafting will suddenly come into sharp focus through the lens of our spiritual eyes. One thing we must remember is prayer is Satan’s kryptonite. The enemy honestly doesn’t stand a chance against a blood-bought daughter of the Almighty King who takes prayer seriously and fights her battles from a stance of prayer.
However, we will never be victorious against the enemy until we realize that prayer is what activates our armor. We must take it seriously. Prayer weakens and unravels the devil’s attack against us. 2 Corinthians 10:3 says, “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh.”
I love the way Priscilla Shirer puts it. She says, “Once you become aware of the enemy’s strategy and begin to see his handiwork beneath the surface of your most trying life circumstances, you can not only begin to target the right culprit, but you can also start foreseeing some of his intentions and attacks. Then you can be prepared beforehand, giving him little room to make you a casualty of war.”
Wow! I don’t know if you struggle with this but most of the time I feel like a casualty of war – which is not limited to my own issues and circumstances but also manifests in the issues that my children deal with as well. This battle that rages can feel like a deadly war zone.
But did you see it, sweet mama? Did you catch the glimpse of no longer being a casualty of war? Can you feel the shift in the battle when we wear our armor and fight with prayer? Oh, I hope and pray that you can because it is there – it really is!
Heavenly Father,
Thank you for your mercy and grace. Thank you for giving us the necessary tools to not only fight the enemy but to fight victoriously! You are so very good! Open my eyes to see the battle that rages against me as a mama. Open my eyes to see the battle raging against my children. God, I want to go to battle for my children so remove the blinders off my eyes – make me keenly aware of the struggles and temptations that they face – give me wisdom to know how to pray for them. Help me to teach each of my children how to fight their battles the right way. In Jesus Name, Amen.
Reflection:
As we learn to anticipate where the enemy is attacking and will attack next, pray over the questions listed below in your life and your children’s life.
1. What ways or areas in your life do you see as a potential threat to the enemy? In the life of your children? Have you noticed anything that you feel crippled in? Are there any crippling areas/patterns in your children’s life that have stood out?
2. What are your weak areas, your passions, or your fleshly tendencies were Satan could be planning an attack? Now think of your children – what is he or she wrestling with? Are they struggling with fear or anxiety over a particular situation?
3. Keep a close eye on the list that you just made – asking the Holy Spirit to give you wisdom and discernment to spot the enemy a mile away. Pray like a madwoman – whatever you do – pray and be on your guard.