Any smart soldier in battle takes his role very seriously. He needs to train both his body and mind for the perils of war and the wiles of the enemy if he will come out victorious. He needs to know his own weakness, the strengths and strategies of his enemy, and where his strength comes from.
If he fails to follow protocol and the commands from his commander, it could mean danger for him and his platoon and even cost them their lives.
The same is true for Christians who are soldiers in God’s army. We have to put on the full armor of God to stand against the schemes of Satan and fight for the truth of God. In Ephesians 6:10-20, the apostle Paul calls Christians to wear the protective armor of God and wield the spiritual weapons given to us.
We put the spiritual armor of God on spiritually and engage in spiritual warfare by applying truth, living righteously, proclaiming the gospel of peace, taking up the shield of faith, donning salvation as a helmet, and fighting with God’s Word as our sword.
This blog post seeks to equip all of us for our spiritual battles.
Here are 30 practical strategies to put on the full armor of God:
- Start the day in the Word and in prayer asking God for His help and strength throughout the day.
- Memorize Scripture to keep your sword sharp.
- Saturate yourself in the Bible: God’s Word is truth that fights against the father of lies.
- Analyze activities/thoughts in your life that increase your faith, and include those activities in your life whenever you can.
- Analyze activities/thoughts that harm your faith, and avoid them whenever you can.
- Sing Psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs and thus let the truth and Word of Christ dwell in you richly.
- Ask God to fight for you and help you be “strong in the Lord…”
- Preach the Gospel to yourself daily.
- Preach the Gospel to others whenever God gives you the opportunity.
- Pray at all times in the Holy Spirit.
- Ask the Holy Spirit for help in putting on the armor and using the Sword of the Spirit.
- Analyze the schemes of the enemy and how, when, and where he has attacked in the past.
- Anticipate the flaming arrows of the enemy, and practice using your sword (the Bible) to fight them.
- Be always watchful and vigilant. You can’t get comfortable; you are always on duty in the Christian life. Your armor doesn’t naturally stay on if you aren’t continually renewing your mind.
- Regularly thank God for the salvation and victory provided to you in Christ.
- Meditate on the grace of Christ, which teaches us to live righteously (Titus 2:11-12).
- Take joy in the triumph of God over Satan that is promised to believers.
- Meditate on the future glory that you will share with Christ.
- Use Scripture in evangelism to penetrate the darkness in which the lost live.
- Consistently remind yourself of your lack of strength and need to cast yourself on God’s strength.
- Speak God’s Word to other believers for their encouragement and strength.
- Have consistent fellowship with other believers to encourage one another in the fight.
- Cultivate close accountability relationships where you are able to fight alongside friends in the battle.
- Pray for all the saints and ministers to stand firm in the battle against the enemy.
- Pray that the proclamation of the Gospel by saints would be clear, bold, and reach many unbelievers with the good news of Jesus Christ.
- Remember that people are not your enemy, but rather “the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12).
- Remember past victories against sin and the enemy. Use them as a reminder to the power of God and your ability to stand firm in the faith.
- Ask God to develop in you a deeper desire to be strong in Him at all times and to help you be consistent in protecting yourself to stand firm.
- Brainstorm the lies you have believed about a certain issue and write them on a sheet of paper in one column. In the next column, write the corresponding biblical truth. Meditate on this truth and practice fighting off lies you will encounter.
- Remind yourself that the power of the Holy Spirit is greater than the power of sin and ask the Spirit to control your life.
One-Minute Video: Praying the Lord’s Prayer in Spiritual Warfare.
Learn more about prayer in my book When Prayer Is a Struggle: A Practical Guide for Overcoming Obstacles in Prayer.
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Thank you for the labor of love in the body of Christ. I would only add a thought. Paul told Timothy in 2 Tim. 2:4 “No soldier in active service entangles himself in the affairs of everyday life, so that he may please the one who enlisted him as a soldier.”
It’s so easy to get caught up in the gory details of what is going on in this world. From ISIS to the abortion and homosexual issues. We, as Christians, need to realize our battle is not with flesh and blood, but against evil spirits of darkness. When we pray in the Spirit and take authority over the enemy, that is where the real battles are won. Jesus said, “Behold I give unto authority to tread upon serpents and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy. And nothing will be any means harm you!” Luke 10:19
We speak the mighty Word of God to pull down strongholds, cast down imaginations and ever high thing that tries to exalt itself against the knowledge of God and we are bringing into captivity every thought to obey the Messiah. I know you covered a good bit of this in your article. But God’s people are still becoming entangled in the affairs of civilian life.
May the Peace of God guard your heart and your mind in Christ Jesus.
Your 30 Strategies are very good. Please write an example on how to use the Sword of the Spirit. Everyone knows it’s the Word of God but people need real application! : )
use jesus being tempted as an example, he defeated the devil by simply quoting scripture. .the devil also can quote scripture, this means if you dont have verses memorized you are easy prey for temptation, you cant defend yourself. so you keep the sword sharp by reading and memorizing key verses. .so example if a person has thoughts of depression and being alone, there are verses to soothe the soul but if this person doesnt know them they sink deeper in despair.
so the “real application ” is simply memorized verses that you keep in the holster ready for battle.