Don't Give the Devil Any Ground

Let me let you in on a little secret friends.....the devil hates obedience.  That devil is a sneaky little thing.  He will sneak up on us when we least expect it.  We can just be going along, minding our own business and then WHAM!!!   He knows how to get into our thoughts.  He knows how to get our focus on all the wrong things.    He knows how to twist our words and the words of others.  He knows how to make us doubt. He knows how to come after us and wear us down until we give up. When we are walking out God's call on our lives...the devil hates it.

So what do we do when we have a ginormous bulls-eye on our backs?  What do we do when the attacks of the enemy just keep coming and coming?  The first thing to do is to recognize that it's the enemy coming after you.  Once you recognize that it's him......refuse to give him any ground in your life.  Every time that you have a thought that makes you feel like you can't keep going or that you are not enough, take it to the Lord and ask Him to help you.   When things start to feel too hard, rest in who God is and trust that He has a perfect plan for you.  Get into God's Word and let Him remind you of His truth about your situation.

We can also combat the attacks of the enemy by being intentional about focusing on Jesus.  We should do everything we can to get some quiet time every day.  It doesn't have to look perfect and sometimes we can only get in five minutes, but being intentional about it helps us to set our minds on Him.  We can listen to worship music.  I know that not everyone is music driven like I am but I am here to tell you....if I am having a bad day...I try to turn on some good worship music.  You can't sing about Jesus without it lifting your spirits a little.  Another thing I like to listen to is the truth being spoken to me.  There are three spoken word "songs" that I listen to on a regular basis....especially when I am feeling defeated.  They are all by Steven Furtick.  If you listen to the words, it will remind you that God has you....and the enemy doesn't.  They are I Will Fight, I Can Handle It, and Do It Again.  These are also good when you are out walking but I assure you that your neighbors will look at you crazy when you are fist pumping the air.

One very important thing that we can do when we feel like we are under attack, is to reach out.  When the enemy is coming at us, sometimes he makes us think it would be easier to retreat inside of ourselves.  To curl up in a ball somewhere and just wait for things to pass.  That's exactly what the devil wants.  When you least want to be around people, is when you call a friend and ask them to have coffee.  You call a friend and ask if they have a few minutes for you to talk about how you feel like you are fighting a losing battle.  Maybe you are at a place where you can't call, then send a text.  Ask them to pray for you.  Sometimes just knowing that someone is battling the enemy with you is enough to calm your spirit.

So for those of you trying your best to walk the road God has asked you to walk, keep your head up.  You got this.  You can handle it...and don't ever let the devil convince you otherwise.