Spiritual Warfare is real, dear friends.

And today, I was fiercely attacked by the enemy.

I can’t go in to the details about it, but let’s go back to this past Saturday where our story begins.

On Saturday, I went to a women’s mini-retreat at my church called “Rest in Him”. We talked about what real rest in the Lord looks like and how we spend our time. We learned about the ways that Satan tricks us into thinking that there are more important things to spend our time on than our relationship with the Lord. Real good stuff, a great catalyst for everything that happened the rest of the week.

Sunday I started a new Bible study with some friends about spiritual warfare and the armor of God in Ephesians 6. We talked in depth about why this study was important for us at this time, and how Satan attacks, and the things that he tells us to make us believe that a life with God is not a life worth living. Again, great stuff that really fueled me along with some good personal prayer time to get serious about my personal time and relationship with God.

Throughout the week, I have been waking up early each day to do my armor of God study and have been learning about the ways in which Satan tricks us and works against us and attacks us. At the end of the devotion for the day, we do what is called “actionable intel”. Basically it’s a military term that means to name what your enemy is doing to attack you and based on that to come up with a plan to combat it.

On Tuesday at my other Bible study (Bible Study Fellowship), the lecture was full of info about Satan and spiritual warfare and we called out Satan for being the father of all lies and that he is the root of the evil running rampant in this world.

So each day, I have been learning more about who the enemy is and how to fight against him. I am sure he’s sitting on his throne of lies (you’re welcome ‘Elf’ fans) waiting for his demons to come back and give him an update on me.

Demon 1: “Master, that Jami girl is learning an awful lot about you. Not only that, she is coming up with way to fight against you and your schemes!” 

Satan: “Curses! I will not have this! Let’s get her real good this week! Hit her right where it hurts the most – we know what that is!” 

God: “Go ahead and test my daughter, Fallen One, I know my child will turn to me and not give into darkness. She and I have been spending some quality time together lately, and I’ve equipped her for this.”

BAM! Thursday hits, and I feel like I had the spiritual wind knocked out of me. While in the moment, I might have given into the temptation to be frustrated and upset, in the end my actionable intel came in handy.

I did the only things I could think of to do. I prayed. I read scripture. I talked with my little army of believers. And because of that, I feel peace. Not because I know what the outcome will be, but because I’ve sought God in it and know that regardless of what happens, he’s holding me.

Do you know the other reason I have peace? It’s because I have the greatest news for you my friends – THE VICTORY HAS ALREADY BEEN WON THROUGH JESUS! That’s right? Even though Satan is a crafty, deceptive little sucker – he is not the winner in the end! He has no power over us! The same power that won us that victory over death and Satan’s reign on earth is the SAME power that lives in us and is given to us through the gift of the Holy Spirit! We have the power to say one simple word and Satan and his demons will run from the hills!

While we will face the attacks of the enemy here on earth, we know that we have the final say through Jesus Christ! Praise God! Holy Spirit, come!