Fight Evil through Spiritual Warfare

God calls all Christians, regardless of gender, to engage in the spiritual battles that take place every day in our fallen world.  But women can be particularly successful in the war against evil, because they tend to be sensitive to the spiritual realm, and they're often committed to helping those they love by praying for them.

If you're a woman who's ready to use the power of prayer to fight evil, enter the battle that's happening around you with the confidence that God is on your side.  Here's how you can fight evil through spiritual warfare:

Recognize the reality of evil at work around you.  

Always keep in mind that Satan and his demons are real and active in our fallen world; don't be deceived by thinking that evil doesn't affect your life and the lives of those you love.  Ask God to give you the ability to discern evil at work in the various situations you encounter. 

Allow yourself to feel indignation at the evil oppression you notice around you.  Let your desire to see what's right replace what's wrong motivate you to engage in spiritual warfare.  If you're wondering whether or not a particular trial you're experiencing is due to God's correction or an evil attack, keep in mind that God's correction is marked by conviction about an attitude or deed, a call to repentance, an assurance of forgiveness, and a restoration of a sense of value as God's child, while an evil attack is marked by accusation, condemnation, depression, hopelessness, and destroyed self-esteem.

Make prayer a top priority. 

Adjust your schedule to make the time you'll need to pray through spiritual warfare issues regularly.  Let go of unnecessary activities in your life that take up valuable time you could otherwise be spending in prayer.  Eliminate distractions so you can focus on what matters most from an eternal perspective.

Be confident. 

Realize that, while you are vulnerable to evil whenever you choose not to obey God or draw upon the strength He offers you, you can always win over evil if you rely on God's power working through you, since God's power is far greater than evil's power.  Be confident that you can triumph in spiritual battles if you make use of God's provisions and obey His instructions.

Use the Bible's truth to fight evil's lies. 

God's Word, the Bible, contains great power to combat the enemy's lies with the truth.  Ask God to help you gain a deeper understanding of the Bible and build an arsenal of biblical verses to use during spiritual warfare.

Go for prayer walks. 

Walk around the physical places over which you're praying for evil spirits to flee and the Holy Spirit to influence.  Travel in pairs, and while you walk, ask the Holy Spirit to reveal what evil is doing there.  Then bind evil's work and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal the truth about Jesus to the people there.  Cover places such as schools, parks, government buildings, stores, offices, restaurants, nightclubs, and residential neighborhoods.  Declare that God will be victorious over evil in each place you walk.

Be disciplined.  

Rather than rushing into spiritual warfare, always make time to sense the Holy Spirit's leading and follow it one step at a time, trusting the Spirit for continued guidance on the right strategy and timing.  Prepare yourself to engage in spiritual battles by fasting, controlling your thoughts so they reflect biblical truth, and praying for the Holy Spirit to renew your mind.  Be patient when you encounter hardship while battling evil; continue to trust God through difficulty.  Pray for the self-control you need to avoid sinning through the words you speak (such as through gossiping, lying, or complaining) and to speak Spirit-led words to people instead.

Use the weapons God gives you. 

Besides your primary weapon - the Bible - God also makes other powerful weapons available to you to use in spiritual warfare.  Use the name of Jesus with authority over evil when you're in a right relationship with Jesus and speaking directly to evil, commanding it to leave.  Appropriate Jesus' shed blood on the Cross as protection from evil.  Praise God often, remembering that He empowers you and helps you fight evil from a position of victory rather than defeat.  Make a habit of worshipping God, waiting in His presence until He makes you aware of something from the Bible to use in warfare against evil, and then using Scripture to fight along with whatever other weapons God leads you to use.  Pray in agreement with other believers when possible, to strengthen the power of your prayers.

Close doors that evil can enter. 

Make sure that you're not giving Satan access to your life through doors such as: sin that you haven't confessed and repented from, limited knowledge of God's Word and purposes, failure to spend time in prayer, fatigue, immaturity, a preoccupation with yourself rather than serving God, tension in your relationships with other people, and inadequate prayer coverage over you from other believers.  Pay special attention to your relationships with your family at home, like your spouse and children, since strife with them can make you all vulnerable to evil.  Intercede for them regularly and do all you can to build relationships with them that honor God.

Break bondages. 

Ask the Holy Spirit to make you aware of any issues that may be putting you in bondage to evil, such as: generational sin, unforgiveness, grief, bitterness, addictions, a negative self-image, illicit sexual activity, and occult involvement. Confess and repent of any sins the Spirit reveals to you, and renounce those sins going forward.  Accept God's forgiveness for yourself, and forgive other people who have hurt you.  Ask the Holy Spirit to help you break sinful thought and behavior patterns in your life so you can live a healthier and more faithful life.

Don't give up. 

Never give up fighting a spiritual battle until you sense that God has given you the victory over evil in the situation. Trust God to accomplish His will - not your own - in the right way and at the right time.

Adapted from A Woman's Guide to Spiritual Warfare: Protect Your Home, Family and Friends from Spiritual Darkness, copyright 2010 by Quin Sherrer and Ruthanne Garlock. Published by Regal Books, a division of Gospel Light, Ventura, Ca., www.regalbooks.com.

Quin Sherrer has written or co-authored 28 books (primarily with Ruthanne Garlock), has spoken to television audiences in 40 states and 12 nations, and has been a guest on more than 300 radio and television programs addressing topics of prayer, hospitality, miracles, and personal renewal.  Quin lives in Niceville, Florida, and serves on the leadership team of the Northwest Florida Area Aglow.  She has three children and six grandchildren. 

Ruthanne Garlock is a Bible teacher and author with a varied background in international ministry to 35 nations.  She has co-authored (with Quin Sherrer) 19 books on prayer and related subjects.  Ruthanne lives in the Texas Hill Country and continues traveling and teaching on prayer and spiritual warfare for seminars, churches, and women's groups.  She has three children and four grandchildren. 

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