We make plans for almost every area of our life—except where it matters most. As followers of Christ, we have an enemy who wants to steal, kill, and destroy, but God gave us the power to fight back. With God’s help, we can build a strategy to win over the warfare we face. This plan will give you new tools against the enemy’s attacks, preparing you for what’s ahead!Changed Women’s Ministries
Day 1
Scriptures: Genesis 3:1-7, Hebrews 4:12, Matthew 4:1-11
The Enemy Never Changes
Our enemy, Satan, is not creative. He cannot create new ways to attack you. He uses the same weapons to fight against us every time. While Satan’s lies feel personal and direct, nothing he says is original.
His goal is to challenge you to doubt God and can cause you to question your identity. This attack can seem like a two-fold attack, but really, causing you to question your identity and getting you to doubt God are two sides of the same coin.
While these lies feel like a new attack in your life, they are simply the old lies he told Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden.
Did God really say that’s a sin? Is that really as bad as God says it is?
He aimed to cause doubt with his lies and divide Adam and Eve from God’s truth.
Satan used this same attack, questioning Jesus’ authority and identity by challenging Him when Jesus was alone. “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”
The lies he told Jesus are similar to the lies he tells you.
Are you really God’s masterpiece?Are you really God’s beloved?Are you really redeemed?
If Satan can make you question who you are, you may start to doubt whose you are.Instead of focusing on what God says about you, you’ll begin chasing what friends think of you, who social media says you are, and what others say about you.
When the enemy questions your identity, your answer is crucial. Disagree with the lies, and fill yourself with God’s truth.
While Satan’s lies are unoriginal, Hebrews 4:12 shows us God’s word is “alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword.”
When you feel doubt creeping in, challenging your identity in Christ, remind yourself who God says you are. You can combat Satan’s lies with God’s truth, but to do that, you must know God’s truth.
Today, choose to fight against the lies of the enemy by creating a firm foundation in truth by meditating on God’s Word.
It’s time to sharpen your sword.
Day 2
Scriptures: 2 Corinthians 10:1, John 10:10, Psalms 103:12
Stop Giving the Enemy Weapons
“The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” (2 Corinthians 10:1)
You might be thinking, I have worked hard to demolish these strongholds; why am I still struggling? Satan’s only goal is to “steal, kill, and destroy” (John 10:10). He will try to weaponize your words by attacking your inner dialogue, sink you in shame, and prevent you from sharing God’s truth and your testimony. He will try to make you doubt God’s promises for your life.
Remember, God “has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west” (Psalm 103:12). While you’ve already been forgiven and can forgive others, you may find it hard to forgive yourself. As we explored yesterday, we give the enemy power when we respond to his lies with anything other than God’s truth. Satan’s weapons are rendered useless if you can let go of what God has already forgiven and forgive yourself.
The adulterous woman, in John 8, had already been forgiven by Jesus long before she was ever brought before Him. While she was forgiven and saved from others casting stones, we often cast stones upon ourselves.
Have you forgiven yourself for your past, or do you continue to condemn yourself? Rest easy knowing that the shame of your past is gone. You are fully redeemed, forgiven, and freed. What words do you give power to just by speaking them? In trying to be humorous, we can sometimes say things we don’t necessarily believe. It feels easier to tell a half-truth than to commit to God’s truth fully, but it doesn’t win the war. If your words don’t align with God’s truth, it might be time to stop talking.
Instead of facing the battle with the same battle plan, focus on prayer, fasting, and meditating on God’s Word. Like David, present all your emotions to God. Cry out to Him. Worry with Him. Cast your anger to Him.
If you go to God first, it brings you closer to Him. But if you turn to friends first, it can cause harm. When we seek validation and resolution from others, it can lead to rebelliousness and sin. The more you present your emotions to God, the easier and more rewarding the practice gets over time.
Decide today to take every thought captive, making it obedient to Christ. If you intentionally capture your thoughts and speak words that reflect God’s truth, the enemy has nothing against you.
Day 3
Scriptures: 2 Corinthians 10:4, Daniel 9:20-23, 1 Peter 5:8
Prayer is Battle
Spiritual warfare isn’t a spotlight for the enemy; it’s acknowledging that we have an enemy and placing a spotlight on the victory we already have in Jesus. We can often lose sight of what God did for us in a season of warfare and focus on what Satan did to us. We overlook who God is, who He calls us to be, and the weapons He has already prepared for us (2 Corinthians 10:4).
You may think prayer is passive, but it’s the opposite—praying truth is battle, and it will save you. In the Bible, David called out to the Lord and was saved from his enemies. If you haven’t called on God in prayer, you are wielding your own weapons. How many times have you tried to fight on your own with wasted effort?
Maybe you feel insecure turning to prayer; perhaps you find it hard to trust, are struggling with pride, or are striving to control. Prayer is part of the battle because prayer activates heaven. In Daniel, the moment he began praying, a command was given in heaven, and an angel came with answers.
Right now, decide to give it to God in complete surrender and focus on talking to Him more than anyone else. He is the one who knows everything and wants us to come to Him. Be alert and sober of mind (1 Peter 5:8), staying close to the one who protects so you will know the truth.
When you work to understand God’s word and continue to grow closer to Christ, you learn:
You are fully known and deeply loved.You are chosen.And, in Christ, you are worthy.
Day 4
Scriptures: Psalms 4:8, Matthew 8:23-27, Psalms 23:1-3, Matthew 18:20
Less Obvious Weapons
We have a whole arsenal of weapons we can use in times of war. We can choose love, forgiveness, serving others, and creating rhythms of rest. Jesus modeled all of these as a perfect example. He demonstrated the love we can give others by forgiving us from His position on the cross and showing compassion despite our ignorance.
How can we take back the battleground? By forgiving yourself and those who hurt you. Forgiveness puts God back at the center, freeing you to live life to the full (John 10:10). It will likely be difficult, but you will not see redemption without forgiveness. Without forgiveness, the war could be lost.
Maybe the enemy is trying to distract you from God’s calling on your life by trying to convince you that you are selfish or will never have enough. Serving will change your perspective. Serving gives you a front-row seat to the battles others are facing. While your battle doesn’t disappear entirely, if you are meeting a need, you become less concerned with what you don’t have or your current situation.
In the Bible, Joseph was committed to serving others, even when it landed him in jail. Serving placed Joseph in positions and places to find freedom. Joseph was where he was meant to be, even if culture told him differently. By choosing to serve others, God saved Joseph’s family and His people.
Your life may feel like it is on fast-forward; there are always things to clean, errands to run, and work to be done. Rest during warfare doesn’t sound like much of a weapon, but we see Jesus do just this on a boat in the middle of a storm (Matthew 8:23-27). While everyone else was worried, anxious, and fearful of what they were facing, Jesus wasn’t.
If we don’t rest in the middle of a battle, we can forget who is in charge. Rest shifts our mindset, reminding us that we’re not in control and don’t need to be. The Bible promises that God will lead you beside still waters and restore your soul so you can be refreshed even as you walk through the valley of the shadow of death (Psalm 23:1-6). Not in the absence of hard things but through them. Choose to rest in Him and trust Him fully while in the middle of the storm.
Rest restores your body and gives your mind a moment of peace. In war, soldiers will take turns keeping watch and staying alert so others can rest.Jesus tells us in Matthew 18:20, “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, I am there among them.” Don’t fight alone. Invite others to keep watch; once you have rested, it is your turn to watch for others.
The battle isn’t as overwhelming when you share the burdens and the breaks with others. The way through warfare is forgiveness, serving, rest, and community.
Day 5
Scriptures: Galatians 6:9, John 16:33, James 4:14, Ephesians 6:11-13
Warfare in Peaceful Times
If you aren’t coming out of a season of spiritual warfare, you are likely going into one. What you do during peaceful times will drastically affect how you battle. Study scripture, stay prayerful, and find community that points you to God’s word when you’re having trouble hearing His voice. Don’t wait until you need it to prepare for it.
“Let us not become weary in doing good” (Galatians 6:9). Continue to draw close to God in times of war and peace. Lean into a continued intimacy with God, a continued passion for being in His word, and continue to learn and share the Word of God with others.
Don’t let the bitterness from battle steal the peace God has for you and the joy in your journey.
In times of peace, you get to spend uninterrupted time with Jesus. You can sit with and love Him for who He is, not just what He can do for you. Once you fully turn off the demands of this world, you can deepen your intimacy and grow in your relationship with Him. As you spend time with Him without expectations, you can begin to change your expectations of Him. When you can depend on God during times of peace, it reminds you of exactly who He is during times of warfare.
Jesus promises that if you are in this world, you will have trouble, but we can take heart in the knowledge that Jesus came to overcome the world (John 16:33). If you prepare in seasons of peace, you will be battle-ready when the war comes.
God warns us that tomorrow isn’t guaranteed (James 4:14), so remind yourself daily to put on the whole armor of Christ (Ephesians 6:11-13), whether in battle or not. When you stay in a continued state of readiness, entirely dependent on Him, you’re prepared, no matter what.
Day 6
Scriptures: Luke 22:42, 2 Corinthians 12:9, Job 13:15-16, Job 23:10-12
Purpose Over Pain
Emotional, physical, and relational pain are all a part of spiritual warfare.
In the book of Job, we read about God allowing the enemy to test His servant, Job, through warfare. Despite his frustrations and pain, Job continued to put his hope in the Lord, trust His promises, and persevere through it all.
Jesus knew that he was going to die a painful death and that the cross was coming, but He responded to the call by declaring to God: Your will not mine, be done (Luke 22:42). He knew that despite the pain, He had a purpose.
When you push through the pain, like Job and Jesus, you’ll find a deeper intimacy with God and strength in His promises for you. When we focus solely on who God is and what God is calling us to do, we can respond to His call despite the challenges that come our way.
Your purpose is stronger than your pain. Focusing on your purpose releases you from your past and frees you to use your story to help others. What purpose are you called to beyond the pain?
Spiritual warfare doesn’t come without scars; the skin around a healed wound is tougher and stronger. Don’t let the enemy shame you from showing your scars. The scars from your battles tell your story; when shared, your story gives God glory and brings purpose to your pain. Jesus showed He overcame the grave and declared His victory by showing His scars. Your scars can be a tool to bring others to their purpose and inspire them to push through their pain.
When we show our scars, we stay vulnerable to others. When we can be vulnerable with others, we show them they can be vulnerable with God.
You are a survivor; don’t keep it to yourself. Show your scars, share your story, and help others through the battles they are facing. Your testimony is a promise that they, too, can find purpose in their pain.