How to Fight Spiritual Attacks: 7 Ways
We lose a little more light every day now. I slip out for my evening walks beneath an underbelly of midnight blue. Not long ago, while walking beneath the canopy of darkness, I began thinking about how to fight spiritual attacks.
I’ve been feeling discouraged in certain areas of my life lately. After weeks of restlessness, I finally recognized that the relentless stream of negative thoughts might be coming from somewhere other than my own mind.
After telling a friend about the thoughts, she said, “Sounds like a spiritual attack to me.”
How to Fight Spiritual Attacks
Like me, you might be feeling discouraged today. Maybe you battle with worry, fear, doubt, or hopelessness.
We are all living in the middle of a spiritual battlefield.
Rulers, authorities, and powers of darkness are waging war on our souls every day. Destructive thoughts, attitudes, and ideas are often Satan’s attacks. He comes to steal, kill, and destroy.
I thought about the battle as I walked down the road, and I remembered a discouraging season that took place a few years ago. After more than a decade of ministering to teen girls, ministry got tough. Wanting to give up, I felt inadequate and unequipped to make an impact on the lives of these young women. On a dark winter night, I cried out to Jesus and asked him to show me what to do.
As I prayed, I sensed that the discouragement was an attack meant to thwart my ministry to the young women.
I also remembered that Jesus rules over every power and authority. Because I belong to Jesus, I can stand under his authority and find victory by speaking his Word.
How to Fight Spiritual Attacks and Win
If you’re facing a spiritual attack today, here are some practical insights to help you learn how to fight spiritual attacks.
1. Stand on God’s Word.
When I felt tempted to give up in ministry, one evening, in the quiet of my bedroom, I whispered the words of Philippians 1:6, which offers the following promise: “He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”
I reminded myself that God would fulfill his purpose for my life and his purpose within the lives of the girls I mentored. Instead of standing on my feelings or listening to the voice that told me to give up, I stood on God’s Word.
From that day forward, every time I felt discouraged, I spoke the words of Philippians 1:6. Eventually, my doubtful mind began to believe God’s Truth, and I found victory in the battle against discouragement.
Spend time reading the Bible. Memorize verses that give you strength. This will help you fight spiritual attacks and find victory.
2. Speak the Word out loud.
In addition to reading and focusing on God’s Word, speaking the Word can help us find victory. The next time you sense you’re under spiritual attack, find a Bible verse to stand on and speak it out loud. If you are a follower of Christ, you have all authority because you are hidden in Christ.
When Jesus died on the cross for us, he defeated Satan’s power over our lives. We can overcome the enemy’s attacks with the power and authority of Jesus.
Furthermore, Jesus offered an example of how to stand against spiritual attacks. When Satan tempted Jesus in the desert, Jesus combated the attacks by speaking Scripture. We can stand against the enemy’s attacks by standing on the Word as well.
3. Claim a Bible verse as a fear-fighting weapon.
After you have found a Bible verse to speak over your situation, I encourage you to write your Bible verse on a notecard or save it on your phone.
Every time you begin to feel defeated today (and beyond), read or speak your verse and thank Jesus for claiming victory for you. Imagine yourself stepping out of the pit of defeat and into the light of victory. Jesus has cleared the way for you.
Speaking the Word is just one way to stand against the attacks of the enemy. This practice has been the most effective spiritual warfare strategy in my life, but I have also benefitted from the following:
4. Soak in worship music daily.
Listening to worship music can change the spiritual atmosphere surrounding us. Turn on worship music when you drive in your car or work in your home. If possible, listen to worship music when you’re at work.
The enemy does not want you to worship God because when your eyes are on Jesus, he receives glory and praise.
5. Bring the battle into the light by telling others and asking for prayer.
When the battle rages around us, we often face shameful thoughts and even self-condemning thoughts. Instead of listening to these thoughts, we find strength by bringing our struggles into the light with others.
Bringing our temptations, fears, and battles into the light often strips their power.
Ask God to lead you to a trusted friend or group of friends or make an appointment with a counselor or pastor. Exposing the enemy’s lies often strips their power.
6. Meditate on Ephesians 6 and put on the armor of God daily.
The Apostle Paul taught the Ephesian church that their battle was not against flesh and blood. It was a spiritual battle. He then described the armor they needed to wear to find victory. Here are his words:
“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist on the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. Stand firm therefore, having belted your waist with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having strapped on your feet the preparation of the gospel of peace; in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Ephesians 6:10-17, NASB).
7. Consistently read the Bible.
I’ve learned that consistently reading the Bible helps me stand on God’s Word. His Word nourishes my soul.
Consistently spending time in God’s Word builds us up and gives us the knowledge and strength we need to stand against the enemy.
~~~
As we continue to fight life’s spiritual battles, finding space to slow down and soak in God’s love can also lead us to victory. My new book will help you do just that. I pray it blesses you deeply.
Learn to Overcome the Enemy’s Primary Battle Tactic With a Free Chapter From My Latest Book:
Do you want to learn to quickly identify and overcome Satan’s primary battle strategy? The enemy wants nothing more than to immobilize you and distract you as he sends his flaming arrows in your direction using this strategy. Download a free chapter of my book, Lean Into Grace, and learn two powerful ways to take the weapon meant to destroy you and turn it back on the enemy. Download it for free right here.
Calling all moms and daughters!
Additionally, my teen daughter, Bekah, and I are passionate about helping moms and daughters grow closer while connecting with God. We have written two mother-daughter devotionals together. Girl to Girl: 60 Mother-Daughter Devotions for a Closer Relationship and Deeper Faith is written for girls ages 7-12. It includes 60 devotions with Scripture, conversation starters, and a shared journaling section after each devotion.
Heart to Heart: A Mother-Daughter Devotional With 50 Devotions for Teen Girls is for teenage girls ages 13-20. It includes 50 devotions, each with a shared journaling section to help moms and daughters connect through writing. This is a great book for moms who want to communicate about awkward topics—like dating, purity, peer pressure, and more—but don’t know where to start. We will help you!
Multitudes of mothers, daughters, mentors, and younger women are being transformed by these books! You can buy them as paperbacks or get your free Kindle Unlimited eBooks on Amazon right here.
