Do you live with the mindset that accepts that attacks are inevitable? So often, that is our issue. We don’t anticipate attacks, therefore, when they come they completely throw us off. God’s Word allows us to understand that we will be attacked. His Word also provides us everything we need to overcome. Read for 5 tips on how to press through attacks.
1. Anticipate attacks.
Adjust your mindset and accept that attacks are inevitable. As you read God’s Word, you will quickly see that God’s children face attacks. The moment you become apart of God’s family, you have entered into a spiritual war. Don’t take it personal and wonder why things are happening to you, but remember:
It’s not personal. It’s all spiritual.
I Peter 4:12 provides spiritual insight:
“Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:
As followers of Christ, we must anticipate attacks, and accept the truth that we will suffer for His name’s sake. That’s not the end, though. Verse 13 provides further insight and encouragement:
“But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy”
Our suffering is only for a season.
If you are in a season of suffering, facing various attacks; I encourage you to take a look at some of God’s children. Consider David or Joseph. Both of their life stories provide much encouragement. They were both chosen and called by God, yet we are able to see the various attacks they faced. We are also able to see how God used it all for good. Though attacks don’t feel good, they are apart of the process and apart of God’s plan for us. Anticipate attacks and remember that God works all things for your good [Romans 8:28].
2. Prepare for attacks.
After we adjust our mindset and realize that attacks are apart of our Christian life, we must prepare for attacks. How do we do that?
By spending time with God daily.
Daily time with God strengthens our inner-spirit man, renews our mind, and develops our spiritual sight. When we spend time with God, we grow in understanding things from a spiritual perspective. God is all-powerful and all-knowing, and by simply spending time with Him, He deposits His ways and His wisdom into us.
Spending time in His Word allows us to get to know Him better. We grow in understanding His ways as well as His nature. This insight allows us to discern His work from the enemy’s work.
God’s truth arms us against attacks from the evil one.
It’s very easy to devalue spending time with God, but spending time with God must be our #1 priority in this life. God prepares us for the attacks that He knows are coming our way.
3. Pray.
Prayer is an effective preventative maintenance strategy, as well as one to rely on while in the midst of trouble. Prayer requires honesty, and honesty breeds honesty. Pray to God about how you feel, as well as what you’re experiencing. This creates the space for God to speak directly to your issues. So often, we hold back, cover up, or even lie during our prayers; not realizing that we’re only hurting and hindering ourselves.
God knows everything. Honest prayers open the door to our deliverance.
We must realize that we aren’t informing God of anything new when we pray, we are simply expressing to Him where we’re at. God, being the perfect Heavenly Father that He is, will always respond to our prayers with exactly what we need. He may not give us exactly what we want, but He will always give us exactly what we need. We must also pray for the ability to hear, understand, and submit to His will.
Praying must be combined with reading God’s Word, because as we pray, the Holy Spirit will often remind us of God’s Word right in the midst of our praying. The more we feed ourselves God’s Word, the easier it will be to be directed by it- especially in the midst of an attack.
4. Be quiet.
In John 10:10a, Jesus tells us how our spiritual enemy operates:
“The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy:
One way that he does this is that he causes us to see things the wrong way. He aims to work at the root, knowing that if he gets us to see things the wrong way, then we will inevitably speak the wrong way and do the wrong things.
For this reason, when you feel as though you are under attack, the best thing you can do is:
Be quiet.
This will prevent you from saying something that will only cause damage. Realize that our enemy is spiritual and though he does not have all power [like our God], he does have some power. With his power, he carries out evil schemes destroying. He is so deceptive that he often causes us to destroy ourselves. One way to limit his evil works is to be quiet- especially in times when you feel as though you may be under attack.
5. Stand.
I’m reminded of Ephesians 6:12-13:
“For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.”
Sometimes all we can do is stand.
The fight can be so pressing that sometimes it will take all we have just to stand. In Christ, we have to know that we can do that. The attacks aim to get us to lay down, to yield, to give in. Standing demonstrates that we are not defeated. We have not and we will not give in. We are not of those that draw back, but are of them that believe to the saving of the soul [Hebrews 10:39].
Attacks are inevitable. Accept that, but also believe that you can stand.
Stand in truth, righteousness, the gospel of peace; and above all faith- which will allow you to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. Don’t forget about your salvation in Christ and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Lastly, pray always [Ephesians 6:14-18].
Attacks are inevitable, but we have to know that we’ve been given everything we need to make it to the other side. We never know when or how our deliverance will come, but we do know that God is for us and will never leave us, nor forsake us [Joshua 1:5]. We also know that He works all things for our good [Romans 8:28]. Though we may not always understand the attacks, especially while we’re going through them, we do know that we can always trust Him to see us through.
