Day Five: Be Prepared

My dad, ready for a victory on the court

“Get ready! This is the day the Lord will give you victory over ________

for the Lord is marching ahead of you.”

Judg. 4:14, NLT

You fill in the blank. The Lord wants to give you victory over whatever spiritual enemy you fight today. However, you have to be an active participant in the battle. No solider would think of going to war without preparing first – stocking weapons, practice and physical training, studying enemy tactics, and mentally preparing to face the enemy. Why would we think spiritual warfare is any different?

Arm yourself: There are only two weapons listed in the Bible to fight against Satan and his demon army – prayer and the Word of God. When we spend time in God’s presence every day reading and contemplating the Bible and responding to Him in prayer, He equips us for war. Without them, we run naked onto the battlefield of life and are vulnerable to every arrow aimed at us by the enemy.

Practice and fitness: David was able to slay Goliath because he practiced hurling stones from his slingshot on a regular basis. He had killed a lion and a bear before, so the nine foot Philistine wasn’t that big of a threat. How can we stay physically fit for our BIG fights? By saying no to temptations that sneak up on us every day, taking aim at the lies that insult our faith with smooth stones of truth, and strengthening our faith on the mountains and valleys we travel in life.

Studying enemy tactics: Are you familiar with how Satan works? If not, how can you fight effectively against him? The Bible tells us he likes to disguise himself as a good guy. He often uses scripture out of context to confuse and convince us that what’s wrong is right. He’s good at appealing to our desire for sensual gratification. He doesn’t always hit us with frontal attacks; he’d rather ambush us when we’re not expecting it.

Mental preparation: Any soldier who goes to the war zone without giving thought to what he will do when he encounters the enemy is an idiot. We must prepare our minds for possible scenarios and practice role playing, asking God for guidance. Jesus told us that in this world we would face trouble and suffering and persecution. So we need to think about how we will respond when those things happen.

Ephesians 6 tells us about the armor God has equipped us with to enter battle. So let’s get ready so we can win the victory.