How many people do you know won’t go to church for one reason or another? In my last post, I explained why Satan wants to destroy the church. He is effectively dismembering the body of Christ, but most Christians do not realize the unseen war all around them, so they let it go on. It is time to fight for the spiritual life of your fellow Believers and the Church. If you don’t know how to fight demonic forces, I recommend my book called Fighting Unseen Battles.
In my second post of this series, I addressed why people leave the church. Though there are many reasons, the number one reason people leave the church is being offended. Have you been offended by someone or something in the church? What was your natural response when you became offended? Most offended people simply leave the church and lose their faith, which is Satan’s goal for all of us. People are messy, and so is the church. Jesus said in Luke 5:32, “I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.”
Satan causes Believers to Doubt and Walk Away From God
I ended one of my posts with Hebrews 3:12, which states, “Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God.” Doubt is unbelief, which comes from the devil. Unbelief is a sin; otherwise, why would it be called evil? Unbelief is disobedience, as we are all called to believe.
Doubt leads to disobedience. Read in Genesis 3 how Satan deceived Eve into eating the apple. He began by causing her to doubt God, which led to disobedience and separation from God. Satan uses the same tactic. If that does not work, then he uses distraction. I know many young people who grew up in the church, then later believed Satan’s lies, began to doubt, and were lured away from their faith through worldliness. My oldest son is one of those people who stopped believing, and many of my friends and Pastors I know have children who doubted and walked away from their faith.
First, don’t judge them; they need your love. They know how you believe, so preaching to them does not help. Second, pray for God to remove the blinders that Satan has put on them (2Cor. 4:4). Remind God that He promised that His Word would not return void and accomplish what He intended it to do (Is. 55:11). Pray for God to restore them and lead them back to the path of righteousness (Ps. 23:3). Seek your Heavenly Father to keep drawing them to himself. (John 6:44). Don’t give up faith; keep praying for those who fell away from the faith because of doubt and worldliness. Hebrews 11:6 explains, “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” Continue to diligently seek God for your children and for everyone who has fallen away. Keep in mind that you are fighting an unseen war.
A friend said the worst thing she did was encourage her son to go to college. She feels that college caused him to doubt God, now he has walked away from his faith. My youngest son went to college and remained firm in his faith, but my oldest decided he would instead go the way of the world, which caused him to walk away from his faith. Many people doubt God because of unanswered prayers. I wrote a series of posts to expose this topic because I struggled in this area. You can read all my posts in Posts About Prayer. Satan will use any means to cause doubt, which is why we need to take every thought captive and make it obey Christ (2Cor. 10:5).
Lured Away from Our Faith By Worldly Activities
I have known many Christians who skipped church to participate in secular activities. Once in a while is okay, but what often happens is a person can find other activities they would rather do than go to church. For example, my husband is part of a group of guys who shoot at clays. Though the activity is held Sunday morning, he does not miss church but goes right after church and is usually the last group to do the rounds. More and more, sporting competitions are held Sunday mornings and Wednesday nights, which keep the kids and parents from attending church.
Since the pandemic and mandating churches to close their doors, many churches have lost members because the members are either too afraid to go to church or it is easier to do internet/TV church. I explain the danger of not attending church in my first post. Leaving the church for worldly pursuits is a slow fade; it is usually not all at one time. I have written a lot about the dangers of worldliness. Here are two posts, Recognize Worldly Thinking and be Free and Unseen Battle With The Secular World.
I had an inmate in my Bible Study admit to being strong in her faith, and she read her Bible every day. One day, as she watched TV, the Holy Spirit drew her to read her Bible, but she ignored the Holy Spirit and kept watching TV. Soon she stopped reading her Bible altogether and began to hang out with her old friends, who enticed her to get back into using drugs. She said she knew that when she stopped reading her Bible and stopped going to church, that was when Satan enticed her to hang out with her old friends. Now she was in jail again.
CONCLUSION
I could write so much more but I would love to hear what you think about these topics and your experience. I hope you read my other posts for a better understanding and to learn how to fight these unseen battles. I encourage you to buy my book. If you want to know what my book is about read my review post.
I had an incredible revelation as I pondered my last post on Winning the War Against The Church. Most of you probably already know, but for those who don’t, I hope you find my insight enlightening. The Church is not only a group of Believers who come together to worship God, grow in knowledge and grace, and meet the congregation’s needs. The Church is also called the body of Christ. Read the following verses and tell me if my interpretation is wrong. 1Corinthians 12:27 states, “Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.” Also, Ephesians 4:12-16 explains that the church leaders are “to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, 14so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. 15Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 16from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.”
According to Ephesians 4:12-16, the church leaders are to build up and teach their parishioners how to trust in God and grow in the knowledge of Jesus Christ so they can be mature Christians. Mature Christians won’t be deceived by false doctrine and deceitful schemes from false prophets. 1John 4:1 tells us, “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.”
Our focus is to know the truth, so we can speak the truth and grow in the image of our loving Christ Jesus. A mature Christian will help the body of Christ grow in love. If a Believer is divisive and a gossip, they are not acting in love, nor are they mature. When a Christian has damaged emotions from wounds and offenses, they will be spiritually weak. Bitter Christians cannot help the church body grow in love. Your soul wounds from repressed painful memories keep you from maturing emotionally, and they need to be found and healed for your heart to be pure. I wrote a post explaining why we need to purify our hearts, called WHY HEAL YOUR HEART AND PURIFY YOUR SOUL?.
How Is The Church The Body of Christ?
Christ is the head of the Church (1Cor. 11:3 and Eph. 5:23). The passage in 1Corinthians 12:13-22 explains the members of the body of Christ as follows:
“For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit [the Holy Spirit of God].
14For the body does not consist of one member but of many.
15If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body.
16And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body.
17If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell?
18But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose.
19If all were a single member, where would the body be?
20As it is, there are many parts, yet one body. 21The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” 22On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable.”
We need each other. Everyone in the church is essential. The Apostle Paul explains this so well to the Roman Church. Romans 12:3-8, “For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. 4For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, 5so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. 6Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; 7if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; 8the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.”
Satan Wants to Destroy Jesus Christ Who Triumphed Over Him
Satan is trying to defeat the Church because it represents the body of Christ. Satan can’t destroy Jesus because He is seated at the right hand of God the Father, so Satan is working to destroy the Church instead. The Believers of Jesus Christ bear the image of Jesus. 1Corinthians 15:49 shows us, “Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven.” Jesus bears the image of God. Colossians 1:15 explains, “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.” Satan hates God and everything God created. He wants to destroy all that God created (John 10:10). Christian believers are his number one target, so we need to be prepared and learn how to use the armor that God provided for us. Read my series of posts on how to use the armor of God to be victorious. SPIRITUAL WARFARE POSTS
I would love to hear from you, please leave a comment.
All verses are from the English Standard Bible. If you find my posts and website helpful, please share the links with your friends and family, hopeforcompletehealing.com. The information is copyright protected, and no part of the posts or my book may be reproduced without proper citation to Joyce Hanscom.
Check out my first book on Amazon. I would love to hear what you think.
Contact me at hopeforcompletehealing@gmail.com, and ask for a PDF of Eight Prayers from the Bible. The prayers are for the Spirit of wisdom, renewal, spiritual strength, knowledge of His will, virtues of God, non-believers, 23rd Psalm, and victory. I will also send you the Lord’s Prayer Model to pray effectively. Please leave your name, so I know you are a real person making the request.
Do we only have to believe to inherit eternal life? What about those people who believe but do not repent of their sinful life? Will they get to heaven? What does God say? You first must believe and accept forgiveness for your sins, but God’s instructions are clear; we need to seek Him and do what He commands with our whole heart (Ps. 119:10, 34, 69)? Many distractions keep us from seeking God and obeying Him with our whole hearts. So, we first must ask God to show us what they are and then repent. In my life, resentments kept me from obeying God with my whole heart. Other people may be distracted by worldly enticements that draw them away from complete devotion to God. Often we do not make it a priority to please God and bring Him glory. Jesus addresses all these and more in His final word to the seven churches.
Jesus’s final words to the seven churches give us a glimpse of what will be ours if we overcome our sin and Satan’s temptations. The reoccurring theme is to conquer. According to Webster’s dictionary, conquer means getting possession or control of by winning a war. What did the churches need to conquer? What do we need to conquer? For one thing, never forget we are in a perpetual war with the devil who wants to steal, kill, and destroy us. Too often, we forget or ignore this fact to our peril. The following scriptures should put the fear of God in our lives and encourage us to stay in the battle to conquer our spiritual enemy.
To the Church in Ephesus
Rev 2:4, 7, “But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. 7 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.”
To the Church in Smyrna
Rev 2:10-11, “Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days, you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life. 11 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death.”
To the Church in Pergamum
Rev 2:17, “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, with a new name written on the stone that no one knows except the one who receives it.”
To the Church in Thyatira
Rev 2:26-28, “The one who conquers and who keeps my works until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron, as when earthen pots are broken in pieces, even as I myself have received authority from my Father. 28 And I will give him the morning star.”
To the Church in Sardis
Rev 3:5, “The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot his name out of the book of life. I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels.”
To the Church in Philadelphia
Rev 3:10-12, “Because you have kept my word about patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world, to try those who dwell on the earth. 11 I am coming soon. Hold fast what you have, so that no one may seize your crown. 12 The one who conquers, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God. Never shall he go out of it, and I will write on him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down from my God out of heaven, and my own new name.”
To the Church in Laodicea
Rev 3:15-16,21,” ‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! 16 So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. 21The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne.”
Conclusion
Are you aware of the spiritual warfare all around you and the need to conquer it? I wrote a series of posts on spiritual warfare that are found in SPIRITUAL WARFARE POSTS. I hope you are as encourage as I am to continue to fight because once we conquer one battle, we will have another. Jesus will help us. Heb 12:1-4 states, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted. 4 In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.” NEVER GIVE UP; KEEP LOOKING UP.
All verses are from the English Standard Bible unless otherwise indicated. If you find my posts and website helpful, please share the links with your friends and family, hopeforcompletehealing.com. The information is copyright protected. No part of the posts or my book may be reproduced without proper citation to Joyce Hanscom and this website.
Contact me at hopeforcompletehealing@gmail.com, and ask for a PDF of Eight Prayers from the Bible. The prayers are for the Spirit of wisdom, renewal, spiritual strength, knowledge of His will, virtues of God, salvation for non-believers, 23rd Psalm, and victory. Please leave your name, so I know you are a person making the request.
What does it mean to stand firm against an unseen enemy? Who is my unseen enemy? Ephesians 6:10-13 states, “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.” You cannot withstand against evil spirits in your own strength. Many of the girls in my County Jail Bible study say they are determined not to return to drugs and alcohol. But sadly, those who did not commit their lives to God and rely on Him for strength return several months later. The devil is always seeking to tempt us to depend on ourselves or an idol instead of God.
How We Have Strength To Stand Firm
Memorize Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” God strengthens those who abide in Him as a branch abides in the vine and receives strength from the vine. John 15:5 states, “I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.” We stay connected to the Spirit of God (the vine) through praying, praising, and pondering scripture. To abide means to stand fast, remain, dwell, or remain attached to something. Abiding with God includes memorizing Scripture passages, praying about everything with thanksgiving, and loving Him and others by serving them (Gal. 5:13-14 and Deut. 11:13).
It is worth repeating; the devil’s strategy is to separate you from God, who is your strength. The devil used this strategy when he tempted both Eve and Jesus, and he hasn’t changed. Eve did not take the tempting thought captive to disobey God, and humanity is still suffering the consequences. Jesus was victorious over the devil’s lies by taking the tempting thoughts captive and using Scripture to defeat the devil. Because Jesus defeated the devil and did not sin, now we can enjoy the benefit of life through righteousness in Jesus Christ (Rom. 8:11).
The more Biblical truth you know, the stronger spiritually you will be. For example, Satan puts a deceptive thought into your mind that you are weak, and God won’t help you. What do you do? You can believe the lie and live a defeated life. Or you can command the lie to be gone from your mind in Jesus’ name and speak the truth that you can do all things through Christ, who is your strength (Philippians 4:13). I can’t possibly list all the lies the devil will put into your mind. But if you memorize the truths in God’s Word, you will recognize the lies of the enemy.
Examples of God’s Power in The Old Testament
Exodus 14:13 states, “And Moses said to the people, ‘Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will work for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again.’” Fear causes you to run away to escape a threat. No matter what you are facing now or are going to face, God is bigger and can work a miracle in your life, but you must stand firm in His strength and on His truth.
Another great Old Testament example is the story of King Jehoshaphat, who was outnumbered by his enemy. He humbles himself before God and seeks His help. God tells Jehoshaphat in 2Choronicles 20:17, “You will not need to fight in this battle. Stand firm, hold your position, and see the salvation of the LORD on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem.Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed. Tomorrow, go out against them, and the LORD will be with you.” I don’t know what battles you are facing or will face, but I know God is for you, not against you. I memorized Isaiah 41:10, which states, “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” I spoke this truth out when I was going through a tremendous battle at a previous job. Reminding myself of God’s truth helps me stand firm against the unseen attacks of the unseen enemy.
How to Stand Firm
1Corinthians 16:13 states, “Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.” 1Corinthians 1:24b also tells us to stand firm in our faith. We grow stronger in our faith when we read God’s Word (Rom. 10:17). You can’t stand firm against the unseen battles of temptations and deceptions without the knowledge of the truth. The belt of truth and the rest of the armor of God help you stand firm in your faith. Ephesians 6:13 states, “Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.” But you have to put it on every day through prayer. See the post called PUTTING ON THE ARMOR OF GOD PRAYER MODEL.
Galatians 5:1 states, “For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.” The devil does not want us to be free from our passions, immoral and impure thoughts, greed, coveting, anger, etc. He wants to keep us in bondage to our sin, but we are to stand firm by submitting to God, not the devil’s temptations and lies. James 4:7 states, “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” Read my post HOW TO DESTROY THE DEVIL’S WORK IN YOUR LIFE to know how to stand up to the devil and make him run.
Conclusion
This following Scripture passage clarifies what the devil does and what we need to do not to get devoured. 1Peter 5:8-9a states, “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith.” Many Christians do not resist and are defeated by the unseen enemy. If you are a victim of the devil and allowed him to put you in bondage again, Jesus wants to set you free again, look up and pray for His help and strength to get out of the pit. Psalm 40:2 states, “He drew me up from the pit of destruction, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure.” Memorize all the Scripture verses in this post so you can remind yourself to be watchful and to resist the wrong thoughts the devil puts in your mind and stand firm in your faith.
All verses are from the English Standard Bible. If you find my posts and website helpful, please share the links with your friends and family, hopeforcompletehealing.com. The information is copyright protected, and no part of the posts or my book may be reproduced without proper citation to Joyce Hanscom and this website.
If you find this website helpful, you will benefit from the latest book. You can order Breaking Mental Strongholds on Amazon. Also, check out my book called Fighting Unseen Battles on Amazon. I would love to hear what you think. To learn more about my book, read: How to Fight Unseen Battles.
Contact me at hopeforcompletehealing@gmail.com, and ask for a PDF of Eight Prayers from the Bible. The prayers are for the Spirit of wisdom, renewal, spiritual strength, knowledge of His will, virtues of God, salvation for non-believers, 23rd Psalm, and victory. Please leave your name, so I know you are a real person making the request.
Do you wish you knew more Bible verses by memory? Do you struggle with remembering Scripture verses? In this post, I explain why memorizing is essential, how to improve your memory, and how to practice and recall what you have learned.
Why should I memorize Scripture?
The armor of God is useless without having an arsenal of Bible verses memorized.
Jesus used Scripture to overcome the devil’s temptations in the wilderness (Matt. 4), and that is the only way we will overcome temptations too.
Never forget that we are always in a spiritual war, whether or not we know it.
Memorizing Scripture makes us stronger and encourages spiritual growth.
It allows you to have gospel truths ready at all times, whether your day brings you temptation, heartache, or a friend in need of encouragement.
You can experience God’s perfect peace by having His promises written on your heart and ready to claim.
Memorized Scripture helps you be victorious over sin and all the devil’s attacks. Psalm 119:11 states, “I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.”
Scripture memory will also help you gain confidence in witnessing.
Put off the “I Can’t Memorize” Myth
If you believe the lie that you can’t memorize or remember anything, take those wrong thoughts captive and put them out of your mind and heart in Jesus’ name. Our words have the power to create new thoughts and beliefs. Isaiah 42:9 states, “Behold, the former things have come to pass, and new things I now declare [speak]; before they spring forth [happen], I tell you of them.” Speak out loud and bind in the truth that you can do all things through Christ (Phil. 4:13) and that you have the mind of Christ (1Cor. 2:16b) and can memorize and remember scriptural truths.
Put Off the “I don’t have time” Myth
You may think that this is a lot of work, and you don’t have the time. Guess what? I bet you don’t have the time to exercise either. To stop making this myth a reality, loose from your mind the wrong thoughts that you do not have time to memorize or exercise. Next, bind into your mind the truth that memorizing scripture is essential for spiritual health and strength. Also, memorized Bible verses will help me win the unseen battles with the temptation and deceptive thoughts the demonic world entices me to believe. Bind in the truth that just as physical exercise is essential for a healthy, strong mind and body, memorizing scripture makes you stronger spiritually. I combined memorizing and exercising because I am a kinesthetic learner. 1Timothy 4:7-8 (NIV) states, “Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives tales; rather train yourself to be godly. For physical training is of some value but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.”
You can walk 30-45 minutes each day and memorize scripture as you walk. If I don’t walk that day, then I made a reading stand out of cardboard for my elliptical machine to memorize scripture while I work out. I am confident that you can come up with many other combinations. You can also download the Bible to your MP3 player, iPod, or cell phone and then listen to the scriptures. Hit pause to recite what you just heard, and rewind to hear the verse or verse chunk again until you can recite it perfectly (or near perfectly). You can listen to the scripture while driving, doing chores, or exercising.
Practice the scriptural principles you have memorized
Practice doing and sharing what you memorized to reinforce long-term memory. The following scriptures instruct us to practice the Word of God. Meditate on each verse.
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding. His praise endures forever! –Psalms 111:10
Practice these things, immerse yourself in them so that all may see your progress. –1Timothy 4:15
But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil. –Hebrews 5:14
For if you practice these qualities [faith, moral excellence (virtue), knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love] you will never fall [stumble].” –1Peter 1:10
If we say we have fellowship with Him [Jesus] while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. –1John 1:6
But whoever does what is true [practices the truth; or lives by the truth] comes to the Light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God. –John 3:21
The more you practice something, the better you become at it. For example, I had a problem of complaining, so I memorized Philippians 4:8 and 1Thessalonians 5:16-18. When I wanted to get upset and complain, I would recall and practice these principles to resist the temptation to be irritated and speak destructive words. But these verses are useless if I do not practice capturing my negative thoughts before they go into my heart and come out of my mouth. Memorizing scripture is not beneficial until you practice what you have internalized and transform wrong thoughts, attitudes, or behaviors. Ephesians 4:22-24 states, “To put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.” We also purify our souls when we obey and practice the truth as described in 1Peter 1:22a, which states, “Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth.” Because 1Peter 2:11 states, “Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul.”
First, pray and ask God to help you hide His Word in your heart, so you don’t forget it.
Repetition is the key to retaining the verse in long-term memory. Small steps of obedience can make a significant impact. Try the following to help you mentally internalize the Word of God.
Write the verse on a whiteboard or type it on the computer, then eliminate words until you can write, type, or recall it from memory five to ten times.
Carry your verse(s) with you. When you are waiting in line or at a red light, go over and recite your verse or verses.
Turn it into a song.
Turn it into a prayer.
Draw a picture or a series of images to represent the verse.
Psalm 91:9-12
Memorize in phrases and associate a picture that depicts the expression.
Write the verses on index cards and make each phrase a different color. Post these around your house in places you go most (your bed, above your light switch, your bathroom mirror, etc.)
How to Begin
I like to memorize a chapter at a time, and Psalm 91 was the first chapter I learned. I still remember it because I turned it into a prayer and made a picture board like the one above. I also recite it often. To create my memorization list, I first went to Biblegateway.com, selected the Bible version, and searched for the scripture I wanted to memorize. Next, I copied and pasted it into a “Word” document. I found it easier to break up the scripture in verse chunks, and then after each chunk, include some keywords from each verse that would trigger my memory. The following are two examples I use.
Christ Is Our Example—1 Peter 2
21 For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps,
22 who committed no sin, nor was any deceit found in His mouth;
23 and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously;
24 and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds, you were healed.
25 For you were continually straying like sheep, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls.
OR you can do the following, which also works well.
1 Peter 4:8-12
8 To sum up, all of you be harmonious, sympathetic, brotherly, kindhearted, and humble in spirit;
9 not returning evil for evil or insult for insult, but giving a blessing instead; for you were called for the very purpose that you might inherit a blessing.
10 For, “The one who desires life, to love and see good days, must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit. 11 “He must turn away from evil and do good; He must seek peace and pursue it. 12 “For the eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous, and His ears attend to their prayer, But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”
8 To sum up, a o y b har, sym, bro, kin, a hu i sp; 9 not returning evil f ev o in f in, b gi a bl ins; f y we ca f t v pur th y mi in a bl. 10 For, “The one w de li t lo a s go da, mu ke h to fr ev a h li fr sp de. 11 He must turn aw fr ev a d go; H m se pe a pu i. 12 For the eyes o t L a to t ri, a H ea at t th pr, B t fa o t L i ag th w d ev.”
Repetition is the key to recall. I would repeat each section until I could recite the verses without looking at the aids. The next day I would again recite the same verses before memorizing the next set of verses. I also found it helpful to say the verses backward. It was also beneficial to review the Scripture memorized earlier that day before going to bed and then meditating on them until I went to sleep. In doing this, you are meditating on scripture day and night, just as King David recommends in Psalm 1:2-3 states, “But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.”
What I Learned From Researching Other Memorizing Methods
From https://seedtime.com/memorize-bible-verses/. Not everyone memorizes things the same, but if you’re curious to know how I was able to memorize 500 verses a year, this is it:
Work on one verse at a time – not multiple verses.
Read the verse aloud 20 times – don’t rush through this part.
Read the verse aloud once, then speak the verse once from memory (10 times).
Quote the verse without mistakes 5 times in a row. Once you can do this, move to the next verse.
When you think you have it down, recite the verse(s) for your family and friends!
Sometimes going through the process would take 15 minutes per verse; other times, it would be about 20 minutes per verse. It’s not about spending a certain number of minutes – it’s about repetition and using your eyes, ears, and voice to get each verse down.
From https://www.navigators.org/resource/how-to-memorize-scripture/. Many thousands of people have shared that this system was what finally worked for them after years of trying other approaches. It has been curated by The Navigators based on experience helping people of all ages grow in Christ since the 1930s.
4 Steps to Memorizing More Scripture
Step 1: Pick an area of gospel truth you’re motivated to understand more deeply
Step 2: Dig into the context
Find the verse in your Bible and read the paragraph before and after it.
Use this context to gain a clear understanding of what the verse means. You may want to read the verse in other Bible translations or consult a commentary.
Read the verse through several times thoughtfully, aloud or in a whisper. This will help you grasp the verse as a whole. Each time you read it, say the topic, reference, verse, and then the reference again out loud.
Discuss the verse with God in prayer, and ask for His help memorizing Scripture.
Step 3: Memorize in bite-sized pieces
Memorize the topic and reference first.
Next, memorize only the first phrase of the verse. Once you can recite the topic, reference and first phrase from memory several times, continue to add each additional phrase, one by one.
Consider why each word was selected as you memorize it.
Think about ways the verse applies to you and your daily circumstances.
Writing the verse out can be helpful. This deepens its impression in your mind.
Step 4: Review with friends
Review the verse immediately after learning it, incorporate it into your prayers, and repeat it frequently over subsequent days to others. This step is crucial for fixing the verse firmly in your mind because we tend to forget things recently learned.
Invite a friend to memorize with you! Set a time each week to check-in and review verses. In just ten minutes, you can give each other enough accountability to grow by leaps and bounds in your love for God and knowledge of His Word.
Review! Review! Review! Repetition is the best way to engrave the verses on your memory.
All verses are from the English Standard Bible. If you find my posts and website helpful, please share the links with your friends and family, hopeforcompletehealing.com. The information is copyright protected, and no part of the posts or my book may be reproduced without proper citation to Joyce Hanscom and this website.
Contact me at hopeforcompletehealing@gmail.com, and ask for a PDF for the Psalm 91 picture memorizing form. Please leave your name, so I know you are a real person making the request.
Check out my first book on Amazon. I would love to hear what you think.
If you read my book and find it helpful, please leave a review. Also, if you want to do a Bible study with it, email me and ask for a free PDF of the leader’s guide. The PDF will have suggested discussion questions after each section. Quick links to all the scriptures in the endnotes for you to review or to copy and paste into your notes. Website links to review supporting material. Contact me at hopeforcompletehealing@gmail.com
Since evil spirits are invisible, wouldn’t it be great to have an invisible around-the-clock guard who can warn you of a spiritual attack and protect you? Ephesians 6:18 states, “Praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication [requests] for all the saints.” Prayer is a forgotten part of God’s armor, but it is essential for using the rest of the armor because that is where spiritual warfare is fought.
When you pray, you become connected to the Spirit of God, called the Holy Spirit, who lives in your soul/heart. The Holy Spirit can see the evil spirits attack and warn you and then help you be victorious when you have the armor of God on. Prayer is how we draw strength from God and rely on Him to protect us. Praying is the key that “activates” the armor. When you don’t rely on God through prayer, you will lose every spiritual battle. I have written many posts on prayer, which you can find in Posts about Prayer.
Unanswered prayer is a spiritual battle we all face. Because evil spirits know that prayer is powerful and connects us to God’s power and the Holy Spirit’s guidance. Therefore, they will put doubts, distractions, and deceptions into your mind to keep you from praying. So, we need to be alert. 1Peter 5:8 states, “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” He mainly attacks our minds through deception and temptations, which I covered in the last nine spiritual warfare posts.
I. How do you pray constantly?
Ephesians 6:18 states, “Praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication [requests] for all the saints.” I believe praying at all times means always being mindful to turn every thought into prayer. For example, if you see an ambulance, pray for the paramedics and the injured or sick in the ambulance. If someone cuts you off on the highway, pray a blessing of safe travel for them. As you look at the people you walk by, intercede for them. In 1 Thessalonians 5:17, the Apostle Paul encourages us to “pray without ceasing.” And Romans 12:12 states we are to “Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.” So if I think about someone, I will pray for them at that moment. I immediately turn my concerns over to God instead of thinking about them and being tempted to be anxious. When I am having trouble with something, I seek God for help and guidance. If I am tempted to be angry, I ask God to take the anger from my heart and give me peace. When I walk by my refrigerator and see the missionary pictures, I will pray for them as I go about my kitchen tasks. And so on.
II. What do you think it means to “pray at all times in the Spirit”?
There are several ideas about what it means to pray in the Spirit. One scholar said, that “praying in the spirit means to be directed by the spirit to pray for certain things and for certain people.1” Albert Barnes said in his commentary that “praying in the Spirit is to pray with His aid.” Romans 8:26 states, “Likewise, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.”
Those in the charismatic circle say praying in the spirit means we pray in “tongues” (a spiritual language). The book of Acts explains how people spoke in tongues, a few places are in Acts 2:4, 2:38, 19:6. 1Corinthians 14:1-2 states, “Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy. For one who speaks in a tongue speaks not to men but to God; for no one understands him, but he utters mysteries in the Spirit.”1Corinthians 14:14 states, “For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays but my mind is unfruitful.”
We receive the Holy Spirit of God the moment we put our faith in Jesus to be our Lord and Savior. Some biblical scholars say you can have another “baptism/filling of the Spirit” as a separate event given as a gift from God when we ask for it (Luke 11:13). Regardless of what terminology you use, there seem to be separate Holy Spirit infilling events, which causes controversies in some churches.
III. What does it mean to be alert in prayer?
We are to stay alert through prayer because prayer is our guard that protects our thinking. After all, that is where we fight the spiritual war (2Cor. 11:3). When we are not praying, our guard is down, and we become vulnerable to Satan’s unseen attacks. Even Jesus often went alone up into the hills or some other desolate place to pray (Luke 5:16). He knew He needed to commune with His Father.
We, too, need the help of God our Father in heaven to fight against Satan and all the demonic forces of darkness. 2Corinthians 10:4-5 states, “For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God and take every thought captive to obey Christ.” The weapons of our warfare are God’s armor and His power through the spoken word. My short book on this website explains how to use prayer to destroy wrong thinking, false beliefs, and strongholds. DISCOVER A NEW REALITY.
We can talk to God about anything; besides, He knows everything and is always with us (Ps. 94:11, 139:2-4). God wants us to make requests because He wants to answer our prayers. Isaiah 65:24 states, “Before they call I will answer; while they are yet speaking, I will hear.”
IV. What do you think it means to “keep alert with all perseverance, making supplications [requests] for all the saints?”
First, to “keep alert” means to watch for opportunities. Second, “with all perseverance” means never becoming discouraged or disheartened and not growing weary of making requests for others. Third, “saints” are those who are the children of God. The following Scriptures call believers in Jesus Christ saints: Ephesians 1:1; 1 Corinthians 1:2; Philippians 1:1; and Colossians 1:2.
Prayer also involves worship and thankfulness for all God has blessed us with, or thankfulness for the various truths and promises found in the Bible. Praying at all times is easy when you abide in Jesus Christ (John 15) by letting your mind dwell on Him and not on things of the earth. Note, we do not have to be perfect for God to answer our prayers. We need to humble ourselves by abiding (remain in and dwell) through prayer in the heavenly place with Christ and in the Word of God.
2 Chronicles 7:14 states, “If My people who are called by My name humble themselves, and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”
Conclusion
Most people are told to set aside time for prayer every day, which is a good practice. Jesus took time for prayer. But praying all the time is a different discipline. Though both prayer methods require mental discipline. I can’t stress enough that through prayer, you stay connected to God, who is your refuge in times of trouble and will protect you from the evil one (2Thes. 3:3). Psalm 91:9-10 states, “Because you have made the LORD your dwelling place—the Most High, who is my refuge—no evil shall be allowed to befall you, no plague come near your tent [dwelling].” When you pray continually, you are dwelling with your Lord.
All verses are from the English Standard Bible. If you find my posts and website helpful, please share the links with your friends and family, hopeforcompletehealing.com. The information is copyright protected, and no part of the posts or my book may be reproduced without proper citation to Joyce Hanscom and this website.
Contact me at hopeforcompletehealing@gmail.com, and ask for a PDF of Eight Prayers from the Bible. The prayers are for the Spirit of wisdom, renewal, spiritual strength, knowledge of His will, virtues of God, salvation for non-believers, 23rd Psalm, and victory. Please leave your name, so I know you are a real person making the request.
Have you ever been in a snowball fight as a kid or threw little rocks and sticks at each other? It helped to have a trashcan lid to shield and deflect the snowballs or sticks. Maybe you looked for something to hide behind for some relief for a short while until someone found you. In this post, you will learn why you need the shield of faith and when and how to use it.
The problem with spiritual warfare is that we don’t see what is coming in our direction or when it will come. It is safe to assume we will continually fight a spiritual war for our souls. Consequently, we need to stand firm in our faith. Without faith, we are vulnerable to every empty philosophy, temptation, and deception hurled at us. A warrior’s shield is the first layer of protection.
In my last post, I explained that we should expect spiritual war because “the whole world lies in the power of the evil one” (1John 5:19b). The Bible says we need the shield of faith to protect us from the fiery arrows the unseen enemy shoots at us. Ephesians 6:16 states, “In all circumstances, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one.” Because you can’t physically see the invisible flaming darts, you need to keep the shield of faith up. Faith protects you from the following:
darts of doubts designed to destroy your convictions and knowledge of the truth;
arrows of temptation designed to weaken your resolve to die to sin and to be holy as God is holy;
missiles of accusation designed to make you feel insecure, rejected, and worthless;
flaming arrows of condemnation for things you have done in the past that would keep you in bondage to shame and guilt. Guilt keeps you in despair and makes you ineffective; and
thoughts of failure and rejection.
What is faith?
When I think about faith, I think of a warm, secure, peaceful place for my mind to dwell. In that safe place, I have no worries, fears, anger, and so on. I have peace when I trust God has a purpose and is in control. I trust that He will work everything out for my good because I love Him (Romans 8:28). The Bible says in Hebrews 11:1, “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” I could not see how God would work out all the problems I was facing when I became a single mother. But I decided to put my hope in Him and stay tight with Him through prayer and praise. The other choice was to become depressed and angry about how unfair life was. When I put my trust in God and claimed His promises during my divorce, I saw God do many miracles, which strengthened my faith. You can read my story WHAT IS INNER LIFE TRANSFORMATION? My Story.
Hebrews 11:6 explains, “And without faith it is impossible to please him [God], for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.” Though you do not physically see spirits, you can observe the evidence. For example, you can see the destructive force of evil in a person’s life who has yielded to the influence of evil spirits. Peace and life are evidence that a person has yielded their mind and heart to God (Rom. 8:6).
Faith became a shield for me as long as my mind was on the things above where my savior, Jesus Christ, is. Colossians 3:1-2 states, “If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.” When I think about the things on the earth, I become anxious, especially when I watched the news. I feel peaceful and secure when I think of God’s goodness and sovereignty over the affairs of our country and my life.
When I am anxious, I often will recite Psalm 91, then I immediately relax and feel peace, especially at night when my mind can’t stop thinking about life’s worries. You can read the series of posts I wrote on Psalm 91 in Psalm 91 Posts. 2Samuel 22:31, Psalms 18:30, and Proverbs 30:5 states, “This God—his way is perfect; the word of the LORD proves true; he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him.” We take refuge in God through praying, praising, and pondering Scripture.
Faith believes that God will do what He promised He to do. Luke 1:37 states, “For nothing will be impossible with God.” Faith is the childlike trust that what God has promised, He will do. You put your spiritual shield of faith into action by claiming God’s faithfulness to keep His promises. See my post about the 15 promises we can trust God to keep. However, the shield of faith is useless if you do not meditate on or memorize God’s Word. As you memorize Scripture and claim God’s promises, you are strengthening your shield of faith so the fiery arrows from the devil cannot penetrate your mind.
Why do we need the shield of faith?
1. The shield of faith protects your mind from deception. Often, people unwittingly put their faith in lies from the devil, such as, “I will never succeed” or “I am not worthy to be loved,” which produces sorrow and many times destructive thoughts. Your faith in Jesus and applying the living water of truth extinguishes the devil’s darts of lies and accusations. The allegations and enticements seem so real that many people believe them and try to build their lives upon them. Satan’s lies are empty and destructive.
2. The shield of faith will strengthen the faith of others who are struggling. People grieving a loss are the most susceptible to spiritual attack? It could be a loss of health, a job, a loved one, and so on. When you are in a community of believers, they can cover you with their shield of faith through prayer and encourage you to keep your hope in God’s promises. Also, Hebrews 10:24-25 states, “And let us watch out for one another to provoke love and good works, not neglecting to gather together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging each other, and all the more as you see the day approaching.” The faith of other believers encourages our faith when we are in a battle because their faith helps us stand firm in our faith. For example, when soldiers stand close together and lock their shields together, it forms a barrier against an attack. Do not forsake going to church. Satan will throw all kinds of offenses at you, so you quit going to church, which will weaken your faith to fight the spiritual battle he wages to take your soul.
In Luke 22:31-32, Jesus says, “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.” Peter denied knowing Jesus three times because he was alone and his faith was weak. God’s Word says that Satan comes before God to accuse us. Read Job 1:6-12 to learn how Satan asked permission to test Job’s resolve to fear God and not sin. We will learn more about the power of prayer in the next post.
3. The shield of faith helps you believe in God’s promises. Trials and temptations will cause you to either have faith in God or doubt His promises and mentally dwell in the pit of despair. When trials test our faith, and we resist the temptation to worry or despair, we will become stronger. James 1:2–4 states, “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials [temptations] of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness[endurance, patience]. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” Three different words describe what testing of our faith produces: steadfastness, endurance, and patience. All are necessary to be victorious in the unseen spiritual battles. For an example read about Paul’s thorn in the flesh in 2Corinthians 12.
Steadfastness means firm, fixed, settled, or established, or constant and not changing.
Endurance is the ability to last, continue, or remain, or the ability to stand pain, distress, fatigue, etc.
Patience is to bear or endure provocation, annoyance, misfortune, or pain, without complaint, loss of temper, irritation, or the like.
Where do we get faith?
First, you need to get the shield of faith from Jesus. Hebrews 12:2 states, “Looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.” Second, we get faith from reading the Bible. Romans 10:17 states, “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the Word of Christ.” So, when you study God’s Word and pray daily, your shield of faith is up, and the devil’s arrows bounce off. But when you miss time reading God’s Word and praying, your protection is down, making you vulnerable to Satan’s temptations and lies. You will lose spiritual strength and health when you don’t read your Bible and pray daily.
Conclusion
Daily pray: I take up my shield of faith to block the fiery arrows of condemnation, accusation, temptations, doubts, and flattery of the enemy. I believe that God loves me, cares about me, and is the shield that protects me from evil. I will strengthen my faith by meditating on Scripture day and night. (Eph. 6:16; Rev. 12:9; 1John 3:1; 1Peter 5:7; 2Thes. 3:3; Rom. 10:17)
“The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil” (1John 3:8b). What are the works or schemes of the devil?
Deception, so we remain self-focused and unforgiving (John 8:44 and 2Cor. 2:10-11).
Temptation, so we sin and stay under God’s wrath (Col. 3:5-9).
He inflicts us with illness (Acts 19:12 ).
Entrapment to do his will and not God’s will (2Timothy 2:26).
Oppression (Matthew 8:16).
To not get caught in the devils schemes, Ephesians 6:11-12 states, “Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” What does a warrior do? A warrior trains and is prepared to fight.
I have been doing a series on the armor of God, but this is Easter weekend, and I want to remind you that Jesus has destroyed the works of the devil in your life. I like the following passage because it reminds me how to be victorious. Hebrews 12:1-2 states, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.”
Jesus Christ is alive and is seated at the right hand of God. He gives us the spiritual authority to fight against the demonic spirit world and their work of deception and temptations. The following are four truths explaining why we have dominion over demons through Jesus Christ:
1. Jesus has dominion over the demonic realm. This truth is found in Matthew 28:18, “And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.’” Every spiritual entity yields to Jesus. And 1Peter 3:22 states, “Who [Jesus] has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected [submitted] to him.”1 Because Jesus triumphed over the demonic ranks, so can we. Colossians 2:15 states, “He [God] disarmed the rulers and authorities [the demon ranks] and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him [Jesus].”Therefore, Romans 8:37b, “We are more than conquerors through him who loved us.”
2. We have the same authority as Jesus when we daily submit to His leadership: This truth is found in Colossians 2:9–10, “For in him [Jesus] the whole fullness of deity dwells in bodily form, and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority.” Because Jesus lives in our hearts, we are “filled in Him”, and we have His deity and authority because He becomes our life as explained in Colossians 3:4a, “When Christ who is my life appears.” And Galatians 2:20 states, “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God.” And 1Corinthians 2:16b states, “We have the mind of Christ.” If Jesus Christ has all authority, and He is our life, and we are one spirit with Him, then we too have His spiritual authority. The Bible says we have power over demons and evil spirits.2 Still, we do not have control over another person’s will to choose. This truth transformed my unhealthy belief and the resulting offenses I held against God for unanswered prayer. I prayed for people who were making wrong choices, and my prayers went unanswered because they have a free will.
3. We have authority in Jesus’ name. This truth is found in John 14:14, “If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.” Also, Psalm 124:8 says, “Our help is in the name of the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.” God will answer our prayers when we follow the parameters found in John 15:7–16; 1John 3:21–24; and 1John 5:14–15, summarized below:
We must abide in Jesus and live through Him, and His Word abides in us (John 15: 7)
We bear fruit (John 15:16)
Our heart does not condemn us because we please Him and love others (1John 3:21-24)
Our requests are submitted to His will (1John 5:14)
God’s sovereignty is difficult to understand because the thoughts and ways of God are above our understanding.3 Also, doubt and habitual sin block our prayers, so God may not respond to your prayer requests.4
4. We have the keys to the kingdom. Matthew 16:19 states, “I [Jesus] will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” (Also see Matthew 18:18.) When you have keys, you have the authority to lock or unlock your house or wherever the key fits. In the spirit realm, the kingdom’s keys allow you to bind (lock) or loose (unlock). The Greek meaning for “bind” is to tie or knit, and “loose” means undo or release. Jesus does not give specific examples. The Bible also uses the terms put on, which can be interchanged with “bind,” and put off for “loose.” Ephesians 4:22-24 states, “To put off [loose] your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on [bind] the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.” In prayer, you must first loose or put off your old self consisting of wrong thoughts and false beliefs so you can bind or put on your new self that conforms to the truth of God and be holy.
ONLY as we submit to the Lordship of Christ Jesus do we have dominion over the demonic world. James 4:7 states, “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” For example, as long as I worried about something, I was controlled and consumed by it. Satan was able to control my mind through that worry and keep me self-focused and in despair. He tempts me to imagine all the terrible things that will never happen, so I become angry. I let Satan steal my joy and peace. As soon as I submitted my concerns to God and put them in my “God Cares” box, then I could keep my mind on the things of God, and Satan could not torment me again. Satan cannot read your mind, but he does hear what you say. So RESOLVE to do what HEBREWS 13:15 says, “Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name.” Modern King James says, “Confessing His name.” King James says, “Giving thanks to His name.”
Conclusion
Because you have the life of Christ in you through the Holy Spirit, you have His divine power and authority. So, when you keep your mind on Christ through continual prayer and praise and by faith apply His truth, you will remain in victory over every scheme of the devil. You will suffer defeat when you let your mind dwell on the troubles and allurements of the world. So, daily submit your mind to God’s control and abide with Him through prayer and praise. Be watchful for pride because it blocks Christ’s power in your life for victory over demonic activity.
Reflections and Applications:
Why do you think submission to God’s authority is the key to keeping our victory?
Why do we need to keep our minds on heavenly things and not earthly things?
Section Footnotes:
1. Demons in subjection to Jesus: Heb. 2:7–8. 2. Authority over demons or evil spirits: Mat. 10:8; Mk. 6:7,13, 16:17; Lk. 9:1–2. 3. God’s thoughts are greater than ours: Is. 55:8–9. 4. Doubt and sin block prayers: Ps. 66:18; Is. 59:1–2; Jm. 1:6–7.
All verses are from the English Standard Bible. If you find my posts and website helpful, please share the links with your friends and family, hopeforcompletehealing.com. The information is copyright protected, and no part of the posts or my book may be reproduced without proper citation to Joyce Hanscom.
If you find this website helpful, you will benefit from the latest book. You can order Breaking Mental Strongholds on Amazon.
Also, check out my book called Fighting Unseen Battles on Amazon. I would love to hear what you think. To learn more about my book, read: How to Fight Unseen Battles.
Contact me at hopeforcompletehealing@gmail.com, and ask for a PDF of Eight Prayers from the Bible. The prayers are for the Spirit of wisdom, renewal, spiritual strength, knowledge of His will, virtues of God, salvation for non-believers, 23rd Psalm, and victory. Please leave your name, so I know you are a real person making the request.
Whether you are an Atheist or a Christian, everyone is in a spiritual war with the devil and demons (evil spirits) if you know it or not (Revelations 12:9 and John 10:10). We are spirit beings in a physical body, living in a spiritual world within God’s physical creation (Colossians 1:15-16). 1Corinthians 2:11 states, “For who knows a person’s thoughts except for the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.” You receive the Holy Spirit of God the moment you believe with your heart that Jesus is the Lord and the Son of God and confess He has risen from the dead and is in heaven (Rom. 10:8-10, Col. 3:1). Then you become one spirit with God (1Cor. 6:17). Now the Holy Spirit helps you comprehend the thoughts of God and enables you to fight the unseen spiritual battles to live a victorious life.
Every day we need to prepare for a spiritual war with evil spirits that attack our mind and body. Ephesians 6:12 states, “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” The demons (evil spirits) want to deceive us and tempt us to sin so that we remain under the wrath of God (Eph. 2:1-3). Prepare for spiritual warfare every day by:
praying and praising (Phil. 4:4-7 and Heb. 13:15)
pondering Scriptural truths (Ps. 119:15 and 48)
putting on the armor of God every day to stand firm against the schemes of the devil
being alert and standing firm in your faith as you rely on God’s strength (Eph. 6:10-18).
In the previous posts:
You discover the source of truth and how to discern the truth by putting on the belt of truth. And why it keeps you spiritually stable and not double-minded.
Then you learn why the breastplate of righteousness protects your spiritual life and how a reverent fear of God will keep you safe.
Next, you learn how to live in peace with God and humanity by strapping on the gospel of peace to your feet, so where ever you go, you do not slip and fall when offended.
And you discover why the helmet of salvation protects your mind and how to take every deceiving and tempting thought captive.
This post describes the sword of the Spirit and how, why, and when you use it. Learning to use the sword of the Spirit in spiritual warfare is essential if you want to be victorious over unseen spiritual battles. The objective of demonic forces is to keep you doubting and insecure in your relationship with God.
What is the sword of the Spirit?
In the spiritual realm, the “sword of the Spirit” is Scriptural truth. You can also see it as the Holy Spirit’s sword. Only the Holy Spirit sees how the unseen evil spirits are attacking. Jesus said in John 14:26, “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.” The Holy Spirit will bring to your mind the scriptural truths you memorized and stored in your belt of truth. 2Timothy 3:16 tells us that God breathed out all Scripture, so God’s Word is powerful when we speak it out against temptations and deceptions of the enemy.
Why do I need the sword of the Spirit?
We face temptations to worry, be frustrated, be impatient, judge others, doubt, be depressed, be fearful, and so on. The sword is both a defensive and offensive weapon in the list of God’s spiritual armor. All other pieces of armor are protective. We are told in Hebrews 4:12, “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” Where do your thoughts and intentions come from, God’s truth or the devil’s deceptions? God’s Word is powerful through the Holy Spirit to discern and annihilate every attack of the enemy on your mind and heart.
For instance, Jesus knew the Scriptures and rebuked Satan’s temptations immediately (Matthew 4:1-10). Therefore, you must read your Bible daily and memorize the truths to be victorious over the many unseen battles. Just as Jesus’s spoken word had power over the devil, so our words have power when we speak scripture to defeat unseen demonic attacks exposed by the Holy Spirit. But, if you don’t know the truth, you will suffer many oppressive blows from the unseen enemy, and he will spiritually and emotionally cripple you. Have doubt and discouragement ever crippled you? It has crippled me. What are some unseen battles you face or have seen other people face? We need to know the truths of the Bible not only for ourselves but to encourage others when they are facing unseen battles.
Four ways to use the “sword of the Spirit” to defeat the enemy?
If you ever watched a Gladiator movie or documentary? The Gladiator’s sword was secured by the Gladiator’s belt and was always by their side. They even slept with their swords. The sword is for close contact fighting, which means you are fighting for your life. To be good at using your spiritual sword, do the following four actions.
1. Read the Word of God to expose the unseen battle with lies and temptations.
The Holy Spirit uses Scriptural truths to reveal the lies and temptations the devil puts into your mind that cause strife and confusion. For example, when I read Romans 12:10 to, “Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.” The New International Version says, “Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves.” The Holy Spirit exposed the unseen battle of sin in my heart to dishonor my husband by speaking disrespectfully and not valuing him above myself. So, I confessed my sin to God and my husband, then ask each to forgive me (1John 1:9 and James 5:16). Then I prayed and put off the dishonoring spirit that gained access to my heart and put on the truth that I am to be honoring and loving in what I say and do. I used the sword of the Spirit to defeat the unseen spirit that gained access to an unsubmitted area of my mind.
Joshua was a great fighter in the Old Testament. He said in Joshua 1:8, “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.” So why should you meditate on God’s instructions and promises? How often must you meditate on God’s Word? You can increase your knowledge of the truth by listening to the Bible on your cell phone, CD player, iPod, or MP3 player while doing things, like cleaning the house, washing/drying the dishes, driving, cutting the grass, and so on.
Just like the Gladiators had their swords by their side day and night, so we need to keep the Word of God on our minds day and night to be ready for unseen ambushes. The sword is useless if you don’t have it with you or know how to use it.
2. Use the sword of the Spirit to eradicate your fleshly, sinful desires.
James 1:21 states, “Therefore put away [loose, untie] all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness [humility] the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.” Filthiness is indecent, immoral corruption, or obscenity. Something rampant is spreading unchecked, such as widespread wickedness. Wickedness is having an evil, depraved moral character. To put wickedness away from you, you must also put off the spirit of pride because pride keeps you from acknowledging your sin and repenting. Repentance is to put your sinful longings away and train yourself to be godly and do what is right (1Tim.4:7-8 and Col. 3:5-10). Then you can receive the “implanted word” of life and truth, the Holy Spirit of Jesus, into your heart, which will save you.
Each time you read the Bible, ask God to expose known and unknown sins controlling your thoughts. The Holy Spirit uses Scripture (the sword) to correct the wrong thinking from lies the devil has used to cause you to act in unloving ways. Then keep your mind on the things of the Spirit so you can put to death the sinful deeds of the body, which begin as a wrong thought (Romans 8:13). To learn more, read my post called “Are you in control of your life?” and “Three Steps to Renew Your Mind (Part Two).”
3. Memorize Scripture to increase the size of your sword.
Do you want to fight with a pocket knife, a skinning knife, a dagger, or a sharp sword? The more you memorize Scripture, the bigger and sharper your weapon will be. Practicing using the truth is essential to be ready for any spiritual attack. A dull sword is ineffective. So constant Scripture memorization is a discipline that should be a daily habit if we are to keep our sword sharp. You can write a Scripture verse or verses on a 3×5 card that you put in your pocket or purse. Pull out the 3×5 card while waiting for the light to change, walking somewhere, waiting in line, doing the dishes, folding laundry, exercising, etc. I copy and paste Scripture passages from Biblegateway.com and attach the verses to cardboard, and put it on my elliptical to memorize Scripture passages as I work out. When I walk for exercise, I memorize Scripture. I pray the scripture using my Scripture prayer book. Who God is — Daily A-C-T-S Prayers.
4. To be good at using your sword, practice with it.
Just like practicing a sport or art makes you proficient. Practicing God’s commands (instructions) makes you skilled in using the truth of His Word. The more biblical truth you know, the more effective you are at using the sword of the Spirit to defeat the enemy with the help of the Holy Spirit. James 1:22-25 explains, “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.” Be honest, how many times do you read the Bible, then later can’t remember what you read? But do you remember the Scripture verses you applied to your life to transform your thinking? My husband journals the Bible and says that it has helped him store the truth in his heart.
How to use God’s Word to slay the lies and temptations of the enemy.
When you have the truth of God’s Word stashed in your “belt of truth,” you can pull it out whenever you are in close combat with the enemy. For example, you need healing, but the devil tells you that God doesn’t heal or won’t answer your prayers. Quick, use your sword of the Spirit to slay doubts. Remind the enemy of your soul of the truth and recount all the times Jesus healed and answered prayers. The demons may come at you with an accusation like you don’t have enough faith. Slay that accusation and speak the truth that you only need faith as small as a mustard seed to move mountains. The demons may come back again with condemnation and accuse you of sin, and God won’t hear your prayers. Slay the curse and remind the devil that you are forgiven, and God does not hold your sin against you. He comes back and tempts you to be depressed, worried, or discouraged. Strike your enemy with the truth that God is faithful and say, I can hope in Him. He is going to use my suffering for good because I love Him.
Conclusion
Spiritual battles play out millions of times and in thousands of ways. The only way to be victorious is to put on God’s armor, stand firm in the strength of the Lord, and fight the unseen battles through praying, praising, and pondering scripture.
Daily pray: I take up the sword of the Spirit (Scriptural truths) and rely on the Holy Spirit to strike down every temptation to yield to my pride and deceitful, sinful desires. I will discipline my mind to memorize Bible verses and practice them. Through prayer, I surrender to the Holy Spirit’s control and guidance over my thoughts. (Heb. 4:12; Rom. 8:5-8; Mat. 4:1-10; John 16:13-14.)
All verses are from the English Standard Bible. If you find my posts and website helpful, please share the links with your friends and family, hopeforcompletehealing.com. The information is copyright protected, and no part of the posts or my book may be reproduced without proper citation to Joyce Hanscom.
Contact me at hopeforcompletehealing@gmail.com, and ask for a PDF of Eight Prayers from the Bible. The prayers are for the Spirit of wisdom, renewal, spiritual strength, knowledge of His will, virtues of God, salvation for non-believers, 23rd Psalm, and victory. Please leave your name, so I know you are a real person making the request.
Who or what is directing your thoughts? How do you make decisions? Spiritual warfare is fighting the unseen battles through praying, praising, and pondering scripture. Only the Holy Spirit can see the unseen spirit world around us. The Holy Spirit is the helmet of salvation that protects our minds. Suppose we don’t take the helmet of salvation and put it on. In that case, we will be susceptible to every deception and temptation designed to destroy us. Temptations are made to look good but are deceitful, and they all begin as thoughts.
I said in the post called “What Happens If You Don’t Put On The Whole Armor?” that I thought Christian leaders fell into sin because they did not have on the “breastplate of righteousness.” After developing today’s post, I also believe they failed to put on their helmet of salvation. Not only did they not fear God and turn from evil, but they also did not rely on the Holy Spirit to discipline their minds. We, too, can be captured by sinful desires. Therefore, putting on all the spiritual armor of God has to be done every day because the unseen demonic world works 24/7. These evil entities seek to devastate your relationship with God and each other. We need the Holy Spirit to help us recognize thoughts of temptation and deception. He also convicts us of sin, so we can repent and restore peace with God and each other again. Ponder the following Scriptures:
If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you. – Romans 8:11
For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. – Romans 8:5
But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. – Galatians 5:16
How do you know you have on the helmet of salvation?
Suppose you believe the truth and rely on Jesus to be righteous, but you don’t renew your mind and instead continue to live a worldly life. In that case, evil spirits will maintain control of your mind and tempt you to doubt your salvation. Worldly living keeps you from bearing the fruit of the Spirit because you are not abiding in the words and life of Jesus Christ (John 15:1-8). In his book The Weapons of Your Warfare, Larry Lea suggested you may not have salvation if you are not excited about it.1 Read over the following facts, and if they don’t make you happy and grateful, you need to evaluate if you have believed from your heart and have the Holy Spirit as your helmet. So are you:
Thankful that the blood of Jesus has redeemed you from destruction and the power of Satan.
Excited that Jesus, the perfect sacrificial lamb, rescued you from the wrath of God and forgave your sins.
Joyful that Jesus freed you from sin’s control that leads to death, and now you experience peace and abundant life.
Grateful that Jesus is preparing a place for you in Heaven so you can spend eternity with Him.
Thrilled that Jesus rose from the dead and sits next to God the Father interceding for you.
And so on.
When we receive forgiveness and redemption through Christ Jesus, the helmet of salvation helps us work out our salvation by daily renewing our minds with truth from God’s Word (Philippians 2:12, Ephesians 4:23, and Romans 12:2). 2Corinthians 4:16 states, “So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day.” You renew your mind by putting off resentments, false beliefs, and sinful desires, then putting on the truth and your new self. What does your new self look like?
Ephesians 4:24 states, “And to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.”
Colossians 3:10 states, “And have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.”
In his book Dressed to Kill, Rick Renner said, “The devil’s entrance into the life of a believer is allowed primarily through that believer’s negligence. He slips in through an uncommitted, unrenewed area of the mind.2” When you renew your mind with truth from God’s Word, Satan can no longer influence your mind in that area.
With the “helmet of salvation” on, you cando the following:
You walk by the Spirit and bear the fruit of the Spirit. With the helmet of salvation on, the Holy Spirit can guide your thoughts that support spiritual life and peace. Romans 8:6 states, “For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.” When we walk by the Spirit, we will display the fruit of the Spirit of love, joy, peace, kindness, patience, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23).
You can grow in your knowledge of God. Proverbs 2:5 says we find the knowledge of God when we fear Him. You reverently fear Him, and want to please Him. So you abide in His Word and practice your faith by keeping His commandments and doing good to others. Hosea 6:6 states, “For I [God] desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.” And 1Corinthians 15:34 (KJV) states, “Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame.”
We can take every thought captive to obey Christ. We must take every thought captive that goes against the knowledge of God. 2Corinthians 10:5 states, “We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ.” Having on the helmet of salvation helps you capture arguments and lofty opinions the devil plants in your mind.
The Holy Spirit’s power will help you can submit to God and resist the devil. If you don’t submit to God and take ungodly thoughts captive, the ungodly thoughts will lure you into sin. When your thoughts are not submitted to God, you are not resisting the devil. Romans 8:7 states, “For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot.” With the helmet of salvation, you have the Holy Spirit’s divine power to take ungodly thoughts captive and submit your mind to God and be godly as you think His thoughts. See James 4:7-8. 1Timothy 4:7-9 states, “Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths [lies]. Rather train yourself for godliness; for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.”
Put on your helmet of salvation to safeguard your mind.
You have authority through Jesus Christ over ungodly thoughts. You have divine power through the Holy Spirit to not give in to sinful-fleshly desires but to live by the Spirit. Romans 8:13–14 states, “For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons [and daughters] of God.” And 1Peter 1:3 states, “His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence.”
As a believer, you are a child of God, and you have the mind of Christ (1Corinthians 2:16b). So, because you have the mind of Christ, you can submit to the Holy Spirit and allow the fruit of the Spirit to control your life (Galatians 5:22-25). If you don’t submit to God and take ungodly thoughts captive, they will lure you into sin.
When I submit my concerns and conflicts to God, I can take offending thoughts captive, forgive, and not let the offense produce the fleshly desire to be angry and unkind. When I yield to the Spirit’s control and forgive offenses, I can be humble and patient. For example, someone was throwing trash in my yard when they drove past. Not just a little garbage, a lot. I suspected who it was through the process of elimination. I became offended, and I wanted to get them in trouble. Wait a minute, capture wrong thoughts. In prayer, I took my upsetting thoughts captive and put them off, and then I gave my frustration to God. The day I submitted my frustration to the Lord about the trash, someone had cleaned up the garbage in my yard when I was at work, and no one threw trash in my yard after that.
Conclusion
Daily pray: I put on the helmet of salvation and take every ungodly thought, offense, and unholy desire captive and make it submit to the Lordship of Christ Jesus. I have the mind of Christ and His authority to overcome every obstacle to my faith in Jesus, my Savior. I will forgive offenses quickly so the devil doesn’t get a foothold in my mind to produce the fleshly desire to be angry, impatient, and unkind. I will renew my mind with the truth in God’s Word daily. (2Cor. 10:3-5; 1Cor. 2:16b; Col. 2:9-10; Matt. 6:14-15; Eph. 4:26-27; Jam. 1:14-15.)
1. Lea, Larry. 1989. The Weapons of Your Warfare. Lake Mary, FL. Creation House.
2. Renner, Rick. 2007. Dressed to Kill. Tulsa: Teach the Nations.
All verses are from the English Standard Bible. If you find my posts and website helpful, please share the links with your friends and family, hopeforcompletehealing.com. The information is copyright protected, and no part of the posts or my book may be reproduced without proper citation to Joyce Hanscom.
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If you read my book and find it helpful, please leave a review. Also, if you want to do a Bible study with it, email me and ask for a free PDF of the leader’s guide. The PDF will have suggested discussion questions after each section. Quick links to all the scriptures in the endnotes for you to review or to copy and paste into your notes. Website links to review supporting material. Contact me at hopeforcompletehealing@gmail.com
Contact me at hopeforcompletehealing@gmail.com, and ask for a PDF of Eight Prayers from the Bible. The prayers are for the Spirit of wisdom, renewal, spiritual strength, knowledge of His will, virtues of God, non-believers, 23rd Psalm, and victory. I will also send you the Lord’s Prayer Model to pray effectively. Please leave your name, so I know you are a real person making the request.
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