Spiritual Warfare Pt. 4: Daily Defense
We need to be DEFENSIVE against attacks
and PREVENT them. Once you have been delivered, you need to perform preventative maintenance on a daily basis to prevent further attacks. Don't allow any chinks in your armor giving the enemy a way in. Make sure your armor is SOLID, with no openings whatsoever. Remember, YOU CANNOT BE TOO PROTECTED.
Here are 10 steps you can take to insulate and protect yourself on a daily basis.
Here are 10 steps you can take to insulate and protect yourself on a daily basis.
DAILY DEFENSE:
1. READ GOD'S WORD DAILY to transform your mind more every day. I usually do 3 chapters a day in a study
bible, reading both the chapters and the study portion. I recommend reading the Word aloud, because it helps to absorb it even more into your mind. If you use a study Bible, the study portion doesn't have to be read aloud. Pray about
God's will for your personal bible reading plan because everyone is
different. Let the Holy Spirit guide you in the way that's best for you.
2. PRAY DAILY. Use the Lord's
prayer as a guide, focusing on each section, one at a time. Expand on
each part, using the structure as the skeleton, and you provide the
meat of it. Focus on your bond with your FATHER, and focus on His greatness and perfection, not our own imperfection. Appeal to his heart as your Father in a spirit of worship and thankfulness for all He has done and who He is.
3. WORSHIP DAILY. Find worship music that is anointed of the Holy Spirit, which brings you into the presence of God, and play it over and over again. Lift holy hands and sing out your own words of worship to Jesus. True worship glorifies Jesus alone. Push on through to get to the Holy of Holies to the presence of God, where His glory lies. Push on through the gates of thanksgiving and push on through the courts of praise. Push on through to the Holy of Holies, where pure worship and intimacy with the Father resides. You will know you have entered the Holy of Holies when you feel the LOVE and the GLORY and the JOY of God. It feels like ecstasy and can even feel overwhelming to the senses, taking your breath away. The weight of glory is heavy and may be hard to stay standing in the presence of God.
4. INSULATE yourself from the world and worldly activities as much as possible. This doesn't mean being a hermit and never leaving the house. That's not healthy. This means making your activities and life center around Christians and Christian activities. We all have to live in the world, but we can live "in the world, but not of it" like Jesus said.
This is a prayer Jesus prayed to His Father for His disciples, and this includes us too:
This includes not going into places like bars to hang out, or going to get-togethers where there is drinking or other types of profane worldly activities and sin. We don't have to do what everyone else is doing. We don't have to go where they're going or do the things they're doing. Walk away from gossip, idle and profane babbling, and all other types of complaining, self pity, condemnation and the people who make you feel guilty or attacked in any way. Just walk away, and stay away. Make a promise to yourself to avoid these things, and keep on avoiding them. These things are like poison to your soul.
3. WORSHIP DAILY. Find worship music that is anointed of the Holy Spirit, which brings you into the presence of God, and play it over and over again. Lift holy hands and sing out your own words of worship to Jesus. True worship glorifies Jesus alone. Push on through to get to the Holy of Holies to the presence of God, where His glory lies. Push on through the gates of thanksgiving and push on through the courts of praise. Push on through to the Holy of Holies, where pure worship and intimacy with the Father resides. You will know you have entered the Holy of Holies when you feel the LOVE and the GLORY and the JOY of God. It feels like ecstasy and can even feel overwhelming to the senses, taking your breath away. The weight of glory is heavy and may be hard to stay standing in the presence of God.
4. INSULATE yourself from the world and worldly activities as much as possible. This doesn't mean being a hermit and never leaving the house. That's not healthy. This means making your activities and life center around Christians and Christian activities. We all have to live in the world, but we can live "in the world, but not of it" like Jesus said.
This is a prayer Jesus prayed to His Father for His disciples, and this includes us too:
John 17:14-16
"I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world."
This includes not going into places like bars to hang out, or going to get-togethers where there is drinking or other types of profane worldly activities and sin. We don't have to do what everyone else is doing. We don't have to go where they're going or do the things they're doing. Walk away from gossip, idle and profane babbling, and all other types of complaining, self pity, condemnation and the people who make you feel guilty or attacked in any way. Just walk away, and stay away. Make a promise to yourself to avoid these things, and keep on avoiding them. These things are like poison to your soul.
5. Start a THANKFULNESS journal, and
keep adding new things everyday that you are thankful for. Look for
new things and you WILL find them. Also, remember to give thanks to
God every time you eat something. It's a great way to stay thankful and remember God is our provider for every small blessing.
6. FILTER what you are watching and
listening to until the only things that remain are positive and
uplifting to your spirit. At night, set audio Bible to play softly
while you go to sleep. I recommend listening to the entire book of
Psalms. The sound of the WORD of GOD drives away demonic spirits,
and also soothes and uplifts your soul. Listen to it out loud,
and not by headphones because it doesn't have the same effect when
not played aloud.
7. DO NOT ENGAGE IN SIN. Sin is what
allows the enemy entrance into your life. When you sin, you are
actually bringing demonic attacks on yourself and opening yourself up
to attacks of every kind. Ask God to LEAD you not into temptation and DELIVER you from the evil one and He will.
Guard your heart, guard your mind, and guard your eyes. Be very careful
with your time, what you're doing and who you're spending your time
with. Anyone who causes you to sin, FLEE from them and run for the
hills. AVOID them, and KEEP ON avoiding them.
8. Stay FULLY SUBMITTED to God, and his
will for your life. Obey the Holy Spirit 100%, no more and no less than that. Do the best you can, and if you mess up keep on repenting and asking God to help you do better. Pray for God to keep on molding you into a vessel that He can use for His glory and His honor. Pray for God to bring things you need to change to the forefront of your mind, and show you how to change them. Pray for God to change the deep evil selfish desires in your heart to His righteous holy desires. Pray for Him to keep you humble and holy before Him. Pray for your will to be changed into His will, and your desires to His desires. The best thing to pray for is for God to change your will to His will. Just keep praying for God to change your will to His will and for Him to make you more and more like Jesus everyday, and He will.
9. BE A GOOD STUDENT of the Holy Spirit. Make sure you have a teachable spirit. Let the Holy Spirit TEACH you and GUIDE you into the way of health and the way of moderation in diet, in exercise and in every activity that you do everyday. Let the Holy Spiirit be your guide in every area of your life. Be willing to submit every area of your health and life to the Holy Spirit, and make any changes you need to. Be quick to implement healthy changes, and slow to engage in unhealthy behaviors or give in to any unhealthy temptation.
10. Finally, MEDITATE on the WORD OF GOD and the promises of His Word. Recall and recite the promises of God out loud. Proclaim them, and believe them. We must remember the promises of God, and not fear anything that comes our way. There is no fear in love. Perfect love casts out all fear. We must BELIEVE and TRUST in God, and walk by FAITH, not by sight.
We must have no fear, because the perfect love of God casts out all fear. When we enter into the presence of God all fear dissipates and fades away.
Continued in the next post. Please read the whole 5 Part Spiritual Warfare series for maximum effectiveness. Thanks and God bless!
9. BE A GOOD STUDENT of the Holy Spirit. Make sure you have a teachable spirit. Let the Holy Spirit TEACH you and GUIDE you into the way of health and the way of moderation in diet, in exercise and in every activity that you do everyday. Let the Holy Spiirit be your guide in every area of your life. Be willing to submit every area of your health and life to the Holy Spirit, and make any changes you need to. Be quick to implement healthy changes, and slow to engage in unhealthy behaviors or give in to any unhealthy temptation.
10. Finally, MEDITATE on the WORD OF GOD and the promises of His Word. Recall and recite the promises of God out loud. Proclaim them, and believe them. We must remember the promises of God, and not fear anything that comes our way. There is no fear in love. Perfect love casts out all fear. We must BELIEVE and TRUST in God, and walk by FAITH, not by sight.
1 John 4:17-19
The Consummation of Love
"Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. We love Him because He first loved us."Continued in the next post. Please read the whole 5 Part Spiritual Warfare series for maximum effectiveness. Thanks and God bless!
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