Understand the enemy! Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies (John 8:44).

Satan’s most lethal lies:

• You do not really have what you need to be happy in life (discontentment)
• Take charge of your own life; you are the only one that can make things happen (pride)
• I am alone and abandoned (fear)
• I have been mistreated by everyone else (bitterness)

Once these thoughts take root in your mind, you have become a pliable vessel in the hands of Satan.

Instead, know who you are in Christ.

• You will cherish your identity
• Don’t forget who you are without Him either, or it will be the pride that leads to your downfall
• Know that He is always with you – not because you are worthy but because He is gracious
• Don’t ruminate over every wrong you have endured – real or perceived; it will steal your JOY!!

Suit up with the belt of TRUTH and take every thought captive.

The other weapon that is misunderstood is RIGHTEOUSNESS. It is not who we say we are in our own strength (self-righteousness – pompousness) or even who we claim to be because of the blood of Jesus (imputed righteousness). The breastplate of righteousness is practiced righteousness…evidence of our saving faith. Evidence of a changed and transformed life is the fruit our life bears; it is the witness of those who knew us best in our ugliness and now freely proclaim the fruit of our transformation. If you see a Christian who has no interest in doing good works and obeying God, then that person, no matter what he claims, is spiritually dead like a dead tree that gets cut down. If we are spiritually alive, we are going to practice righteousness like a tree that bears good fruit.

Practiced righteousness takes a lot of effort because Satan knows your weaknesses; he does everything in his power to disallow your old self from being ignored and withering away. It takes a conscious effort to resist him and pursue the new life that we are promised. This includes shedding the old identity whereby we are defined by our past choices, mistakes, and misleading influences. It means “choosing” to embrace our new identity – putting to death the sinful nature is the most important part of that transformation and is the biggest challenge we will face in our walk.

You are waging war against your old sinful self where Satan would rather keep you: hatred, discontentment, strife, impatience, rudeness, selfishness, unfaithfulness, arrogance, intemperate behavior. Work with all your might to resist those for you are equipped by the power of the Holy Spirit to wage this war. Replace these with the fruit of the Holy Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. For these are yours to appropriate if only you do the work of resisting the other.

Suit up for warfare – do the hard work of practiced righteousness!