As a leader or one who is public about your faith in the public arena where we serve, lead, and/or govern, I don't even know what the battle is about, but I know that as a follower of Christ, you are in a battle, about to go through a battle or have come through one helluva battle.

You are either oppressed in the spirit, depressed in the mind, anxious in the heart, or sad down to the deepest depths of your sanctified soul.

Some reading this are so under attack that even when you try to read the Bible, as much as it has brought healing and joy in the past, you have lost your appetite for it. When you even try to read it, it makes no sense, doesn't "hit" where you're hurting, and brings little to no comfort anymore.

My friend you are beset by demons. You are under attack by one or more demonic forces sent to shut you down, shut you up, get you to back up, back down, not enjoy your blessings, blind you to your blessings, steal your joy, your peace, your future and most of all the assurance that God loves you, hears you and is with you.

You have rebuked the devil, called on friends to help you, pray for you, joined prayer calls, read devotionals, pulled off the shelf a book of prayers because you know you are in a spiritual battle and you have to do all these things and call on prayer warriors and intercessors to pray for you as you fight.

Slow your roll. God never told us to "fight" the devil. We are not equipped to fight the devil. The Apostle Paul tells us in
Ephesians 6:10-17: "Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil... "Therefore take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. Stand firm therefore..."

Let me break it down so you will get what Paul is saying because many of us so often miss the whole point because we focus on the wrong thing - the armor.

"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil... "Therefore take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. Stand firm therefore..."

Do you see what before many times you may have missed? God never told us, neither does Paul to "fight" the devil, but to get dressed and stand firm. Clothed in God's word with only one defensive weapon, "the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God."
- Ephesians. 6:17

The devil can and will, depending upon our threat level to his plans and schemes, throw everything against us to bring us down or take us out. Bringing to mind every sin, the worst of our past, doubts about our future, doubt that God loves us, doubt that God is even real, illness, betrayals, the illness of loved ones, and losses of various kinds.

He will use colleagues and co-workers to spread rumors. He will stir up jealousies and insecurities in others and cause them to unfairly target you.

God tells us through the Apostle Paul to stand and to keep standing. That's what stand firm means - stand and keep standing.

Michael, the archangel, in the book of Jude, when challenged by the devil over the body of Moses didn't even become entangled with him. "But Michael, the archangel, when he disputed with the devil and argued about the body of Moses, did not dare pronounce against him a railing judgment, but said, "The Lord rebuke you!" - Jude 1:9

Michael is a powerful archangel. The devil too, as Lucifer, was a powerful archangel, before leading a rebellion against God and heaven. He retained his power, his wisdom and knowledge - but it is wicked but no less powerful. 

This is why we are no match for him. It's not about power. We can never beat the devil in "our power" but in the power of God's might. His word.

This is why Paul doesn't tell us to "fight" but to stand firm. Stand firm on the truth of God's word even though it may not seem to be "working for you" or working quickly enough. 

Stand firm in what God has given you that is more powerful than the most powerful attack the devil can throw against you. The absolute authority of God's word. This is what defeats him!

In Jesus Christ, by way of the Holy Spirit, we have the power of God at work in us. We just don't put him to work for us, choosing to do the work ourselves. This brings nothing but more defeat, depression and doubt.

Stop letting the devil bait you or bully you into a fight he knows you can't win. And he doesn't fight fair.

Instead, arm yourself, yourself with the authority of God's word and stand firm. Stand. And keep on standing.

Which is more powerful? A police officer in a blue uniform or a man or woman in a blue suit? Both are dressed in blue but the uniform carries authority. The word of God carries authority! The police officer doesn't have to say one word. His or her uniform speaks for them. All they have to do is show up in uniform and stand in the authority that the uniform gives them. 

This is how we are to show up in the face of the devil. We don't have to fight with him, just stand firm dressed in uniform (i.e. the armor of God) in front of him. And then use the one defensive and most powerful weapon we have - God's word. We use the sword of the spirit to slice and dice him until he flees!

Show up in uniform today. It has both the power and most important the authority to defeat whatever the devil throws at you.

Be blessed and stand!