Page 21 - #LoveWarrior

Chapter Three
Born Warriors

“There is no neutral ground in the universe. Every single inch, every split second, is claimed by God, and
counterclaimed by Satan.” –C.S. Lewis

As Christians, we are given the title of “believers”. But whether you’ve been a Christian for a month or twenty
years, you have more than likely experienced a war raged against your relationship(s). So often along the way we
are presented with a threat or situation that to our surprise — and even embracement — paralyzes us, leaving us
hopeless. I’ll be the first one to confess this to you. Life has presented many situations where I couldn’t believe how
quickly I was knocked off my platform of strength or foundation in belief that He was greater than my circumstance.
I could write an entire other book on His promises fulfilled. But to do this, we would first be reviewing all the dark
hallways I have traveled. Some were as a result of my own foolish decisions, and others were in alignment with His
plan for my life. Whatever the reason be, a level of faith was required. Let me share an encouraging, yet difficult
word with you, one you may already be very aware of: During a difficult situation, it is a fight in itself to remain in
hope and belief. Along with a strong community of friends and mentors as a resource and sounding board, here is
how I’ve witnessed myself and so many others navigate through the battles.

Know your enemy
In military combat, being well versed on the enemy is a strategy used in almost every mission. It allows for effective
effort with meaningful movement. As believers, we have one true enemy; Satan. Known by multiple names, titles
and traits many of us are all too familiar with him: fallen angel, demon, accuser, evil, jealous, power hungry,
deceiver, father of lies, murderer, coward, arrogant, thief, strategic, manipulative, and the list goes on.

In her compelling book Fervent: A Woman’s Battle Plan to Serious, Specific and Strategic Prayer, Priscilla Shirer
reminds us of who Satan really is and what his limits are:

○ Satan is nothing but a copycat, trying desperately to convince you he's more powerful than he
actually is. Because remember: he does have limitations – boundaries he cannot cross no matter
how much he desires or how hard he tries. For instance…
● He can't be everywhere at once (only God is omnipresent).
● He can't read your mind (only is God omnipresent).
● He is merely an illusionist, using cunning trickery to deceive and mislead (only God can work
flat-out, unmistakable miracles).
And last, but certainly not least….
● He's running out of time (only our God is eternal).

After letting these truths soak in, I felt a surge of power. The next time I felt an assault of the enemy coming on, I
stood firm in my place with the Lord, remembered these, and said directly to Satan, “You coward – You can't be
everywhere at once, you can't read my mind, and guess what?! You're running out of time! Leave me alone, leave
my family alone, leave my loved ones alone, and keep your lies to yourself. You have no place here. In the name of
Jesus, I command you to leave!”

Just like that, he was gone. We serve a powerful King. Just the mention of His name makes darkness tremble.

Know Your God
God has many known names, titles, and traits. To highlight the main ones: Creator, Savior, Father, Abba, El-
Shaddai, Yahweh, Jehovah, Adonai, Jesus Christ, Holy Spirit, Savior, Perfect Lamb, Shepherd, Healer, Teacher,
Carpenter, Fisherman, All-Knowing, The Most High, Lord of Lord, King of Kings, Light of the World, Forgiver,
Love, Redeemer, Good, Powerful, Conqueror of Death, Truth, Life, and the list goes on.

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