Shots have been fired. The enemy has declared an attack. He comes to kill, steal and destroy (John 10:10). And your identity is his target. He wants you to feel defeated, unworthy, unprepared and insignificant. By attacking your identity before you even get onto the field, he can successfully keep you from all that God has promised. But he only wins if we allow him to succeed by believing his lies and schemes (2 Cor 2:11).
Though the enemy has made the first move of battle, we were tipped off of the attack and have the luxury of being prepared with a defense strategy. It’s like we’ve been given the play book from both sides of the field and just have to identify our true enemy and learn the proper techniques so we can successfully fight back.
"For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places" (Eph 6:12).
In Romans 9:29, we learn one of the names of God is Lord of Sabaoth- This translates to Lord of the armies of Israel which are under His protection. If you dive deeper into the word here, the prefix comes from the word tsaba (H6635) which means that which goes forth in army, war or warfare. Because He is the Lord of heavens armies we can know that He is going ahead of us and fighting our battles as our ultimate protector.
If God is on your side, and is your protector in all things why would your identity not be included in this. He has called you to be His daughter and yearns for you to see your value and to receive Him as a Father. As any father would want for their child, He wants you to stand firm against the schemes of the enemy (Eph 4:27). This isn't necessarily some elaborate process, it can be done simply by humbling yourself and submitting to Him (1 Peter 5:6, James 4:7).
The enemy is a liar and a counterfeit, and the best way to identify a counterfeit is by studying the real thing. When we dive into the word of God and learn who He is and who He says we are, things begin to look a lot differently. Imagine how scared Elisha's servant must have been when he went out early in the morning, only to find that they were surrounded by troops, horses and chariots of men who wanted to kill them (2 Kings 6: 15). But then Elisha asked God to open his eyes and show him those who were on their side and he was able to see the favor of God they had (vs 16-17).
Sometimes we need God to open our eyes so that we can see as He does. When we really know who we are and start dying to ourselves and living according to our God-given identity, nothing can stop us. Knowing that you are loved makes you confident and courageous, especially with the help of Christ living inside you in the form of the Holy Spirit (Gal 2:20).
As mentioned before, the only way to do this is to study the word of God and receive His truths for us. Resist the lies of the enemy and stand firm on your faith. He's prowling around waiting for us to show vulnerability and weakness (1 Peter 5:8-9). Weakness in the form of lack of faith or trust in God. Be prepared for Battle, to fight the enemy and beat him in his sly attacks.
"So you must put on the full armor of God, so that you can make your stand against the devil's schemes" (Eph 6:11).
"Stand firm then, with the belt of truth fastened around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness arrayed, and with your feet fitted with the readiness of the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Pray in the Spirit at all times, with every kind of prayer and petition. To this end, stay alert with all perseverance in your prayers for all the saints" (Eph 6:14-18).
Put on your armor daily, be prepared for the battle at hand. The Lord is at your side and He is a loving Father there to protect you. But we must do our part to prepare for this battle. We must have faith in God's word and believe who He says we are. Don't let the enemy
take you down before you even hit the field.
