You are in a battle. I am too. All of us in the body of Christ are in a battle. And we need to fight.
The Word of God tells us to “fight the good fight of faith” (1 Tim. 6:12). And that fight is not against other people. It is against the devil and his demons. It is against all evil. Ephesians 6:12 says, “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.”
So how do we fight a spiritual battle? We can’t put on physical boxing gloves and punch the devil, although I wouldn’t mind doing that at times. We can’t use physical weapons. Instead, we have to use spiritual weapons. The apostle Paul wrote, “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ” (2 Cor. 10:3–5).
When we have mental strongholds because of the devil’s mind games, there are consequences in the natural realm. We can see the effects of the strongholds in our lives, especially in our relationships. But if we want to see victory over the enemy’s schemes in the natural realm, we have to fight and win in the spiritual realm.
There are four key lessons I have learned while fighting spiritual battles: Recognize your enemy, seek Jesus above all, allow the Holy Spirit to cleanse you, and endure suffering as a soldier of Christ.
Lesson One: Recognize Your Enemy
To win a battle, you have to know what you’re fighting against. In the battle for your mind, in the battle to tear down strongholds, the enemy is not a person. The enemy is not your spouse. The enemy is not your mom or dad. The enemy is not your boss or your coworker. The enemy isn’t even you, although the devil may try to convince you that is the case. In the battle for your freedom, the enemy is never a human being.
The enemy is the devil. You are fighting a spiritual battle against the devil. You are fighting against principalities, powers, rulers of darkness, and spiritual hosts of wickedness.
When I was plagued by the devil and his mind games, I kept blaming myself. I kept asking myself why I was such an ugly person on the inside. I thought my torment had to be because of something I had done or some flaw that I had. I felt like I let myself down because everything was all my fault. I felt like my situation was hopeless, and I felt really bad about myself. My focus was on myself and my inner ugliness.
And do you know what? The devil didn’t mind at all that I felt bad about myself. In fact, I’m sure he was pleased I blamed myself. That is exactly what the devil wants us to do! He wants us to blame anyone but him, and he especially wants us to blame ourselves. He wants us to focus on ourselves. He wants us to think we are bad people with no hope of ever changing and finding our freedom. He wants us to hate ourselves. When we hate ourselves, we most likely have hate toward other people, and the devil wants us to hate other people. The devil is deceitful. He is “the father of lies and of all that is false” (John 8:44, AMPC). The devil’s goal is to make us believe that he has nothing to do with our strongholds, our struggles, and our slavery.
The devil also really likes it when we blame God. If we decide God is at fault for our problems and we get angry at God, it draws us further away from God, and that definitely makes the devil happy.
When we get so focused on ourselves instead of recognizing who our enemy really is, it also takes our eyes off Jesus. But that is the last thing we want to happen when we are in a spiritual battle. Hebrews 12:1–2 says:
Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Recognize who your true enemy is—the devil. Don’t believe the lie that God is at fault. God loves you, and He wants you to overcome. He wants you to be more than a conqueror (Rom. 8:37). He paid the highest of prices for your freedom by sending Jesus, His beloved Son, to die for your sin and to give you true freedom. God didn’t purchase your freedom at such a high price for you to stay in bondage. He purchased your freedom so you could be free! “For freedom Christ has set us free” (Gal. 5:1, ESV).
Lesson Two: Seek Jesus Above All
Freedom is a by-product of being near Jesus. So we have to seek Jesus above all.
When I was in my transformation process, I received a revelation from the Lord. As humans, many times we are so desperate for a breakthrough, whatever that might look like—healing, deliverance from demons, or anything else—that we lose sight of Jesus.
But that is not all we lose sight of. We lose sight of the fact that ultimately, when we go to heaven, there will be no demons. There will be no sickness. There will be no sorrow, no depression, no tears, no pain. All those things will no longer exist because “God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away” (Rev. 21:4).
Sometimes people receive deliverance or freedom or healing, but they end up not following Jesus. They end up losing sight of Him. What was it for? They experienced the presence and power of the Lord just to go back to living for themselves, seeking themselves, while they are on this earth. But then what?
Hebrews 11:6 says, “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” When we have faith in the Lord, when we seek Him, He rewards us. The rewards of seeking Jesus include peace, joy, freedom, hope, love, faith, strength, wisdom, power, and a multitude of other things. But those things pale in comparison to the best reward. The Word of God promises, “And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart” (Jer. 29:13). When we seek the Lord, the ultimate reward is Jesus Himself.
And Jesus isn’t just any reward. The Lord told Abram, “I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward” (Gen. 15:1). It’s interesting that the two Hebrew words translated “exceedingly great” in that verse can both mean abundance. It’s as if the Lord said, “I am your abundantly abundant reward,” or, “The reward that I am is so great the abundance cannot be contained.”
Jesus is everything. Jesus is your everything. Even in your pain, even in your desperation, you cannot lose sight of Him. You need to know that no matter what it is you are facing, Jesus is everything you need: “And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:19).
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Even your most difficult circumstances do not change who Jesus is. You may not have received your healing yet, and you may never receive it on this earth, but Jesus is still “the Lord who heals you” (Exod. 15:26). Your finances may still be a mess, but Jesus is still “The-Lord-Will-Provide” (Gen. 22:14). You may feel like you are standing on shifting sand, but you can still say, “The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer.…Blessed be my Rock! Let God be exalted, the Rock of my salvation!” (2 Sam. 22:2, 47). You may feel like an orphan, but God is “a father of the fatherless…in His holy habitation. God sets the solitary in families” (Ps. 68:5). You may feel invisible, but you can call on “The-God-Who-Sees” (Gen. 16:13). You may feel afraid, but you can still stand on Jesus’ promise: “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand” (Isa. 41:10). You may still feel troubled, but Jesus is still called “The-Lord-Is-Peace” (Judg. 6:24). You may feel alone, but “the Lord is there” (Ezek. 48:35).
This is a whole mindset shift. You are not chasing Jesus for what He can do for you. You are seeking Him for Himself. You seek Him because you want a relationship with Him. You seek Him because He loves you and you want to love Him back. Seek His face, not only His hand.
David wrote in one of his psalms, “Hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice! Have mercy also upon me, and answer me. When You said, ‘Seek My face,’ my heart said to You, ‘Your face, Lord, I will seek’” (Ps. 27:7–8). And the amazing thing about seeking Jesus first is that all the other things you need will follow along behind. Jesus Himself said, “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you” (Matt. 6:33).
Lesson Three: Allow the Holy Spirit to Cleanse You
The Bible says, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind” (2 Tim. 1:7). We have already talked a little bit about God not giving us a spirit of fear. That is a promise we can stand on, a truth we can use to fight back when the enemy attacks us with his mind games.
We have also touched on how God has given us the power to overcome and on how a sound mind helps us in the battle against the devil and his schemes. But God has given us a spirit of love as well, and that love has a role in the battle as we tear down strongholds.
Often, when we battle the lies of the devil, we are living under guilt and condemnation. That happened to me. When I was struggling with all the negative thoughts and feelings swirling around in my mind, not only did I not recognize who my enemy was at first, but as I’ve mentioned, I also blamed myself and thought I was a really horrible person, to hate people and be consumed by jealousy and all those other nasty thoughts.
But here is the truth: “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit” (Rom. 8:1).
However, sometimes our mental strongholds start with our own sin. The devil will use that against us as we try to renew our minds and be transformed. But that is where the spirit of love comes in.
First Peter 4:8 tells us, “And above all things have fervent love for one another, for ‘love will cover a multitude of sins.’” There is no sin so bad that the love of God can’t cover it. There is no volume of sin so big that the love of God can’t cover it. In fact, the Greek word for multitude in 1 Peter 4:8 means fullness. That means God has got it all covered.
The Word of God also tells us:
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
—John 3:16
But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
—Romans 5:8
For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
—Romans 8:38–39
And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us.
—Ephesians 5:2
In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
—1 John 4:9–10
Those verses paint a picture of the love of God that counters so many lies of the enemy. There is nothing you have done or could do that would make God not love you. Nothing can separate you from His love. Because He loves you, He sent Jesus to die on the cross so that you could receive forgiveness for all your sins, no matter what they are. God has got you covered—fully covered.
So when the enemy tries to plant lies in your head to make you feel condemned, you just tell him that there is no condemnation for you because you are in Christ Jesus and that the love of God has you covered. If you had an abortion, God’s love covers that sin. If you hate, God’s love covers that sin. If you sinned sexually, God’s love covers that sin. If you lied, cheated, stole, or envied, God’s love covers that sin. If you sinned with your words, God’s love covers it. You don’t have to walk in condemnation because love covers a multitude of sins.
God gave us the spirit of love to cover our own sin, but He also gave us the spirit of love to cover other people when they sin against us. We have that spirit of love because we have the Holy Spirit. Romans 5:5 says, “The love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.”
Sometimes people have a hard time accepting forgiveness. They have a hard time believing that God really has mercy for them. They have a hard time accepting grace. I think pride often gets in the way when people think like that. Do you really think there is a sin so big that Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross wasn’t enough to cover it? Do you really think there is anything you have done that is so bad that Jesus’ blood isn’t a sufficient sacrifice? No matter what you have done, God’s “grace is sufficient for you” (2 Cor. 12:9). The Word of God says, “Therefore let it be known to you, brethren, that through this Man is preached to you the forgiveness of sins; and by Him everyone who believes is justified from all things” (Acts 13:38–39). Once you have become a new creation in Christ, “all things have become new” (2 Cor. 5:17). Don’t let your pride get in the way of receiving forgiveness. God’s mercy and grace are enough to cover all things.
Lesson Four: Endure Suffering as a Soldier
Second Timothy 2:3 says, “Endure suffering along with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus” (NLT). Another translation says, “You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ” (NKJV). Suffering is part of life. No one wants to suffer, but no one escapes suffering. How we endure that suffering depends on our mindset.
If you still have the slave mentality, suffering makes you want to give up. It makes you lose hope of ever being delivered. When you have the slave mentality, the devil uses suffering to try to keep you in bondage.
If you still have the survivor mentality, suffering makes you complain. It makes you look back rather than look forward to the promised land. The devil uses suffering to make you think that a life of bondage is better than a life of freedom. If you still have the survivor mentality, the devil uses suffering to make you buy into his lies.
But when you have the soldier mentality, your entire perspective on suffering shifts. You realize you aren’t just anyone—you are a soldier in the army of Christ. You are not a slave; you are not a survivor. You are a soldier strengthened by the Spirit of God and equipped for battle—and not just equipped for the battle but equipped to win the battle.
Life is not a vacation; life is a battlefield, and you are fighting a spiritual battle. Fighting battles is not easy. Suffering is just part of the process. Everyone who has ever been involved in a spiritual battle has endured suffering. You must learn to endure the suffering as a good soldier of Jesus Christ because the changes that happen in you are far more valuable than you could ever imagine. During the process of breaking down strongholds, of transformation, and yes, even of suffering, God is doing something in us. He is doing a good work in us. He is changing us to be more like Him, and that is so precious.
When I think back to all I went through, all those years of trial and emotional suffering, I can honestly say the process was worth it. Yes, I suffered, but I wouldn’t change that because I became a different person—a better person, a child of God refined by the fire—and no one, not even the devil, can take that away from me. The apostle Paul wrote, “…that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings” (Phil. 3:10). The Greek word for fellowship is koinonia. It means partnership, communion, communication, sharing, and intimacy. My suffering gave me fellowship with Jesus. It gave me communion and intimacy with Him that I otherwise would have missed out on, not to mention that I have had a front-row seat to the miraculous power of God over and over again. I wouldn’t trade it for anything.
The Lord wants you to be a soldier, not a victim. He wants you to be a soldier, not a complainer. He wants you to be a soldier, not a slave, not merely a survivor. The Lord knows that the victory has already been won through Jesus Christ, but you need to fight to claim it. You need to fight for your freedom. The devil is fighting tooth and nail for your mind because he knows if he wins there, he wins it all in your life. So stop letting him win! God promised that you have “victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Cor. 15:57). Don’t let the devil defeat you just because you are suffering. “Fight the good fight of faith” (1 Tim. 6:12).
One of my favorite passages in the Word of God during my process was James 1:2–4: “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.” That passage is very powerful. It is so important when we are suffering to understand that we are in spiritual warfare.
But why would we count it as a joy to go through suffering? Once we go through suffering and God does His work in us, we are refined. We are changed to be more and more like Jesus. We are transformed from glory to glory. We become who He wants us to be. Then we will have pure joy. If we don’t have trials and suffering, we don’t have opportunities for battle. If we don’t have battles to fight and win, we don’t have personal victories. If we don’t have personal victories, we can’t experience the joy of being an overcomer and a victor. That is why the Word of God tells us, “Count it all joy when you fall into various trials” (v. 2).
The Greek word for count can also mean to think, to lead, and to rule over. When you are suffering, when you face trials, it is time to rule over your thoughts. It is time to lead your thoughts away from the devil’s lies and to the truth of the Word of God. You may be suffering, but the end result is that you will be “perfect and complete, lacking nothing” (v. 4). So do not be afraid to go through suffering. Don’t fall back into the survivor mentality or the slave mentality. Keep your perspective as that of a good soldier for Jesus Christ, and consider suffering an opportunity for joy.
As humans, we try to avoid suffering at all costs, especially in the Western world. We don’t like suffering just as we don’t like pain. And that is understandable. Pain and suffering aren’t fun. They aren’t easy to endure. But we can’t avoid suffering because this world we live in is fallen, and it will always have suffering in it. Suffering happens when circumstances are out of your control—when your parents get a divorce, when your brother’s alcoholism tears apart your family, when your child has cancer, when your spouse cheats on you, when you lose your home in a natural disaster… Those things all cause suffering. But when we shift our perspective, when we change our mindset, we can count it all joy because we know there is a divine purpose at work behind the suffering.
Lana Savchuk is a passionate minister, speaker, and writer dedicated to helping individuals experience true freedom in Christ. With years of experience in deliverance ministry, she specializes in uncovering and breaking stubborn spiritual strongholds. Her new book, Change Your Mind, is available on Amazon.com.
