FIGHTING SPIRITUALLY

Dear sibling in Christ,

Hope you are doing well, and if not, I pray that whatever you are going through ends in praise🎉.

I can’t believe we are already in the second week of January🥲, this year is flying right before our eyes😣. Meanwhile, as I was praying and planning for every area of my life, the strategy the Holy Spirit laid on my heart for my spiritual life for this year was entirely different from what I’ve typically done before. The Holy Spirit then started revealing to me why this was the case.

As I had revealed a few weeks ago on my substack, I never really thought I needed to have my own intense prayer life and truly believed that because I was already studying the word and in godly/Holy-Spirit-filled spaces, then by means of association, nothing could harm me. BUUUT the enemy tried, and weapons were formed🥲. The spiritual warfare started off jokingly, almost like a slight tap, then it got aggressive, and I really didn’t understand what exactly was going on.

I remember walking back home from school just feeling confused and defeated. I was doing all the godly stuff, was reading my bible, singing in worship, leading worship, leading prayers, attending prayers, being a good student, being more intentional with my finances and health, generally just being a good image bearer in all areas of my life, BUT I still felt off. At times, my head would just go blank in class or even while walking, or I would wake up genuinely afraid for my life, my dreams felt so muddied and demonic, and I would often feel unusually anxious. It got so bad that I bought a cross necklace, so when it felt overwhelming, which often did, I would hold my cross believing that I do not have a high priest who can not be touched by the feelings of my infirmities (Hebrews 4:15). Then I started having revelatory visions, and it clicked…I was going through spiritual warfare😭.

And the way the enemy is a liar, he wants you to think otherwise. He will create several other distractions or make it seem like it’s really not that bad. He will isolate you, and then burden you with shame. He can even go as far as demonising the people around you, but it’s in fact him attacking your mind.

I started praying as anyone would in my position, but I was praying very aimlessly. Let me paint it in gym-bro language: I would go to the gym and just decide on the spot what to do, and walk out after my set time and call it a day. The angels concerning me were probably so disappointed at this point😭. I beg you in the name of the LORD, don’t be like me and continue reading🥲.

So one day, during my productive self-pitying session wherein I was trying to pinpoint the when, why, and how, while still being under attack, I stumbled upon this Instagram

reel.

There and then, I knew I had to be intentional. I had to come up with a game plan. A game plan that would not only end the war the devil started but also make sure that he rethinks 10,000times before trying such foolishness again. That, next time, he and his pretty little liars would not have the effrontery to attack me and anything connected to me.

Now, the making of the game plan. I first had to know my weak points; the enemy can only attack you if you knowingly or unknowingly give him access. I had to retrace my footsteps and recognise my open doors and cracks, and plead for ABBA’s mercy to seal them all. I then started becoming more aware of what I confessed over my life; we have the power of life and death in our tongues (Proverbs 18:21).

While the above might seem like a game plan already, that was basically being caught up to speed on what the enemy is currently using against you. You have to have a battle strategy. How are you going to make sure you walk away victorious? Victory is already yours in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:31-39), so how do you remind the enemy that he was defeated long before you were even thought of?

Imagine being in your own house, and a stranger walks in and starts beating you with a stick. Mind you, the Author of life and death already fought this stranger and won, and naive you is out here begging this stranger to leave your own house😭😭😭. Do not let such ignorance be the reason for your perishing (Hosea 4:6)

But I digress. As I was now figuring out the battle plan, I realized I only have 24 hours in a day, and I also have school, church, clubs, meal prepping, and all the other good stuff. How would I make the best out of my personal devotion? Would I still need to worship, read a chapter, pray, and meditate all in the limited time that I had? How much prayer time was I looking at a day? Was that enough? It’s like saying, I want to look like Dwayne Johnson and truly believing that 10 pushups two times a week will do it.

But how we love ABBA and His mercies that are new every morning. He who is so compassionate and loves us beyond measure (Lamentations 3: 22-23). One day, as my housemates and I gathered together to study for our finals, our academic arsenal friend saw our other friend going through content for a course she had already taken. I observed that she looked at her for a while, and with concern, she said, “There’s no time to dwell on content, just spam your mind with as many questions as you can till exam time”. There was my answer, beautifully packaged in sisterly love✨.

I didn’t have time to study the Bible and try to connect Genesis to the Gospels and the Gospels to Revelation. I had to pick the scriptures I needed for the season I was in and fire at the enemy with all that was within me. I also had to rely heavily on speaking in tongues because there’s truly so much I know and so much He knows (1 Corinthians 13:9-12), and the Holy Spirit already intercedes for me with groanings too deep for utterance (Romans 8:26).

I had to pick up my sword, the word of GOD (Ephesians 6:17, 2 Corinthians 10:3-6), and fight. Yes, they came at you with swords and spears and shields, but fight back with the name of the LORD, the GOD of your salvation, whom they have defied (1 Samuel 17:45, Psalms 18:46).

As you fight, allow the Holy Spirit to reveal to you who to reveal your situation to. While there’s power in corporate prayers, even as Jesus was en route to the cross, He only took Peter, James, and John to Gethsemane. Also, be wary of the desire to delegate the matters of your spiritual life to the revealed person. They are just helpers and not GOD, plus the battle concerns you and not them.

I want to reemphasize, the devil is not playing with you; nothing about stealing, killing, and destroying is considerate of your well-being🙂(John 10:10).

Sidenote: Abeg, don’t come at me saying I said you shouldn’t study your Bibles😭😭😭. Please still do, I am just sharing what worked for me in my times of spiritual warfare🥲.

And in case you have seen this on my substack, it’s the substack’s twin😉.

I hope this equips you to better prepare for current and upcoming spiritual battles.

With GOD'S unfailing love🫶,

Your sister in Christ,

Living for the Audience of One,

NancyNengai.