“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might.” Ephesians 6:10

I can’t believe that it has been almost thirty years since God planted the desire in my heart to encourage women. Every year, I would get a new annual planner and follow the instructions inside to set goals. Sometime in my early twenties, I jotted down a thought about encouraging women of faith toward God and His calling for their lives. Since then, I’ve been doing some version of this in every season of my life.

I wasn’t intentionally seeking out a major plan for my life. I simply knew I wanted to live my life committed to knowing God and serving His purposes for my own life. Somewhere in the middle of my commitment to Him and the inclinations He had already placed in my heart, God met me with His thoughts about how I should aim my efforts.

Just the same, the enemy met me, too. As I look back, it is no surprise that the more I leaned in and did my part to live in alignment with God’s will—hosting women’s Bible studies, serving in women’s ministry, growing in leadership—the bigger the target on my back by the enemy became. Because, in case you didn’t know, Satan has a few plans of his own for the life of a believer.

Spiritual warfare is a battle we all face as Christians. It’s the battle between truth and lies, light and darkness, God’s promises and the enemy’s deceptions. Despite how giddy I was as I moved forward in partnering with God as I moved through my life and experienced the gradual clarity of His calling in serving and fostering community with women, I also became more clear about Satan’s simultaneous plan to thwart my experience. 

While I look back and see God’s hand in my life, I also recall the moments I felt overwhelmed and discouraged. I remember the attack on my thoughts and the struggle to overcome feeling as if I wasn’t doing enough or that all my efforts were in vain. I’ve wrestled with pride and being self-sufficient. I’ve experienced doubt and fear. And most of all, I’ve often found myself weary from the challenges of daily life. But even in moments of struggle, I also recall holding on to faith that anchored me with small victories along the way. When I felt especially down, I would realign my focus to the victory already won through the saving work of Jesus’ death and resurrection on the cross. 

Some days victory looks like putting one foot in front of the other. It looks like moving a mile by taking one step at a time, looking for the majesty of God in the minutiae of your day and taking a deep breath so you can slow down and soothe your soul. The big idea here is that during times of spiritual weariness or even spiritual attack, a little bit goes a long way. 

These last few decades have definitely required my effort, but ultimately, I did not overcome by my own strength. I understood that the battles I faced weren’t just physical, emotional, relational, or financial—they were always spiritual too. This meant leaning on God’s truth, trusting in His righteousness and relying on His Word as my protection. 

As a result, I’ve been serving women as a part of my life’s calling in different ways and throughout different seasons for the large majority of my life. It remains a great honor in my life to know and grow in God’s plan for me. It also remains my great joy to have witnessed, time and time again, that when the battles came, I didn’t just survive—I believe I’ve thrived.

And I believe that you can too.

Though you will face spiritual warfare as you seek to serve Him and engage in His calling for your life, victory is always possible when you stand in Christ.

Spiritual warfare is real, but so is your victory in Christ. Let me encourage you to rely on God’s strength, not your own. When you feel overwhelmed, you can trust that God has equipped you with everything you need to stand firm against the enemy’s attacks.

Prayer:

Lord, I thank You for the victory we have in Christ. May we not only experience Your power in the midst of spiritual warfare, but help us to trust in You when we face challenges. Give us the strength to stand firm against the attacks of the enemy. We know that, in You, we have already won. Amen.