CURRENT THEME: BREAK OUT AND LIVE! (For feedback or suggestions about specific themes in this series, send me an e-mail to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)

By Benescke Janse van Rensburg

Imagine the following situation. You are a soldier on a mission. You and your colleagues are sent by plane to fight a dangerous army and are camouflaged from head to toe. The tension is building inside the plane with the knowledge that one of you might lose your lives on this mission.

The plane lands and as the trap door opens, the first shots are fired from the enemy on the ground. You are in the middle of a full-scale war and suddenly it dawns upon you: You have no weapons! No gun, no ammo nor any grenades. Your heart beats fast. Your palms sweat. Will you lose your life today?

It sounds absurd to enter a war without weapons. However, this is exactly what happens if we don’t have any knowledge of God’s promises. The enemy comes to attack us with negative thoughts and without the Word of God, he will easily outwit us by leaving us depressed and discouraged.

In Romans 12:2 we read: “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” And in 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 we read: "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 . . . bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.” The only part of the armour of God that we can attack the enemy with is the sword, the Word of God.

So what is the solution to fighting off the enemy’s negative thoughts? Win the battle in your mind. How do you do it? By following Jesus's example in the dessert when the enemy came to tempt Him. He went back to the promises of God and stood firmly upon them.

Let’s make it practical. What is your challenge at this stage? Go back to the Word and memorize scripture of what God says about your situation. For example, if you experience conflict in your marriage and the enemy tries to convince you that your spouse will not change, remind him of the words of Proverbs 21:1: “The king’s heart is in the hand of the LORD, like the rivers of water; He turns it wherever He wishes.” And in Ezekiel 36:26: “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh." Or when the enemy tries to convince you that your future looks bleak, remind him of the words of Psalm 37:5: “Commit everything you do to the LORD. Trust him, and he will help you.”

God’s Word is our weapon against the enemy. Let's make an effort to put it into our hearts. You don’t want to be caught off-guard when the first gunshots sound and you don’t have a gun, any ammunition or a grenade to fight back with. God bless.

Father God , thank you for your Word. Lead me by your Holy Spirit to the right scriptures to memorize so that I will win the battle in my mind. I ask this in the Name of Jesus Christ.

Amen.

• For more examples of how to use scripture to fight off the enemy, visit: www.benescke.co.za or the social network, Fbook’s STORIES OF HOPE page.