Fighting Words

I am a firm believer in employing practical methods for combating mental chaos. Getting enough good sleep most nights of the year is imperative for me. Watching my caffeine intake, exercising, drinking plenty of water, eating well, breathing fresh air, getting sunshine, staying warm, doing activities I love, and having people to process and pray with are also important weapons in my arsenal.

That said, there comes a point when we have to admit that what is happening in our minds is an actual spiritual battle. And yes, sometimes, all you need is a nap. But sometimes, you need a whole lot more.

From the very beginning, our enemy has been a liar. He twisted what God said, and Eve fell for it. (We all do.) From the very beginning, our enemy has been seeking to steal, kill, and destroy. He continues that objective to this day.

At times, the very reality that the enemy lies to us can feel hopelessly overwhelming. I know I have been there more than a time or two. The lies are so loud, they are literally screaming in my mind. I am in darkness and can’t see my way to the right or left and all I hear are these lies in my head, telling me the most awful and horrible things.

Last fall, I attended our church’s women’s night, and the theme was Fighting Words. I don’t think I knew then how much I needed that. Our pastor gave out these necklaces as gifts for each woman. The necklace has two small rectangles hanging from the gold chain—one says “fighting” and the other “words.” I liked the concept and have been wearing the necklace every day since.

Then last week, with lies raging in my mind, I realized: it’s battle time. I have got to get some fighting words. If I want to see victory, I’ve got to fight, and I will fight with my words. It’s not enough just to fight back with my mind. It’s not enough just to pray for the enemy to be disarmed. It’s not enough just to write in a journal. It’s not enough even just to ask other people to pray. I’ve got to get me some fighting words, and I’ve got to start speaking them just like Jesus did in the wilderness when the enemy tempted him with words from SCRIPTURE.

I love, love, LOVE the first episode of The Chosen, when Mary Magdalene, tormented by demons, speaks aloud Isaiah 43. And after Jesus has set her free, He speaks those very words to her, in person.

The Word of God is powerful! I don’t know why, somewhere along the line, the Bible has just become a nice little Sunday School thing. We know the stories, we memorize a few Scriptures, we put the nice ones on t-shirts and coffee mugs and adult coloring pages. Maybe we use the Word of God as a guide to a moral life, a little pick-me-up on sad days. I know I’ve done all of these things and more.

But do we realize the power of the Word of God? Really, if I am being honest, I know that I don’t. The Bible says that it is living and active. I have been praying for revival in my soul because I don’t want to merely live a moral life. That’s not what I signed up for when I said I’d follow Jesus. I was all in, and I am still all in. I want to see the move of God, miracles with my own eyes, my own freedom and deliverance from what torments me.

Which means, THERE WILL BE LIES. Anyone who told you that following Jesus meant you’d be heaving tea in a bed of wildflowers was lying. Anyone who told you it would be comfortable either didn’t really know or didn’t want to say how hard it would be. We have an enemy, that enemy is real, and he wants to destroy your life, my life. He wants to get us so wrapped up in the lies that we never follow Jesus, that we never obey Jesus, that we never step into what God has for us. There is a real spiritual battle happening—maybe you feel it the way I do.

Dear friend, please rise up and fight. Ask God to give you the fighting words YOU need from His word. I am collecting mine on my phone so that at any moment, I can pull open the note file and speak those words out loud over and over and over again until the darkness flees.

I think there has been a tendency in Christian circles to avoid doing this whole speaking business because we don’t want to abuse the concept. We don’t want to tell people they can start speaking big houses and fancy cars into existence. We don’t want to preach the health and wealth message, so we put the Word into a neat little Sunday box or even a “I read one chapter today, and I’m good,” box. But what if speaking the Word wasn’t about getting what we wanted? Rather, what if speaking the Word of God was about disarming the enemy so that God can do what He wants in and through our lives? What if speaking the Word of God was about bringing light into the darkness that surrounds us and often seems as if it will defeat us?

If you find yourself feeling like you are in a war today, a war of your soul and mind and heart and very being, you are not alone, friend. It’s heavy some days—maybe more days than not; it’s dark—I know that; it’s lonely—yes, it is; it’s confusing—most certainly. The desire to hide may be strong. The desire to quit may seem overpowering. But you are NOT ALONE. You are not the only person facing a battle. And there is nothing wrong with you because of the battle. Facing the darkness does not mean you have done something wrong. It does not mean you are a failure. Most importantly, remember that He is with you in the war.

He doesn’t say that we will never walk through the waters or the fire (gosh, my comfort-loving soul wishes He did!). But He does promise that the waters will not overwhelm us, that the fire will not burn us. With Him by our side, we cannot be defeated. So, let’s find our FIGHTING WORDS and begin speaking them out loud, in the shadows, in the silence, in the darkness. He will bring us into the light, and we WILL TRIUMPH over our enemy.