As you prepare for the new year, consider spiritual warfare. Maybe it makes you uncomfortable, feels distant, or you believe it’s something for pastors and counselors to deal with. Or, you could be unsure how much or how little you should be thinking about the devil and his work. And others of you may feel pretty aware of spiritual attacks in your life. According to Scripture, even if our main focus is to be on Christ, spiritual warfare is a constant reality (Ephesians 6:12). Therefore, your vulnerability to it is determined by the use of your weaponry of His Light.

A Weapons Checklist

Whether you’re only mildly familiar or well versed in the armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-20), this checklist below:

1. will be a great opportunity to strengthen your position against Satan, maybe in ways you didn’t even know you needed.
2. help you identify where your weapons have gotten dull or if you’ve even laid some of them down.

Belt of Truth

• Weapon inspection: Do you ever allow the culture or your feelings to make you question foundational Christian beliefs, such as feeling that God’s ways are too harsh?
• Weapon improvement: Protect yourself against spiritual attacks by believing what God’s Word says about issues, whether the world or your emotions agree or not. Seek to agree with God’s thoughts and your mind will become strong enough to resist Satan’s lies.

Breastplate of Righteousness

• Weapon inspection: Do you often catch yourself trying to be good enough for God, or for others?
• Weapon improvement: Protect yourself against spiritual attacks by declaring and pondering that everything good in you comes from Christ (Psalm 16:2). Ignore the demon who specializes in encouraging humans towards striving. Instead, focus on being obedient to God’s will, and let Him produce goodness and thriving in you.

Shoes of Peace

• Weapon inspection:  Have you gotten caught up in the world’s non-stop temper tantrum? Do you doubt it’s possible to constantly resist the world’s promotion for anger and offense?
• Weapon improvement: Protect yourself against spiritual attacks by committing to the pursuit of character development and humility (see related articles here and here). Resist the bad outcomes of cooperating with Satan (Galatians 5:19-21) and surrender to the Spirit for His fruits, most definitely including the peace of Christ (Galatians 5:20-23).

Shield of Faith

• Weapon inspection: Consider where you put your faith these days. Is it in certain media influences? In medical advancements? In your status according to this world? In your own strength?
• Weapon improvement: Protect yourself against spiritual attacks by resisting the urge to take care of everything yourself. Take such big, bold steps towards trusting Him (Malachi 3:10) that you make the devil want to give up on you.

Helmet of Salvation

• Weapon inspection:  How little do you remind yourself of what the cross of Christ means for you? Means for your friends and family? Means for those in your sphere of influence?
• Weapon improvement: Protect yourself against spiritual attacks by being more grateful for your salvation than clamoring for your perceived needs. Defeat Satan by emphasizing your personal relationship with your Savior in every aspect of your life (Deuteronomy 6:6-8).

Sword of the Spirit

• Weapon inspection: Isn’t the real pandemic that Christians have become biblically illiterate? What is literally sucking you away from time in your Bible?
• Weapon improvement: Protect yourself against spiritual attacks by prioritizing what is in Scripture and being able to preach it to yourself when your enemy prowls around you trying to destroy you (1 Peter 5:8).

Prayer

• Weapon inspection: How much more are your thoughts on what you want, who isn’t pleasing you, how bad things are for you, and how you feel than praying for His will and for others?
• Weapon improvement: Protect yourself against spiritual attacks by praising God with your thoughts. Pray a) through your ups and downs, b) against hosts of wickedness interfering in your relationships, and c) for everything that concerns you, since God is the One with the true power to change what you cannot. Intercede for this hurting world instead of fretting and complaining (Philippians 4:4-9).

Prayer & Blessing

“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, and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.” (2 Corinthians 10:3-6)