Fighting Our Battles Under Our General’s Orders – by DuAnne Thrush

This morning, the author of my daily devotional observed, “Perhaps the devil would like to get a hold of
God’s beautiful gift [of music] to us and turn our hearts toward nonsense instead of towards the Lord. Pray
in those times. Ask God to fill up the spaces in your head with truth of Him, with songs that praise Him, or
with words from Scripture. You conquer the devil in this way and re-orient the song of your heart to point to
Jesus.” (“Anchor” devotional)

Very true words – as far as they go. Definitely the devil would like to distort God’s gift of music to us.
However, when we are believers and are “seated with Christ in heavenly realms” (Eph. 2:6), the Father has
given us the authority and the tools to deal with Satan. He will show us how to do that when we are being
harassed by our enemy. So as I read the words of this devotional, I felt compelled to add what I would love
to tell all those also reading it today – and all my fellow believers. And so, I wrote the following:

Believers are human. Our flesh is weak. We want God to fight our battles so we won’t have to wrestle and
resist the enemy ourselves in His strength. We want Him to fight them for us so we don’t have to do
anything but ask Him “to fill up the spaces” in our head with His truth and songs. And wait for Him to do it by
His Spirit who lives in us. He definitely can do that and He does fight for us as scripture teaches with
examples, especially in the Old Testament and in the Gospels and the book of Acts. But He also teaches us
to fight spiritually ourselves in His power and authority. And even when He fought in miraculous ways for His
people, He told them actions to take at the same time.

Now that Christ has conquered Satan, sin, and death on the cross and through the resurrection, we who live
by faith in Him have His authority and power and tools to fight the enemy. God is our General, directing us
by His Spirit in this spiritual battle against the world of sin, our flesh, and the devil. There are actions He
takes and actions He commands us to take.

He tells us to, “Put on the whole armor I give you.”
“Wrestle against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”
“Take your stand against evil and STAND when evil pushes back.”
“Resist the devil and stand firm in the faith.”
“Resist the devil and he will flee from you.”
“Demolish arguments and pretensions that set themselves up against the knowledge of God. Take captive
every thought and make it obedient to Christ.”
These commands are actions we are to take.* God will not do it for us. He has given us authority. Using it is
part of growing up and maturing in Christ.

WE are to fight – not merely ask Him to fight for us or to do for us what He has told us to do and given us
the tools to do. YOU are to fight. Ask Him how to do all that He commands you to do in the spiritual fight you
encounter daily. Ask Him to help you recognize the enemy and then stand and fight in His authority, given to
you through Christ’s love, death, and resurrection power.

How? Talk directly, out loud, to the devil in Jesus’ authoritative name. Here’s an example: “Thank you,
Heavenly Father, that my mind belongs to you. In Jesus’ authority, I rebuke and bind these
nonsensical thoughts distracting my mind from praying [or whatever you were doing when these
distracting thoughts began] and I cast them down at Jesus’ feet in Jesus’ name. I bind this
distracting, nonsensical demon in Jesus’ name. [bind any other specific demonic spirit that the Holy
Spirit brings to your mind.] My mind belongs to you, Lord. Please bring to my mind what You want me
to think and sing in my mind. I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made and I am
safe in your love.”

Continue to speak out loud the truths and praises from your heart and that the Spirit brings to your mind as
you are now freed from distracting, nonsensical thoughts. Or return to the activity you were doing when
these distracting, nonsensical thoughts started interrupting you. If you aren’t in an appropriate space to do this battle out loud, you can whisper or mentally speak these words of battle and praise and return to your activities, free to focus on the work the Lord has given you to do that day.

If the enemy is harassing or attacking you in some other way, ask the Lord to show you what to take
authority over and bind and cast down at Jesus’ feet. Adjust the words you speak to the enemy in the prayer
above to fit your situation. There is not “magic” in those words. Trust the Lord to lead you and be bold.

“In all these things, we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.” Romans 8:37 (NIV)

The scripture references for these scriptures in the order they appear here:
Eph. 6:11, 13
Eph. 6:12
Eph. 6:13
James 4:7
I Peter 5:8-9
II Cor. 10:4-5
Note: Some scriptures were paraphrased.

Guest post by DuAnne Thrush.

Currently, DuAnne is enjoying retirement living at Menno Haven Community in Chambersburg, PA, with her
husband of 53 years, Dave. She acknowledged Christ as her Savior as a child growing up in a God-honoring
home with a loving, patient father who was an effective pastor. Over the years, she has been a high school
English teacher, a stay-at-home mom raising four children – 3 sons and a daughter – her husband’s right-hand
woman as he left teaching to become the executive director of a church camp and conference center for 24
years, a La Leche League leader, and a Bible study leader at her church, currently Crossroads BIC Church, as
well as a mentor/discipler of women. Through the normal ups and downs of life – her husband’s heart attacks
and nervous breakdowns, foster care and cross-cultural adoption, one son’s nine months in prison after three
DUIs, their daughter and son-in-law’s heartbreaking fertility journey, and her own times of spiritual desert
journeys and God’s power to free her from generational curses and demonic bondage – she now knows
beyond a shadow of a doubt that God never fails! What a joy it’s been to her to learn how to do spiritual
warfare in the authority of Jesus’ name and intercessory prayer ministry for others – so many blessings seeing
Him work in her family, in herself, and in friends and women He brings into her life, and to know the beauty of
spiritual sisters praying for her and encouraging her. The alcoholic son is now alcohol free, has turned to the
Lord for salvation, was baptized, and is now leading his family well. Dave and DuAnne have nine
grandchildren, living in various states, with two already in college! God is good – all the time! Life is not perfect
as several grandchildren are struggling with their faith, and Dave’s health is still a challenge. However – she is
convinced that no one who hopes in Him will ever be put to shame, disappointed, or disillusioned. He never
changes. It’s exciting for her to know that, at age 75, she’s getting closer and closer to walking into His
presence. To God be the glory!