I climbed into bed longing for sweet sleep, but an uneasy feeling settled over me. Earlier that day I’d run into a friend I hadn’t seen for a while. She’d been kind but reserved. Had I offended her?

What’s going on? I wondered. Suddenly I knew. This was a dart from the enemy. As soon as I called it what it was, the accusations ceased. I sank into my pillow and slept.

Are you aware of the taunts that play in your mind? Accusations, guilt, dread, doubts about God’s character, or suspicions against other people heckle our minds and rob our peace.

A woman once ranted in my office over all the ways God had ruined her life. “Do you realize you just described the devil and called him God?” I said. She’d never thought she needed to edit her thoughts about God.

Our spiritual foe hasn’t changed since his encounter with Eve. He delights in casting doubts in our thoughts about God’s goodness and our value. “You really messed up. Do you still think God can use you?”

Sometimes his words pose as our thoughts: I don’t have anything special to offer. Why did I open my big mouth?

Paul wrote, “So that no advantage would be taken of us by Satan, for we are not ignorant of his schemes,” (2 Corinthians 2:11, NASB). In other words, lack of knowledge about the devil’s tactics makes us vulnerable. We need to recognize how he works. The acronym DARTS describes some of his arrows.

DARTS are:

Destructive—rob and destroy

Accusing—condemn and magnify your faults and short-comings

Rules-oriented—focus on standards instead of Christ’s righteousness

Tempting—entice you to meet needs or gratify desires outside of God’s will

Slanderous—malign the character of God, others, or yourself

Jesus said, “Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free,” (Jn. 8:32, NIV). In the presence of Biblical truth, lies are exposed and lose their power. Did you realize Bible reading shores up your shield of faith and protects you?

God and the devil are not two equal powers in a tug of war. God the Father has given Jesus all authority in heaven and earth. He has placed all things under Christ’s feet. Since Christians are “in Christ,” every believer—even the little toenail in the body of Christ—has the designated authority she needs to be secure in Christ.

This weekend I’ll be doing a seminar on spiritual warfare. You will learn how to recognize and resist the devil’s DARTS. I hope to see you there! If you can’t join me, please pray for our weekend. Don’t let lack of funds hold you back. Scholarships are available. You can learn more on this topic from my Bible study Give Yourself a Break.

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Blessings,

Deborah W. Wilson

Linking to #WordswithWinter.

Photo by: Bill

Email: LighthouseMinistries@mac.com