The Battle We Wage Part 4: God's Grace

 We come to the part in this series where we deal with how to deflect the blows of the enemy and how to wage war on him.

First of all, we must acknowledge that we are nothing and can do nothing without God.


God's grace is the shield by which we can be protected. It is through God that we receive the strength to do battle for ourselves and our families. Here is my checklist of things we need to do in warfare.

1. Remain in a state of Grace: we  must have clean hands and a pure heart or we will effectively allow that Grace that shields us to be removed, leaving room for those arrows to find their way in.
2. Nourish yourself with His Body: (this applies, of course, only if you are Catholic). The graces we receive in the Eucharist are of extreme benefit.. they strengthen, empower and draw us into Christ Himself. { Again, please let us agree to respect each other's faith :)}
3. Nourish yourself with His Word: we must know Scripture and use it against our enemy,  just as Jesus Himself did when under temptation in the desert. We must stand on the promises of God and claim what His Word says.
4. Put on God's Armour: (Ephesians 6:13-17): these are all elements necessary to make up a complete barrier of protection.
5. Prayer: the value of prayer cannot be understated. Prayer is our way of keeping God's voice loud in our ears and His Presence acknowledged. When we do not keep this line of communication clear and open, we invite other voices that become louder than His.
6. Avail yourself of the weapons available to you:

• firstly, THE HOLY NAME OF JESUS.. there is power in His name. He has given us permission to use it (John 16:24) The apostles cast out demons and healed in His name...we have the same power.
• St Michael, the warrior and guardian angels
• the intercession of the Saints
• the sacramentals - Holy Water and Oil and Blessed Salt, blessed items like crucifixes *

7. Guard your thoughts carefully: remember your mind is a great battlefield.
8. Guard your tongue: remember the power of the spoken word to    bless or to curse. Do not speak out into the atmosphere that which can be used against you.
9. Remember the value of praise and worship: worshipping God renders the enemy helpless.
10. Set up a canopy of protection around yourself and your family and home: plead the precious blood of Jesus on all weak areas and on anything that you feel to be under attack. Plead the Blood on your home for protection, over your family, health, finances, bodies, minds, souls etc.
11.  Offer to God acts of Reparation: The merits of prayer and fasting and offering to God any discomfort, pain or suffering in reparation for the many offenses against Him, can be applied to the strengthening of our defenses and the increase of our abilities as they sharpen our powers of discernment.
12. Have no fear: Jesus has already won victory for us.  Evil has no power over us, death has no power over us (Hebrews 2:14-15). We have the power to resist him and render him helpless (James 4:7).

Above all, believe with all your strength that you have power over him by the authority of Jesus Christ and do not submit to him, do not succumb to his deceit, do not hand over power to him by failing to turn to God for strength. We cannot do this battle without God... we need His Grace and we need His strength.

God's Grace is the canopy under which we are shielded, empowered and equipped for battle. What a wonderful God who provides for our every need.. even that of protection against the very things that keep us from Him.

Coming up next time... God's Faithful Love and Constancy

Til then... God bless you.. shine brightly for Jesus!


*more on this in a future post