“Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil”. – Ephesians 6:11

Notes:

The above scripture tells us the importance of taking up the armor of God in our lives in order to withstand the works of satan against us.  One of satan’s greatest weapons is lodging impure, ungodly, or demonic thoughts in the minds of God’s children, in order to derail them from fulfilling the plans and the purposes of the Father.  Demonic attacks commonly come in the form of three ways:  thought processes, dreams, or physical illnesses. There are three means of standing firm when these attacks come upon you:

1. Recognizing the Attack– The first step is to take captive the attack and to recognize it as being from satan.  This is done by realizing abnormal thoughts contrary to scripture, many of which seem inherently wicked or evil in nature.   
2. Knowing Scripture: When the Holy Spirit enters the scriptures, they become a living and sharp two edge sword. They become the word of God.  This is one of the great tools we use to defeat ungodly thoughts, because we are able to use it as a filter to sift through that which is and is not of Christ.  Know your Bible.
3. Prayer: When you humble yourself during an attack before God with faith based prayer appropriating the blood of Christ, the enemy must flee.  We are told in scripture to be on the alert and pray for other saints as well, because the devil prowls around like a lion looking for who he will devour.  

 Willing to Take the Challenge?

 In conclusion, the cross is where the enemy was rendered powerless, and the scriptures give us the wisdom to recognize what is of our Lord, and what isn’t.  Take captive your thought life, because as a person thinks, so they become.  The mind is the primary area that satan tries to establish strongholds in the life of the believer, although there are other means.   Are you having random thoughts that are wicked or evil?  Do you have dreams sometimes that terrify you?  The great news is that Christ died to destroy the works of satan, and all you must do is appropriate His blood to your situation through faith.