It seems like everywhere I go, I run into a woman who is is struggling with fear. I must admit, there was a period in my life when I struggled too. I am not just someone who speaks hypothetically about the battle with fear; I am a woman who was right on the front lines. But after years of feeling at the mercy of my emotions, I discovered a valuable truth.
The devil is smart, timely, and crafty, but he is not original!
He deliberately attacks women in the area of emotions because he knows that he will have the greatest success. Women are sensitive, we nurture, and we love deeply. God made us this way, which is why the devil likes to target those areas.
In 1 Corinthians 10:13, Paul warns that “no temptation has seized you except for what is common to man” or, in our case, woman. Recognizing that I was not alone in this battle brought great relief for me. There wasn’t something wrong with me. I was just another victim of Satan’s lies.
In Matthew 4, we see Jesus, a man, being tempted in areas dealing with physical needs like hunger, emotional needs like security, and psychological needs like significance. Men are different. Women are made differently, and although we too can be targeted in these areas, we are mostly attacked in the way we feel.
So what? Why am I telling you this? Because with knowledge comes freedom. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to spend the rest of my life a slave to the devil and his deceptions. We must recognize that he is coming for us.
“Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” – 1 Peter 5:8
How do we win this war against women? First, we must recognize we are in a battle and we need to start fighting. We start by playing defense. When the lies pour in, and they will, combat them with truth – truth from scripture. Declare His glorious promises over you and your loved ones.
“Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” – James 4:7
This is a great strategy. But just like in sports, you can’t win unless you also have a strong offense. Ladies, we need to stop just playing defense. We can’t just sit around and wait for the next anxious thought to come our way and then pray it away. Instead, we need to build ourselves up in advance, creating a strong identity of who we are in Christ.
We do this by going back to the basics. Read the Word of God each day. Familiarize yourself with His promises for your life. Spend time with Him in prayer, so that you can truly learn about His character, hear His voice, and understand His undeniable love for you. Once you grasp these fundamental truths, your emotions will be strengthened. Stop waiting for the next attack to come and let’s start playing offense.
“Draw Near to God, and He will draw near to you.” – James 4:8