It seems that this last month or so has been a month of war in the spiritual realm. My own experience is that there has been a great deal of pressing in on all sides from the enemy in the last month. And it seems that everyone I talk to has experienced the same thing. Some have been at it for somewhat more than a month, some are not quite finished yet. But a parallel experience seems to be there nonetheless. I don't have any specific scriptures off the top of my head that back up the concept of a corporate pressing by the enemy, but I see it happening. (If you have any scriptures to share, please feel free to leave them as a comment....)

Rather than search for scripture to back up what I see happening anyway, I would like to share a few scriptures in the hopes of encouraging the body of Christ to be able to get up, shake off the dust and begin again to recognize and fight the enemy of our souls.

If you are one that seems to have heard the lies of the enemy an exorbitant amount this past few weeks, be encouraged:

For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. (2 Corinthians 10:3-5)

If you are one who seems to have been struggling against your flesh more than you normally experience, be encouraged:

But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. (1 Corinthians 1:27-29)

But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Corinthians 12:9-10)

In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding. (Ephesians 1:7-8)

If you are one that seems to have felt despair and depression engulfing you lately, be encouraged:

From the Lord comes deliverance. May your blessing be on your people. (Psalm 3:8)

May the Lord be with you for strength, encouragement, discernment and refreshment.


Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints. (Ephesians 6:10-18)