Sometimes Satan’s attacks are obvious. In the Old Testament the prophet Zechariah writes, ‘He showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the Angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to oppose him.’ Satan usually prefers to work incognito, so frequently he will attack you through people—especially those closest to you.

The Bible tells us, ‘The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas… to betray Jesus.’ (John 13:2 NIV) So what’s your best line of defence? The living Word of God. Exposed to a greater level of temptation than any of us will ever face, Jesus quoted the Scriptures to Satan three different times and put him to flight. When Satan attacks your mind with temptation, condemnation, doubts, and feelings of inadequacy, God’s Word is a shield he cannot penetrate.

David said, ‘If Your law had not been my delight, I would have perished.’ (Psalm 119:92 NIV) Notice what happened when Jesus finished doing battle with the enemy: ‘The devil went away, and angels came and took care of Jesus.’ (Matthew 4:11 NLT) You are not alone. God has placed a cordon of angels around you to sustain and protect you. And ‘angels are only servants—spirits sent to care for people who will inherit salvation.’ (Hebrews 1:14 NLT)

During seasons of adversity, remember you’re a champion, not a victim. Invest your words and energies into creating new goals and dreams. Stay awake, alert, aware, productive, and focused. Exude faith. And expect your faith to be supernaturally honoured by the God who promised to intervene when you need Him most (see Isaiah 59:19).