For a long time now whenever I set myself to a task I have a nagging feeling I shouldn't bother because I'm just going to fail anyway. At first I could shake it off but my skin is starting to wear thin and the feelings keep growing stronger. In fact the feelings are relentless these days; they overpower me. Now each morning I find myself sighing and wondering if I should even bother getting up since I'm so worthless anyway. And working for the Kingdom? Forget it. I'm such a mess I know I literally have no value in any way to do good for the church or for God. If not for my family I would have completely given up ages ago, but I don't want to be a burden to them any more than I already am. I know I'll never be good enough to please God but it sure would be nice to feel good at least once in a while.

OUR PROBLEM

We battle the Devil. The Devil, also called Satan, was an elite angel who rebelled against God, seeking to steal His glory and usurp His authority. He became the commander-in-chief of a war against God so God cast him out of heaven with a minority of angels now known as demons. Satan and his demons operate by deceiving us, seducing us, blinding us, accusing us, and seeking to influence us in such a way as to defeat us and thereby rob God of His glory (Ephesians 6:12).

GOD'S ANSWERS

1. God provided His Son whose life, death, resurrection, and return destroy Satan's work (1 John 3:8).
2. God provides His Word, which gives light and truth to overcome darkness and lies (John 8:31). It is a sword to fight against falsehood (Ephesians 6:17).
3. The Lord provides “spiritual armour”—the ability to defend ourselves against Satan's forces (Ephesians 6:10-18).
4. God provides all believers with the indwelling Holy Spirit whose power is greater than Satan's (1 John 4:4).
5. He provides forgiveness and cleansing so Satan cannot accuse us (2 Corinthians 2:10-12).
6. God provides His people, the Church, who can be a source of encouragement and prayer (Hebrews 10:25).
7. God wisely employs Satan and his demons to accomplish His purposes and His glory (Judges 9:23; 1 Samuel 16:14).

THE SOLUTION

1. Know the truth
   • About who Satan and his forces are, how they work and what they are capable of (2 Corinthians 4:3-4; 12:7; Matthew 4:1-11; 2 Thessalonians 2:9-10).
   • About what Christ's death accomplished on the cross in defeating Satan and bringing victory (Colossians 2:15; 1 John 3:8).
   • About who we are in Christ: untouchable by Satan (1 John 5:18).
2. Realize the victory won (Colossians 1:13; Ephesians 2:6). Christ was victorious. Believers are in Christ and therefore in a position of authority and victory too.
3. Rely on the resources provided
   • The Son of God—For all who place their faith in Him, Christ's death secures victory over Satan and freedom from His captivity to spiritual death (Hebrews 2:14-15; Revelation 12:11). Jesus showed us how to deal with Satan when he attacks (Matthew 4:1-11; Ephesians 6: 17).
   • The Word of God—The Bible is our sword with which to attack lies and false ideas (Hebrews 4:12-13).
   • The Spirit of God—Be filled with the Spirit. Confess and repent of sin in your life and live your life surrendered to His control (Ephesians 5:18).
   • The People of God—Enlist the prayer, advice, and encouragement of other believers when under attack (2 Thessalonians 3:1-3).
4. Submit to God and resist the Devil (James 4:7). We do this by humbly repenting of all sin in our lives and surrendering ourselves to do God's will. Then, when the Devil seeks to gain control over our lives we respond to him by declaring who we are in Christ.

Read more about spiritual warfare:

• Help Me Understand: Spiritual Warfare—The World

• Help Me Understand: Spiritual Warfare—The Flesh