My two goals as a soldier of Jesus Christ are these: First, I want to be useful to the Master, the Lord Jesus Christ. Second, I want to be dangerous to Satan and to the kingdom of darkness.

Since these are my goals, I know that Satan is going to oppose me in every way that he can. As believers we must realize that Satan actively hates us and hates Christ. Satan is a formidable enemy who is constantly seeking an opportunity to destroy us. Satan also has weapons at his disposal that have the power to ruin our lives and to render us useless for Christ’s kingdom. What is a soldier to do when he knows that he has an enemy such as this? What tactics should he employ? Specifically, how should the believer train so that he/she is not vulnerable to the enemy’s schemes (2 Cor. 2:11; John 8:44; 10:10)?

One of the basic strategies for the soldier is to be aware of any potential weaknesses in his/her armor and make sure those weaknesses are especially defended, knowing that the enemy will exploit any weakness and will attack at the place of your greatest vulnerability. Satan is very experienced at finding a disciple’s area of weakness and using it to destroy the soldier. Because that is the case:

1. Weaken the flesh in regard to areas of vulnerability. The flesh will betray you, so weaken the flesh in that area of vulnerability. Do not let your flesh expose you to Satan’s attack. For example, if you have a weakness for lust, then starve your eyes and your mind of any fuel that the flesh could use to weaken you and expose you to attack.
2. Confess your vulnerability to another believer to expose that to the light and to get accountability for that area of vulnerability. (Proverbs 27:17)
3. Ask others to help you see areas where you are vulnerable to attack. Let your friends see the weakness before the adversary does, so that you can sure up your defense.
4. Be specifically alert to attacks in these areas of vulnerability
5. Become an expert on what the Word says about this particular area of vulnerability (memorize verses; know the examples of success and failure in the Scripture; use biblical prayers)
6. Pray regularly about this vulnerability and ask the Lord to protect you.

Using these approaches will give you a greater defense against the adversary and will make you less vulnerable to Satan’s attacks. SDG rmb 8/30/2015