What are we to do about this? How are we to respond to this threat? Are we just to accept loses, set backs and defeats or should we defend stoutly the land, people and health Christ has brought us into? Can we stand successfully against the enemy?

In the time of David, king of Israel, the enemy of God's people had a human face. He was a visibly manifest enemy known as the Philistines.

The Philistines were ever looking for an opportunity to oppress God's people and steal their inheritance from them. In such a time a man named Shammah took a stand and prevailed.

In the listing of David's Mighty Men we read,

And after him was Shammah the son of Agee the Hararite. The Philistines had gathered together into a troop where there was a piece of ground full of lentils. So the people fled from the Philistines. But he stationed himself in the middle of the field, defended it, and killed the Philistines. So the LORD brought about a great victory.

2 Samuel 23:11 - 12 - NKJV

Shammah took his stand over a bean patch - a piece of ground full of lentils. The enemy of God's people had formed themselves up into a troop - a small army - bent on doing some robbing and killing. In fear of what was to come people starting fleeing. At this Shammah stationed himself in the middle of the field over against where the enemy had formed up.

It didn't seem much that patch of ground on which lentils grew but Shammah wasn't about to yield anything to the enemy. He knew the background truth to the old English proverb, "Give the devil an inch and he'll take a mile." He recognised that a parcel of ground on the outskirts of town once taken would provide a launching point for the enemy to take the whole town and, who knows, from their the whole district and the whole Promised Land itself.

You can't start yielding any ground to the devil or he will march in and start taking your whole kingdom!

Paul put the early Christian church on full alert against the enemy of God's people. The enemy the apostle Paul alerted them to was not a visibly manifest physical enemy but a wicked spiritual one. He wrote,

My brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.

Ephesians 6:10 - 12 - NKJV

Just like the early Christians we must heed Paul's call to stand "against the wiles of the devil". The threat is still present. This need to take a stand has not passed.

It is not now a fight with physical weapons against a physical enemy but with spiritual armour against a spiritual adversary. We contend against a spiritual adversary who would attempt to wrestle from us what God has granted us in Christ Jesus. As Paul puts it,

We do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.

Ephesians 6:12 - NKJV

How do you recognise a spiritual attack? You do so by its physical manifestations. What will be the physical manifestations? Erosion of, or lose of, the conditions promised in God's Word to us as God's children.

I'll give you an example. Here's a precious promise given to us in God's Word,

My people will dwell in a peaceful habitation, in secure dwellings, and in quiet resting places.

Isaiah 32:18 - NKJV

If disturbances start occurring on the street in front of your house then that is an erosion of the conditions promised in that scripture, that precious promise. When the devil tries to take peace from the street your house is on then you have oppose him.

(Don't discount this as merely as social nuisance - see Ephesians 2:2.)

How do you do that? In the power of God's might clothed in the whole armour you wield the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God.

Read it as Paul tells it,

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.

And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints

Ephesians 6:10 - 18 - NKJV

Taking the sword of the Spirit means you declare the Word of God aloud in prayer before God and on earth before the "spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places."

This is why it's so important to know God's promises, the promises He has given to His people.

Firstly, because if you don't know them you'll miss the tell tale signs of an attack launched by your spiritual enemy. And secondly, because you need the precious promises to wield in prayer and in speech. The Word of God is the Sword of the Spirit.

In situations like the one above you can voice scriptures such as,

When the enemy comes in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD will lift up a standard against him.

Isaiah 59:19 - NKJV

Never mind how insignificant the ground of your life seems to be that is slipping away, oppose the enemy immediately and vigorous the instant you see what he's doing. Stay alert. Be vigilant.

Never tolerant his attacks, immediately "station yourself in the middle of the field, defend it, and kill the Philistines." The Lord will bring about for you a great victory.