Christian, you say you’re OK – but what’s that arrow sticking out of you?

by David Leach
(Temecula,Ca USA)

Christian, you say you’re OK – but what’s that arrow sticking out of you?

Eph 6:11 Put on the whole armor of God (His word), that you may be able to stand against the wiles (weapons) of the devil (without it, we can’t resist the devil).

What exactly are the weapons of the devil that I need word of God armor to withstand?

Eph 6:12 For we …wrestle against …wicked spirits…(how do we wrestle?)

Eph 6:16 …The fiery darts of the wicked one (what are these fiery darts?)

Ps 91:5 …The terror by night…the arrow that flies by day (what are these?)

Ps 91:3 …The snare of the fowler…(who is the fowler and what is his snare?)

Ps 140:5 The proud (spirits not ruled by God) have hidden a snare for me... they have spread a net...they have set traps for me (this means you)

2 Tim 2:26 …The snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will. (written to Christians, how are Christians so easily taken captive?) KJV

James 3:6 The tongue is…set on fire by hell. (how can hell access my tongue?)

2 Cor 2:11 Lest Satan should take advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his devices. (but if I stay ignorant of Satan’s devices I’ll be his captive)

There is one single answer to all of these questions, and most Christians are completely ignorant of this answer and therefore Satan is able to take advantage of them in every area of their lives. In order to understand the answer to the question “How does the god of this world, Satan, accomplish his will in us?” we need to answer the question “How does our Heavenly Father accomplish His will in us and impart Christ’s nature to us?”

Jer 29:11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of good and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.

Ps 139:17 How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God!

2 Pet 1:4 …Precious promises (God’s words), that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature…God reveals His will and imparts His nature to us through Holy Spirit breathed words - His thoughts expressed in words.

How does Satan take us captive? By getting us to believe his thoughts expressed in words.

The same Greek word translated “devices” in 2 Cor.2:11 above, in reference to Satan’s devices, is also translated “thought” in 2 Cor 10:5 “bringing into captivity every thought”. In other words Satan’s devices, or weapons or darts or arrows, or snare or net with which he captures Christians (he already has the unsaved) are his thoughts. Hence Jesus said:

John 10:5-27 My sheep hear My voice...and they follow Me...they will not follow a Stranger...for they do not respond to the voice of strangers (evil spirits).

God speaks His thoughts to us. Satan speaks his thoughts to us. If we remain ignorant we won’t know the difference and that is how so many Christians are easily taken captive.

Eph 4:27 Neither give place to the devil (snared by believing one of his thoughts).

2 Cor 10:4-5 The weapons we fight with are not human but are mighty through God, able to pull down strongholds (thoughts) and cast down imaginations, reasonings, arguments (all thoughts) and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God (thoughts), and bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

A Christian may say he’s fine, but it’s clear he has taken a thought; what kind of thought?

Many Christians will make light of the truth that they could be taken captive by the Devil, since contrary to 2 Cor 2:11 above, they are ignorant of the thought weapons Satan uses. What kind of thoughts, arrows, or snares do wicked spirits use to bring down Christians?

Offence, wounded pride, thoughts; Self pity and self justifying thoughts; Un-forgiveness thoughts; Complaining (against God) thoughts; worry, fear, anxiety or care thoughts; reasoning against the truth thoughts; irritation and anger thoughts; doubt and disobedience thoughts; envy and jealousy thoughts; lying to and deceiving others, thoughts; pride, independence from God, thoughts; seeking praise from people thoughts; self gratifying, greed, lust, fantasy thoughts; macho man, good girl, image thoughts.

When we allow any such thought to gain access to our hearts by believing it, evidenced by our words and actions, because we didn’t guard our hearts against such thoughts - we may try to disguise the fact that we have been spiritually wounded (by an arrow) and say we’re OK. But it’s obvious in the spirit realm we’re not OK, we’ve got an arrow sticking out of us. How is it so obvious? By our joyless facial expression, but mostly by our words.

Matt 12:33 …For the tree (each of us Christians) is known by his fruit (by our words).

We can pretend that we’re OK, because we can still quote scripture. But the scriptures we quote will be dead, for they come from our heads and not our hearts and lack the life of the Holy Spirit in them. Why? Because we are not living in our hearts but in our heads.

It’s impossible to continue to bear good fruit, that is, to speak God anointed words, when we’ve got a flaming poisoned thought dart from the devil lodged in our hearts. We must first get free of the evil thought and then learn how not to take another one. If we don’t get free, not only will we remain crippled but we will automatically become the devil’s agent and spread his thought poison, through the bad fruit of our words, to other Christians.

Matt 7:18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.

How do we escape the fowler’s snare and get the devil’s arrow out of our thought life?

We are being shot at by wicked spirits, through thoughts, all the time (Psa 64:2-4). When we choose to think on such a thought after it first hits our brain, we didn’t have to, it starts to get a hold on our will to take us captive. When our will yields to it, meaning we have believed the thought, evidenced by our words and actions, the thought has entered our hearts and we have been poisoned by it. There’s only one antidote, one truth serum. Only the truth believed will neutralize a lie. God’s word is truth. I must now, urgently, let God bring me or remind me of a truth, possibly through others, to take Satan’s thought captive.

John 8:31-32 (Jesus)...If you continue in My word...You will know the truth (My word is truth) and the truth (My word) will make you free (from Satan’s thoughts).

What if I don’t know what the lie was that first deceived me, I didn’t seek God’s help and now much thought confusion has arisen? Get alone with God and ask Him to show you what’s wrong, and believe that He will. Or ask an Elder to disciple you on how to do this.

Ps 139:23 Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts and see if there is any wicked way (thought) in me and lead me in the way everlasting.

How can I avoid being so easily taken down by the enemy’s thoughts in the future?

Lies can only be overcome by truth. God’s word is truth. The more truth that resides in my heart the more difficult it becomes for any lie to gain access. All of God’s spiritual armor consists of His word, brought to me by the Spirit of truth, the Holy Spirit. Salvation is by the word (Jam 1:21), righteousness is the word (Psa 119:172), faith is from hearing the word (Rom 10:17), the gospel is the word, truth is the word (John 17:17), the sword of the Spirit is the word, and finally effective prayer must be in God’s will, His will is His word.

Defense against the thought weapons of the devil is all about God’s living words abiding in my heart, and my faith in them, so I won’t easily be tricked by lies, and sin against God.

Psalm 119:11 Your word I have hid in my heart so that I will not sin against you.

In order for God to build more truth into my heart, that is, for more of Christ’s nature (He is the word) to be imparted to my spirit – I must make the transition from living daily in my head or outer man to living daily in my spirit, heart or inner man. To live there, filled with, meaning in submission to, the Holy Spirit is to abide in Christ, it’s the secret place of God. When I am there I need have no fear, nothing can harm me now unless I choose to leave.

Ps 91:1-10 He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty...You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, Nor of the arrow that flies by day...No evil shall befall you, Nor shall any plague come near your dwelling; (For you dwell in your heart where God is).

When I live in my spirit, with my will yielded moment by moment to the Holy Spirit, I am in Christ and abiding under the shadow of almighty God. Satan cannot touch me while I remain there, his only weapon is to try and tempt me out of there, how, through thoughts.

But the one who dwells in me, Jesus Christ, by His living words and by His Sprit, has already met and overcome that same temptation (He was tempted in all points just like we are) and now promises to sustain me and give me victory in every thought-life battle:

Heb 2:18 For because He (Jesus) Himself in His humanity has suffered in being (AMP)tempted He is able immediately to assist, relieve those who are being tempted (by the devil) and who therefore are being exposed to suffering.

As I live in my spirit God will always give me a word to take any tempting thought captive.

Prov 4:10-13 Hear, my son (my daughter), and receive my sayings…When you walk, your steps will not be hindered, And when you run, you will not stumble. Take firm hold of instruction (My words), do not let go; Keep them, for they are your life.