By Raychel Shaw

I hate realizing I’ve gotten out of the habit of regular study—and then seeing that I’m spiraling because of it. How’s that for transparency and personal confession?

That’s where I’m at right now. I know my thought patterns haven’t been in alignment with God’s Word. And here’s how I know: anytime I start viewing a person—or group of people—as the enemy, regardless of what they did or how they acted, I’ve taken a wrong turn.

Because the enemy isn’t flesh and blood.

Ephesians 6:12

“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.”

Study the Enemy’s Strategy

I’ve read (or more accurately, listened to) more military leadership and history books than I can count. And there’s one consistent thread in all of them: they study their enemy.

Surveillance. Intelligence. Patterns. Motivation.

They study past outcomes to prepare for what lies ahead.

And Scripture does the same for us.

The enemy is clearly identified and exposed in the light of God’s Word. If we want to stand firm—if we want to push forward into the light with our families, friends, teammates, coworkers, and everyone we encounter—we’d do well to study his methods.

John 10:10

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came so that they would have life, and have it abundantly.”

Satan’s playbook isn’t creative. He lies to steal our joy in Christ. He works to destroy relationships. He sows seeds of mistrust, bitterness, and division.

His endgame?

To sever our trust in God and convince us to doubt His promises.

The War Has Already Been Won

But we have a choice.

I, for one, refuse to aim at the wrong enemy. I refuse to participate in his mission through unforgiveness, accusation, or distraction. He may win some skirmishes here and there, but I’ve read the end of the story:

Revelation 12:10

“Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers and sisters has been thrown down, the one who accuses them before our God day and night.”

He doesn’t win the war.

So I’m putting on the full armor of God (Ephesians 6:10–20), and with the power of the Holy Spirit, I’m not giving him an inch of ground I can defend. I’m digging in—because:

John 15:13

“Greater love has no one than this, that a person will lay down his life for his friends.”

When Worship Becomes Warfare

Last night, my entire family and I attended the Summer Worship Nights concert with Phil Wickham, Brandon Lake, and Josiah Queen.

And when Phil sang “Battle Belongs”—a song that’s become the anthem of my last six months—I stood with my hands lifted and tears streaming down my face.

“So when I fight, I’ll fight on my knees

With my hands lifted high

Oh God, the battle belongs to You.”

– Phil Wickham, “Battle Belongs”

In that moment, I was reminded:

I don’t have to fight this battle alone. I never have.

Worship is warfare.

And when we kneel in surrender, heaven stands in victory.