How to be a Woman Satan Fears

I believe women play such an important role in families. We are the glue that holds everyone and everything together. We may not be as physically strong as men, but we have an internal strength that's unmatched. It is that strength that Satan attacks. Have you noticed how much stress, fear, and anxiety there is in our society, especially among women? I believe that is Satan's tactic against us to keep us from recognizing and tapping into that strength because when we are in a healthy space, there is nothing we can't do.

As women, many of us face challenges with feeling valued or being "good enough." We struggle with feelings of inadequacy. We may feel the need to prove ourselves in the workplace while we're underpaid and underappreciated. Meanwhile, we may also feel like failures at home - as wives, mothers, or homemakers. Satan attacks our sense of worth, our beliefs regarding our strength and capacity intentionally because it's in absolute contradiction to what God says about us.

Most of us have heard of the Proverbs 31 woman, the wife of noble character. God says, "she is worth far more than rubies" (Proverbs 31:10). She is smart and hard-working; she not only earns a living but invests well, she cares for the needy and her servants; she provides food and clothing for her family. "She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come. She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue. She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: 'Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all.' Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. Honor her for all that her hands have done, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate" (Proverbs 31:25-31).

Isn't that a beautiful image of what God sees in women? There's a scene in the movie "My Big, Fat Greek Wedding" in which the mother and daughter are talking; the mom explains, "the man is the head of the home, but the woman is the neck." We've also heard that behind every good man is a good woman. We hold a lot of power, although we are often behind the scenes. We can influence our children and husbands positively or negatively. When we are able to fight against Satan, families are transformed. When families are transformed, Satan doesn't stand a chance - and he knows it.

How do we fight against Satan so that we can be the Proverbs 31 woman in our homes? The answer is in Ephesians 6, verses 10-18 - the armor of God.

1 | Be strong in the Lord.

Being strong in the Lord is only possible when we humble ourselves before Him; when we recognize that everything we have and everything we are is a gift from God. The Bible tells us, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God" (Philippians 4:6). We are to be in constant prayer and thanksgiving. Ephesians 6:18 says, "And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests." When we keep God in His rightful place, first place, in our lives, He gives us the strength, peace, and joy to take on our day. Psalm 46:5 says, "God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved; God will help her when morning dawns."

2 | Know the truth.

Satan is the Father of Lies. John 10:10 says, " The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly." The devil wants us to believe that we aren't strong enough, good enough, valued enough, appreciated enough... Do you see a pattern? But, God says we are enough. Jesus came so that we may have life and have it abundantly - more than enough. We must rest in His truth. The Amplified Bible says our "value is more precious than jewels and [our] worth is far above rubies or pearls." (Proverbs 31: 10). That's the truth.

3 | Be righteous.

A friend once told me that men are by nature, protectors, and women are, by nature, creators. That truly resonated with me. As women, we hold such a powerful role in the family. We create the atmosphere and environment of our home. You've heard the saying, "if mama ain't happy, ain't no one happy." That's why! Because if we are stressed, anxious, short-tempered, irritable, overwhelmed to the brink of insanity, our energy permeates through the entire home. On the other hand, if we are loving, kind, forgiving, joyful, considerate, and patient, then that energy will permeate through the entire home instead. It's easy to focus on the negative, on what's missing, or the behaviors we don't like in our spouses or children. But, it's a trap Satan lays out for us that we so quickly fall into if we aren't vigilant. He knows that if all women were "clothed in strength and dignity" and "laughed at days to come," it would be a game-changer - he would lose the battle and the war for sure. So focus on the positive and be positive. Philippians 4:8 says, "whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things."

4 | Use the shield of faith.

Satan, the Father of Lies, will tell us lies incessantly. The lies won't be solely about our worth or abilities but will be lies that create division in the home, in families. Lies that lead us to temptation and cause our feet to stumble. We must be ready and alert to shield ourselves with faith in our Lord when the lies bombard us. For that, we must know God's Word. We need to make time to read the Bible every day to deepen our relationship with God and our faith.

5 | Lean on the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit is a gift. He guides us, convicts us, warns us, helps us. The Holy Spirit is God Himself and He's always at our disposal - always there when we need Him. So, lean on Him. Lean on Him heavily. When you think you're about to go crazy or you think just can't go another step, ask the Holy Spirit to give you peace, energy, strength, endurance, joy, wisdom. Ephesians 6:18 says, "And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests." Ask for whatever you need that aligns with Holy Spirit and it will be given to you. Let's make it a habit to ask for God's help with everything we do in our day, from cooking to working to raising our children. When God is involved, it will all work for good.

6 | Practice Self-Care

Although we are fighting a spiritual battle against the enemy, when we are physically exhausted or emotionally drained everything else becomes much harder. We are much more reactive and emotional when we don't have proper rest. While we do play a significant role, we can't do it all alone. Even the Proverbs 31 woman had help - servants to assist her. While we may not have servants - live-in maids, cooks, or nannies, we do have spouses, family, and/or friends that I'm sure would be happy to help us find a little time to recharge our batteries. Self-care is not selfish. It's vital. You're doing your entire family a service by ensuring that you are at your best so that you can give them your best.

Conclusion

Genesis 3:3-7 says, "Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, 'Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden?' The woman said to the serpent, 'We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’ 'You will not certainly die,' the serpent said to the woman. 'For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.' When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it."

From the very beginning, Satan has targeted women because he knows the power of our influence in our families. Let's stop being swayed by the lies of the devil and stand strong against him. Let us be strong in the Lord, know His truth, be righteous, use the shield of faith, lean on the Holy Spirit, and practice self-care.

Lord, I pray that women will rise up and fight against Satan for themselves, their husbands, and their families. I pray that we would tap into the strength and abilities that you have gifted us with. Help us to believe that we truly can make a dramatic difference in our families and communities. At the times when we're wavering and the Father of Lies is breaking through our shield, strengthen it for us, Lord. In Jesus' name, Amen.