Introduction
A wise man once said, “My son, guard your heart, for out of it flow the issues of life.” This is one of the most profound verses in the Word of God, offering deep wisdom. Often, without realizing it, we leave our spirits vulnerable to demonic attacks because of what we allow to settle in our hearts. The environments and people we encounter daily play a critical role in how we perceive life and navigate our journey of salvation.
We often pay little attention to what we see, hear, and speak, not realizing the impact these things have on our spiritual well-being. Moreover, many believers fail to guard their state of mind and the relationships they maintain. The enemy knows we have the power to silence his works through the power of the cross. Therefore, his strategy is to deceive us into a state where we defile ourselves as followers of Christ.
The father of lies and our greatest accuser seeks to place us in environments where we defile ourselves through what comes out of our hearts or spirits. Jesus Christ warned us about this scheme of the devil by emphasizing that what defiles a person is not things from without, but what comes from within. Precisely, an impure heart gives rise to evil words and thoughts, and when these are spoken, they defile a person.
The enemy primarily targets the confessions of our mouths. Negative speech, lust, anger, slander, deceit, and malice that flow from our hearts are what defile us as the body of Christ. These “issues of life” weaken our faith and foster division and hostility within the church. Knowing this, it is essential to learn how to guard our hearts. Despite the offenses we face that may provoke us to speak maliciously or confess negatively, we must resist the devil’s trap.
Learning to Guard Our Hearts
The enemy knows that external things do not defile us or cause us to stumble. Instead, it is the things that come from our hearts that defile us. His strategy, therefore, is to place believers in situations that provoke confrontations, leading us to speak evil words from what is within our hearts. For “out of the heart flow all the issues of life.”
In Proverbs 4:23, the Bible says, “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” This scripture highlights that all the issues of life arise from the heart and manifest through the words we speak. As believers, our spiritual warfare centers on learning how to guard our hearts and spirits from offenses that may be instigated by principalities.
In Matthew 15:17-18, Jesus emphasized this powerful truth when He said:
“Do you not understand that whatever goes into the mouth passes into the stomach, and is eliminated?” (v.17)
“But whatever word comes out of the mouth comes from the heart, and this is what defiles and dishonors the man.” (v.18)
Jesus continues in verse 19:
“For out of the heart come evil thoughts and plans, murders, adulteries, sexual immoralities, thefts, false testimonies, slanders (verbal abuse, irreverent speech, blaspheming).”
In this portion of Scripture, Jesus reminded His disciples of the negative impact of words on a person. Words reveal the deep, hidden things within a man’s heart. From an impure heart flows all evil and wickedness in the world, including murder, lust, lies, theft, and slander. The enemy’s plan is to provoke these evil thoughts and ideas within people, enticing them to speak or utter them, which leads to spiritual defilement.
An uncircumcised heart carries sin and is described throughout Scripture. In particular, Genesis 8:21 says, “The inclination of the human heart is evil from childhood,” and Jeremiah 17:9 states, “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?” These verses highlight that the inclinations of a man’s heart are evil, wicked, and beyond cure. God acknowledges this inherent condition, which is why we need Christ to continually circumcise our hearts and transform us from within.
Warfare Strategy
1. Open Your Spiritual Eyes
For the New Testament believer, our spiritual warfare centers on walking a Christ-like life with the eyes of our understanding opened. When your spiritual eyes are opened, Satan can no longer gain an advantage over you because you are no longer ignorant of his devices. . In Ephesians 4:17, the Bible urges Christians not to walk as the Gentiles walk, “in the vanity of their mind.” Verse 18 continues: “Having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart.”
We cannot afford to be spiritually blind. Spiritual blindness means that the eyes of our understanding are darkened, leaving us unable to walk in the true light or guiding light of the Spirit. That is why Ephesians 1:17-18 is one of the most critical prayers for the New Testament believer: “That the eyes of your understanding being enlightened, that you may know what is the hope of His calling, and what the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints.” We must continuously pray to God to open the eyes of our understanding so that we may walk a journey directed by the Holy Spirit.
Similarly, in 2 Corinthians 4:4, the Scripture reveals that the god of this world has blinded the minds of unbelievers, preventing them from seeing the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God. But in verse 6, it says, “For God, who commanded light to shine out of darkness, has shone in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”
Spiritual blindness is caused by the god of this world, who seeks to hide the gospel of Jesus Christ from the world. However, God has caused His light, the light of the knowledge of God, to shine in our hearts. This knowledge of God is the guiding light of the Holy Spirit. The knowledge of God is revealed in the face of Christ, who is the Word of God. Therefore, the Word of God is the true light by which we can open our spiritual eyes.
To have the eyes of our hearts opened, we need the light of the Word of God. As the Psalmist says in Psalm 119:105, “Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.” It is crucial to understand that we need the light of God’s Word in our spiritual walk and in warfare.
2. The Fruit of Your Confession
Since our spiritual warfare centers on what we hold in our hearts, the Christian must focus on guarding their hearts. Remember, the heart harbors all the issues of life, and the enemy seeks to provoke us into spewing them out through our words. Therefore, the believer must actively work to purify their heart. The purification of the heart from all the issues of life begins with placing the Word of God in our hearts, so that whatever we confess aligns with God’s truth.
Psalm 119:9 asks, “Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed thereto according to Thy word.” This verse reveals that a young man can only stay pure by living according to the Word of God. Only God’s Word has the power to purify our hearts from all sin and issues of life. This is why verse 11 says, “Thy word have I hid in my heart, that I might not sin against Thee.” As believers, we must memorize and write the Word of God in our hearts to help keep us from sinning. Confession rooted in the Word of God is essential for spiritual purity and victory in our daily walk.
The Word of God is what sanctifies our hearts. Jesus emphasized the power of the Word in His prayer for the Apostles in John 17:17, saying, “Sanctify them through Thy truth; Thy word is truth.” Before you speak, therefore, ensure that your heart has been sanctified by the Word of God, so that every response in a stressful situation is guided by His truth. Before you confront that fellow Christian, minister, boss, or partner, take a step back and ensure that your words are seasoned with grace. Let not anger, malice, bitterness, revenge, lust, or lies be associated with your speech. Instead, allow the Word of God to dwell richly in you, sanctifying you from these vices.
Paul admonished the church in Colossians 3:8, saying, “But now ye also put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth.” He further emphasizes that believers must put off the old man and his deeds, and instead, put on the new man, who is renewed in the knowledge of God. Most importantly, in verse 16, he says, “Let the word of God dwell in you richly in all wisdom.” As believers, we must allow the Word of God to dwell richly in our hearts, shaping our thoughts, actions, and words.
The Power of God’s Word to transform Our Confession
When the Word of God dwells richly in us, it gives life to our words. Whatever we confess will no longer stem from evil or wickedness, but from the life that is in God’s Word. Proverbs 4:20-22 says:
“My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings. Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart. For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh.”
These scriptures illustrate the powerful life contained in the Word of God. The Word of God is life to those who find it, bringing healing and vitality to every part of our being. As we strive to guard our hearts from all the issues of life, let the Word of God be first kept in our hearts and then spoken out of our mouths. This is how we wage spiritual warfare and win. It is through using the Word of God, which must richly dwell in our hearts and be uttered from our mouths.
The Power of Confession
The Bible teaches that we shall eat the fruit of our confession, for “A man’s belly shall be satisfied with the fruit of his mouth” (Proverbs 18:20). Whatever we confess with our mouths, we will eat the fruit thereof. Once again, the power of life and death is in the tongue. Christians must, therefore, be extremely cautious of every word that proceeds from their mouths.
We should only confess the Word of God—positive words, promises, principles, and prophecies found in Scripture. If someone attacks your ministry, business, family, or career, be mature enough to recognize that the spirit behind their actions is not of Christ, but of the enemy. It is a principality expressing the works of the devil through them. After recognizing this, you must confess the Word of God to counter their attacks and offenses. Speak life into every situation, knowing that your words have the power to shape your reality.
For example, if someone says you will not succeed, counter their words of attack by speaking a blessing over your ministry, career, business, or family. Remember, we are not wrestling against flesh and blood, but against the principality that manifests through malice, blasphemy, and irreverent speech. These are the weapons the enemy uses to attack us. Do not retaliate in anger, malice, slander, or lies. In doing so, you risk falling into the snare or offense caused by that principality. The words you speak will determine your victory in this spiritual warfare of guarding your heart.
Also, remember to bless those who persecute you and pray for them. This is the wisdom that can defeat the devil. Never repay evil for evil, lest the evil take root in your life and remain. As believers, our victory lies in our response, and it is the Word of God that empowers us to overcome the enemy’s attacks.
3. Pray to Increase Your Faith
Believers’ authority grants Christians the power to overcome every attack of the enemy. However, when it comes to dealing with principalities, the enemy deceives many believers into misapplying this authority. Some believers resort to binding, breaking, loosing, desecrating, and calling down fire on every principality that afflicts their lives. While these types of prayers are well-intentioned, they are often unscriptural or misapplied, leading many to pray amiss. The results of such prayers are often limited, which is why we live in a dispensation where many Christians are prayerful, speak in tongues, and yet continue to struggle with poverty, malice, wrath, blasphemy, and many other vices.
So, how then should we pray when it comes to guarding our hearts? In Luke 17:1-6, we learn that when offenses come our way, it is often a test of our faith. In such times, we must pray to Lord Jesus Christ to increase our faith. In verse 5, the apostles said to Jesus, “Increase our faith!” This request came after Jesus warned them that offenses will inevitably come, and that if someone sins against them, they must forgive. It is faith that empowers believers to forgive one another, especially when we are wronged or offended. Likewise, we must pray for increased faith to break the power of offenses that hinder our spiritual walk. Faith is the key to overcoming the traps of unforgiveness and bitterness, which can defile our hearts and disrupt our relationship with God.
In the warnings Jesus gave to His disciples about offenses, He emphasized the importance of faith. In Luke 22:32, after Jesus warned Peter that Satan desired to sift him like wheat, He reassured him, saying, “But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail.” In our day, this should be our primary prayer: that our faith may not fail when offenses come our way.
In the community of believers, many are backsliding because of offenses from fellow Christians. The enemy knows that if their faith is shaken, they cannot stand firm until the end or hold fast to their belief. Therefore, prayer is the most significant way to increase our faith and stand against the wiles of the enemy. As we pray for ourselves, we must also pray for the entire Christian community, that they may remain steadfast in the test of faith.
4. Pray for Love
Faith goes hand in hand with love, as faith truly manifests itself through love. Therefore, as we pray for God to increase our faith, we must also pray that the love of Christ continues to be shed abroad in our hearts. The reason many people struggle to guard their hearts is often due to a lack of love.
In the last days, the Bible warns that the love of many will grow cold (Matthew 24:12), and it is precisely here that the enemy succeeds—where the love of Christ is lacking. Faith to stand firm is what will ultimately lead to our salvation in the last days. The only way we can stand in salvation is through faith, as Peter reminds us in 1 Peter 5:8. Thus, it all boils down to the battle of faith—our ability to stand firm in belief, strengthened by the love of Christ in our hearts. Without faith and love working together, we cannot withstand the attacks of the enemy.
It is also a love issue within the body of Christ. Worryingly, this is the one commandment Jesus Christ gave us: “Love your neighbor as you love yourself” (Matthew 22:39). Yet, many believers today struggle to demonstrate the love of Christ. As we live in these latter days, we must return to the place of prayer and ask the Lord to pour His love into our hearts.
On our own, we cannot love the scorner, the adulterer, the gossiper, the thief, the slanderer, or the corrupted person. It is only through the Holy Spirit that we can love them. Romans 5:5 tells us that “the love of God has been poured out into our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” Without His gift of love, we are incapable of loving others. Pray for this love!
Conclusion
In spiritual warfare, guarding your spirit is crucial in overcoming the attacks of principalities. Offenses, often stirred by the enemy, encompass the devil’s strategy to defile our hearts. To stand firm, we must rely on the Word of God, using it to purify our hearts and guide our confession. Faith and love are also keys in resisting the enemy’s traps, allowing us to forgive others, overcome the bitterness, and relate well in the body of Christ. Christ wants you to pray for an increase in faith and the outpouring of love, so that you may stand strong against offenses that may defile your spirit.
