Never Surrender Your Joy to the Enemy

Never surrender our joy. It’s time to fight like women who belong to the God who can never be defeated—which means we can’t be either.

Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers,
against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the
spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground,
and after you have done everything, to stand.
Ephesians 6:12–13

The Overwhelming Thoughts

Some days the thoughts still come like an assault as soon as I open my eyes . . .

You’re not doing enough.

You’re letting people down.

When are you going to get it together?

A few years ago, I uttered a frustrated prayer in my car. “God, why does the enemy seem so determined to destroy my joy?” And it felt like I heard a whisper within my heart in response: “He’s not really after your joy. He’s after your strength.”

Immediately I thought of Nehemiah 8:10: “The joy of the LORD is your strength.” Ah, yes, now it made sense.

The enemy of my soul wasn’t simply out to make me have a bad day. Instead, he was trying to do something far more sinister: Make me ineffective in the kingdom. Weaken my faith. Quiet my voice. Make sure I cower in fear rather than stand in faith.

We’ve all probably had well-meaning people say to us, “Just be joyful!” like it’s an easy thing. As if the moment we decided to follow Jesus our lives would be cotton-candy happy forever, so we should just get with the program. But here’s the truth: Joy requires all-out war. Every day. For the rest of our lives.

We Are Not Fighting Alone

Here’s the good news: We aren’t fighting alone. God is with us, for us, and on our side. He is even more committed to our victory than we are. As we just talked about, “In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us” (Rom. 8:37). We just have to be willing to join the battle.

We’re told to put on the armor of God, and there is only one offensive weapon in it: “The sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Eph. 6:17). We guard our joy with truth. When the lies come, we have to slash them with what God says instead.

You’re not doing enough.

Truth: I only have to do what Jesus wants me to today, and he will enable me to do so. “I can do all this through him who gives me strength” (Phil. 4:13).

You’re letting people down.

Truth: I’m not perfect, so sometimes I will let people down. What matters is being obedient to God. “If pleasing people were my goal, I would not be Christ’s servant” (Gal. 1:10 NLT).

When are you going to get it together?

Truth: I’m human, and as long as I’m on earth, I’ll still be in progress. But God is growing me each day. “He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” (Phil. 1:6).

We don’t have to believe the enemy. We’re not weaklings. We’re warriors. So let’s stand firm. Raise the sword of truth. Never surrender our joy. It’s time to fight like women who belong to the God who can never be defeated—which means we can’t be either.

God, may your love always be louder than the lies. We will live in the truth. We will guard our joy. We will listen to your voice. You give us the strength to fight and to win. Amen.

In His Word

Read Romans 8.

Reflect on the verses, particularly Romans 8:1, 8:28, and 8:37. Meditate on how these promises affirm that there is no condemnation in Christ, that God works all things for our good, and that we are more than conquerors through Him. Pray using these truths, asking God to strengthen your faith and guard your joy against the enemy’s lies.

In Your Life

How has the enemy tried to take your joy? What’s one way you can guard it today?

Write down a list of the things in your life that most often steal your joy. Is there a way you can start to think about these joy-stealing moments differently or any you can remove from your life?

We Recommend

We recommend the book Strong, Brave, Loved: Empowering Reminders of Who You Really Are by Holley Gerth. We love how simple and practical this book is, with quick and clear encouragements for each day for 60 days, journaling space, powerful Scripture verses, and Holley’s kind coaching that keeps us centered on God. It’s also beautifully designed and would make a great gift for any women who needs truth and encouragement!

Let’s Connect

Holley Gerth loves humans, words, and good coffee. She’s the Wall Street Journal bestselling author of many books, including The Powerful Purpose of Introverts and What Your Mind Needs for Anxious Moments. Holley has served women as a life coach and counselor, cofounded the groundbreaking online community (in)courage, and cohosts the More Than Small Talk podcast. Find out more and connect with Holley at HolleyGerth.com.