The Bible says that Satan is like a thief who ‘comes only to steal and kill and destroy’ (John 10:10 NIV). Sometimes we can feel like things in our lives have been taken away and destroyed. Maybe that’s a dream we once had, a relationship that’s gone wrong, or feeling like hope for the future has vanished. But the truth is, we’ve got God on our side and Satan can’t overcome us. God can restore the things that have been taken away. And we can strengthen ourselves in Him to avoid anything more being taken. In James 4, it says: ‘Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you’ (v.7 NIV). When we’re under attack, resisting the devil is easier said than done. Prayer is a great way to submit ourselves to God in the moment. But we can also prepare ourselves beforehand, so that when we face attack, we’re ready to resist Satan. Keeping connected to God is one way of strengthening ourselves, especially by reading His Word and being able to declare His truth over ourselves. Another way is to put on the armour of God. ‘Put on the full armour of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes (Ephesians 6:11 NIVUK). From the belt of truth to the helmet of salvation, God’s armour can help us withstand the enemy’s attacks. The Message translation puts it like this: ‘Be prepared. You’re up against far more than you can handle on your own. Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so that when it’s all over but the shouting you’ll still be on your feet’ (Ephesians 6:13).