Gratitude Is a Weapon

God’s Word teaches us that we are in a spiritual war between good and evil. Our enemy, Satan, wants to keep us out of a relationship with God and prevent us from knowing and claiming all of the promises God has for our lives. At the end of the day, our misery is the enemy’s goal, and his only purpose is to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10).

But God has given us weapons to help win this conflict. We can defeat the devil by recognizing his lies and deception, and by continuing to follow God and overcome evil with good (Romans 12:21). Being thankful at all times in all situations is one of the greatest weapons in our arsenal, and it will help us win our battles!

If you don’t believe me, take a look at 2 Chronicles 20. In this chapter, we see an account of King Jehoshaphat being attacked by his enemies. As he sought God for protection, God directed him to take his position and wait on Him. God even told Jehoshaphat that he wouldn’t need to fight in the battle! Jehoshaphat did as God directed and sent singers out ahead of his army, singing, …Give thanks to the Lord, for his love endures forever (2 Chronicles 20:21 NIV).

They continued to sing and worship, and Jehoshaphat continued to pray, and that’s when something amazing took place: Their enemies became so confused that they slaughtered one another. Just as God had promised, they didn’t need to fight. Instead, God delivered the victory to them.

Jehoshaphat’s story is a faith-building story. God’s people won a major victory through giving thanks, worshiping and praying—it’s a powerful spiritual weapon. See, thanksgiving ushers in the presence of God, and when God is present, we have the answers to our problems and all the power we need to defeat our enemies. The psalmist David said God’s presence was the “one thing” he would seek and ask for (Psalm 27:4).

When we remain thankful, we remain in faith, but complaining releases doubt and creates an atmosphere for worry and anxiety. And when these emotions are present, our problems remain. But thanksgiving releases faith, hope, and joy and creates an atmosphere for victory. When we are filled with thanksgiving, we guard our hearts against the enemy and give God room to work in our lives.

We have many problems in our world today, and I wonder how often we lose our battles simply because we try to make things happen in our own strength—when more gratitude and worship is what we really needed all along.

The weapon of gratitude is powerful, but only when we use it. Today I urge you to use the power of gratitude when it’s easy and when it’s hard. Be thankful in all circumstances and give praise and thanksgiving to God instead of grumbling and complaining—and watch what He does in your life.

_{Adapted from the book The Power of Thank You by Joyce Meyer. Copyright 2022 by Joyce Meyer. Published by Hachette Book Group, Inc. All rights reserved.}