Spiritual battles are being waged all around us. Not only for our nation, but in our lives personally. The question is are we seeing victory? Are you seeing victory?

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Over the years, I have won battles in the natural realm that had to be waged and won first in the spiritual realm. This has included areas such as health issues, infertility, betrayal in business, finances, the desire for a house—multiple areas in which breakthroughs came. However, we’ve all had prayers that didn’t seem to receive an answer.

Why Lord? I asked my heart hurting for areas in which people have been contending for years.

The Lord spoke to me, “The battle may be won, but you must win the battle.” That means, although He has done His part, we must do our part.

I’m in a battle right now that God has confirmed the victory, however, until I see the manifestation, I am not backing off. I continue to praise, rejoice and pray regarding the situation as we pull the answer from Heaven to Earth. I’m contending until I see the manifestation.

In order to win a battle in the spiritual realm, we must first have the Word of God as our foundation. We cannot stand for a victory if we don’t have a promise that victory is ours. Each time I have experienced a battle, I have spent time with the Lord at the beginning to receive a scripture. This is my word from Him on which I can stand. Once He speaks it to me, I refuse to let it go.

Our battle with infertility was one such battle. So was a situation we had with a real estate transaction in which the seller refused to honor the contract. It got so bad, it almost sent us into bankruptcy. In both of those situations, the answer to our prayers did not come overnight. We had to contend for the answer. In fact, my husband and I had to continue to contend when we were told “it is impossible.”

In those moments what are you going to believe? We chose to believe the Word that with God nothing is impossible.

The Bible is full of promises to us:

1. By the stripes of Jesus we were healed (I Peter 2:24).
2. He supplies all of our needs according to His riches in glory (Phil 4:19).
3. He contends with those who contend with us (Is 49:25 and Ps 35:1).
4. He will vindicate us (Is 54:17).

It is only on His promises that we can have the confidence to stand. Whether you receive a specific scripture from the Lord to you or not, His Word is true. Even so, answers to prayer don’t always come immediately. In fact, more often than not we have to contend for the fulfillment of those promises. That is where we develop our spiritual muscles to not only receive the promise but to keep hold of it.

Are you contending right now? Are you growing weary? As we battle for personal issues and as a nation, if we grow weary and let go, we won’t see the fulfillment. That can create anger and/or disappointment with God. But we have to remember God doesn’t change. He is always faithful. So we have to look back at ourselves. The key to answered prayer is learning how to press in for our answer.

When we don’t see our victory Satan comes to discourage us. He may tell you it is because you lacked faith. Or worse, he will send someone across your path to say that to you. (That’s always helpful, right?) But is it a faith issue? Ask God. Perhaps it is and you need to strengthen your faith. But perhaps you are just still in the contending phase of the battle. Perhaps you need to forgive someone in order to release the answer. The key is don’t give up.

We must learn to win these battles for ourselves. It is great when we can have a minister pray for us. But more importantly, we need to remember we can go directly to God for our answer. And especially in the day in which we live, we must learn to do that. Otherwise, a victory gained through someone else’s faith is usually a victory that cannot be retained or maintained. Because at the first sign of a new struggle, our faith begins to struggle as well. It is essential that we learn to take our Promise Land ourselves.

I want to encourage you, wherever you are at in your battle, that God’s Word says the battle is ours. Remember when the Israelites came out of the wilderness, He told them to take possession of their Promise Land.

See, I have given you this land. Go in and take possession of the land the Lord swore he would give to your fathers—to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob—and to their descendants after them (Deut 1:8 NIV).

Although the Lord had given the land to them, they still had to battle the giants in the land. God didn’t just hand it over to them. In some cases, they battled victoriously. In others they allowed giants to remain in the land with them. That’s never a good idea as that means that there will be ongoing challenges. There was a reason God told them to destroy their enemies.

Put into present day, we need to remember that our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers of darkness. Those are the enemies we need destroy so that they cannot arise again. When we battle through and win in the spirit realm, the natural realm will follow.

While it might seem easier, there is no guaranteed five-step or ten-step solution to obtain victory in your battle. Every battle will be different. What the Holy Spirit tells you in one battle, doesn’t mean it is the solution to the next one. That is why each time we must go into His Presence to receive the battle plan and the Word on which we are to stand.

And once we have it, we are to contend for it.

I remember as I was standing by faith to have children, with each one God brought the answer in a different manner. With our second child, He specifically told us not to pursue medical intervention, although we had with our first child. Why? I believe it was teaching us how to win battles by the Spirit.

A minister had come to town who had a “success rate” of praying for people with fertility issues. I told my husband, “I’m going and I’m not leaving until I get prayed for.” I was contending for my miracle. At the service, the woman and her husband taught and then ministered to the congregation calling out numerous areas for healing. But not infertility. The service was closing. My husband turned and said, “We should go.”

“I’m not leaving until she prays for me,” I said resolutely.

Others were mingling around us talking. Most people had left, but the minister was still praying for a few. I refused to leave. A few minutes later she spoke the words I had been waiting for, “If you are believing to have children, come forward.”

I went quickly to the front along with three other women. I don’t know if they received their miracle, but I did. As she prayed over us she prophesied to all of us the same thing, “You will bare a child before the end of the year with a delivery of four hours or less.” It was already February. You can do the math…it didn’t give God much time to do His work. But it was more than enough.

Our daughter was born in December that year in a delivery of 3.5 hours. I laughed at God’s goodness as we had already chosen her name four years before—Holly. People thought it was because she was born in December. It was actually a prophetic promise.

If you are standing for a breakthrough, let me encourage you, the battle is already won—but you must press in to take hold of that victory. God has done His part. Be encouraged that He will take hold with you as you do yours.

He said He watches over His Word to perform it. That is His promise to us. He has said the battle is won—now let’s go win it.

Father, teach us how to contend in prayer and not grow weary. As we come before You with the Word of God, You said You watch over Your Word to perform it. And so having done all to stand, we continue to stand that You are faithful and true and that whatsoever things we ask when we pray, as we believe You, we will receive the answers.

What battles are you facing? How are you praying over them? Share your thoughts and prayers below.

Karen Hardin is a literary agent and writer. She is the author of “Infected: How to Stop the Global Spread of Rage, Deception and Insanity” and “God’s Justice after Injustice.” Her work has been published in USA Today, Western Journal, World Net Daily, Intercessors for America, Charisma, CBN.com and more. Click here for how to receive a free copy of “How to Overcome Adverse Situations” prayer guide. Photo Credit: Fa Barboza on Unsplash.