52 | Spiritual Warfare Strategies Every Christian Author Needs

Things got harder the moment you committed to your book? That's not bad luck—it's warfare.

The enemy doesn't waste energy on writers who are stuck. He attacks writers walking in obedience. Learn why Christian authors face unique spiritual opposition, how to recognize attack versus normal challenges, and six biblical strategies to stand firm and finish what God started. Because the battle is real, but the victory is already won. When you finally write the book God called you to, expect resistance—and know how to fight from victory, not for it.

You'll walk away with: The ability to recognize when you're under spiritual attack (not just having a hard day), practical warfare strategies you can use immediately, and the confidence that the enemy's opposition confirms you're on the right path. Equip yourself to finish what God started despite the battle.

👉 Listen now to uncover the secret to becoming an anointed scribe!

Transcript

Something shifts the moment a writer finally commits to the book God called him to write. Not something good,

something darker.

Suddenly, the laptop crashes. The family needs more attention than ever. The day job becomes overwhelming.

Doubt creeps in and whispers that maybe this book isn't as important as it seemed.

Distractions multiply. Energy drains.

And what felt like clarity just days ago now feels clouded with confusion.

And here's what so many Christian writers don't realise. This isn't coincidence. It's not bad luck.

It's not just life being hard. It's warfare.

Because the enemy doesn't waste energy on writers who are stuck spinning their wheels or chasing trends. He attacks writers who are finally walking in obedience.

Writers who are writing the books that will actually change lives,

challenge darkness and advance the kingdom.

And if he can stop the book before it starts,

if he can convince the writer to quit, distract or doubt, he wins.

Friend, if things got harder the moment you committed to your calling,

if opposition increased right when you finally found clarity. I need you to hear this.

That's not a sign you made the wrong decision.

It's often confirmation you made the right one.

Because the enemy doesn't fight what doesn't threaten him.

In this episode, we're going to talk about why Christian authors face unique spiritual warfare. How to recognize the difference between attack and normal life challenges, and most importantly,

the practical biblical strategies that will help you stand firm and and finish what God started.

Because here's the truth. The battle is real,

but the victory is already won.

And when you learn to fight from that place of victory instead of for victory,

everything changes.

This is episode 52.

I'm Urcelia Teixeira, ex real estate agent turned award winning Christian fiction author.

When I wrote my first novel on a bucket list whim, I had no idea it would spark a spiritual journey that would redefine my calling. But you know what, friend?

Self publishing wasn't easy. I got caught in the hustle, chasing rankings and sales while desperately trying to stay rooted in Christ.

Now, by God's grace, I'm building my author business his way. And now he's called me to help you do the same.

Welcome to the Anointed Scribe podcast, where faith meets business for Christian writers. Let's write, publish and grow our author business God's way. Are you ready? Well then, let's get started.

Hey, it's your author friend, Urcelia. And welcome back to Anointed Scribe, the podcast for Christian writers who are ready to go from stuck and striving to anointed and thriving.

If you're new here, welcome. We're building kingdom centered author businesses together. And that means we don't ignore the spiritual realities of this calling, right?

So grab your coffee,

settle in, and let's talk about something that doesn't get discussed nearly enough in the Christian writing circles,

and that's spiritual warfare.

Now, I know some of you might be thinking, ugh, Ossilia, isn't this a bit dramatic? Are we really talking about spiritual warfare over books and author business?

And I get it, it can sound extreme,

but here's what I've learned. After years of writing and publishing Christian fiction,

the moment I stopped treating my writing like just writing a hobby, and I started treating it like a kingdom assignment,

the spiritual opposition became undeniable.

And it wasn't just me. I've talked to several other Christian authors, and almost every single one has a story about how everything fell apart the moment they committed to writing their book.

Computer failures, family crises,

health issues, sudden job changes, financial pressure, crippling doubt, overwhelming distractions. The list can go on and on.

And here's what's wild. These things almost always happen right after a breakthrough in direction or guidance or idea. Right after they finally get clarity.

Right after they made the decision to obey.

Friend, that's not random. That's strategic.

Because Ephesians 6:12 reminds us.

For 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.

When we write books that carry kingdom truth,

that challenge darkness,

that call people into freedom, we are not just just creating content.

We are not just writing books.

We are engaging in spiritual battle and the enemy knows it.

So let me explain. Let me start by explaining why Christian authors specifically face this kind of warfare.

First, because words have power.

Proverbs 18:21 says, the tongue has the power of life and death.

Words shape thoughts,

thoughts shape beliefs, beliefs shape actions.

And the enemy knows that if he can stop your book,

he stops every life that book would have touched.

Every reader who would have found freedom,

still bound.

Every person who would have encountered Jesus through your story,

still lost.

Every believer who would have been strengthened,

still struggling.

Your book isn't just a book.

It's a tool in God's hands. And the enemy wants to disarm you before you even pick it up.

Second, because your calling is a threat.

When you write with kingdom purpose,

you're not just building a platform.

You are dismantling strongholds.

You're exposing lies.

You're shining light into dark Places. And the enemy doesn't sit back and let that happen unopposed.

He will fight to keep you distracted, to keep you discouraged and doubting.

Because a writer who's stuck in fear and confusion isn't a threat to his kingdom, right?

And third, and this is important because finishing what God started is an act of spiritual warfare in itself.

Every word you write in obedience is a declaration that God's assignments matter more than your comfort,

your fear, or the enemy's opposition.

So, yes, there's warfare.

But here's what we need to understand and not forget.

We are not fighting for victory.

We are fighting from victory. Christ already won.

We are just walking in what he secured.

Now let's talk about how to recognize when you are under spiritual attack versus just experiencing normal life challenges. Because not everything hard is warfare. And we don't want to be paranoid or blame the enemy for things that are just part of being human.

We are not going to give the enemy glory, right?

So here are some signs that what you are experiencing might be spiritual opposition. First,

the timing.

If major obstacles show up immediately after you commit to obedience, that's often a red flag. Not always, but often.

Second, the intensity. If multiple things are going wrong at once in ways that feel unusual or disproportionate, pay attention.

Third, the target.

If the opposition is specifically attacking your writing time,

your focus, your confidence in this calling,

that's strategic. The enemy isn't random. He aims for weak spots.

Fourth,

the lies.

If you're suddenly hearing thoughts like this doesn't matter.

You're not good enough. No one will care. God didn't really call you to this.

Those are attacks. Those are the doubts that the enemy uses. God doesn't speak in condemnation or discouragement, friend.

And fifth, the isolation. If you suddenly feel the urge to pull away from community,

to stop talking about your book,

to hide,

that's often the enemy trying to cut you off from support and accountability.

If you're experiencing three or more of these signs, friend, you are likely under attack.

And that means you need to suit up.

So let's talk about practical spiritual warfare strategies.

These aren't theoretical. These are the tools that have kept me writing through opposition,

doubt, and some really dark season.

These are the tools God gave us in his word to fight the enemy.

Strategy number one, put on the full armor of God daily. We know this, right? Ephesians 6, 13, 17 isn't just a nice passage.

It isn't just something for Sunday school. It's a battle plan.

And every single piece of armor matters.

You have your Belt of truth. Start your writing day by speaking truth over yourself.

I am called by God. He has equipped me for this. The enemy has no power over God's assignment.

Breastplate of righteousness. Remember that your worth isn't in your writing.

It's in Christ.

The enemy can't touch that.

Shoes of peace.

Feet fitted with readiness. Be ready to stand firm.

When doubt comes, don't engage with it. Speak scripture over it and move forward. Forward.

The shield of faith. This is your first line of defense.

When fiery darts come.

Doubts, fears, accusations,

faith stops them before they reach your heart.

Helmet of salvation.

Protect your mind.

Watch what you consume,

what you think about your calling matters. Renew your mind daily with God's truth about who you are and and what he's called you to do.

And the last one, Sword of the spirit. This is the only offensive weapon.

Speak scripture out loud. The enemy can't stand against the word of God. So speak it out loud over your circumstances.

I'm not exaggerating when I say I literally pray through the armor of God before I write every single day.

Because I know the moment I forget to suit up is the moment I'm vulnerable.

Pray over your writing before,

during and after.

Don't just pray about your writing. Pray over it before you write. Say, God, I invite you into this time.

Protect my mind, my focus, my creativity.

Let everything that comes from this session be from you, Lord, and from for you.

Then during your writing,

when you feel stuck or attacked, pause and pray. Don't push through in your own strength. Ask God to help you.

After you write, say, lord, I release this work to you. I trust you with the words, the impact, the reach.

Protect this book from the enemy's interference. God.

And here's something powerful. Pray over your manuscript.

Literally. I personally place my hands on my laptop and I stretch my hands out to my office and I pray. Protection over my book, over my work, over my readers, over the message God's entrusted to me and everything else.

It might sound strange,

but it's effective strategy. Number three. Declare scripture out loud over your writing.

The enemy can't reach read your thoughts. Did you know that?

But he can hear your words.

And when you speak scripture out loud, he has to flee.

Here are a few declarations I speak regularly.

Isaiah 54:17.

No weapon formed against me shall prosper.

1 John 4:4.

Greater is he who is in me than he who is in the world.

Exodus 14:14.

The Lord will fight for me. I need only to be still.

Philippians 4:13.

I can do all things through Christ. Who strengthens me.

Philippians 1:6.

The God who called me is faithful and he will complete the work he started.

Don't just think these verses. Say them out loud over your writing space,

over your book, over your calling. Come back to this episode afterwards and write them down. Put them on post its on your wall, which is what I do.

Strategy number four. Guard your writing time like it's sacred.

Because it is.

The enemy will use every distraction possible to keep you from writing. Friend Social media.

Big evil, in my opinion.

Emails, household tasks,

other people's emergencies, things that feel urgent but aren't important.

So you have to guard your writing time. Set boundaries, say no. Turn off notifications.

Treat your writing appointment with God like you would treat a meeting with a publisher or a doctor or anything else. It's not negotiable. And when distractions come, and they will recognise them from for what they are and for who they come from.

Not coincidences that there are strategies from the enemy. Okay,

your strategy number five is to stay in community.

The enemy isolates.

God connects.

When you're under attack,

your first instinct might be to withdraw, to stop talking about your book, to stop going to church to handle it alone.

But that's exactly what the enemy wants.

Stay connected to other Christian writers. Stay connected to your home group.

Keep going to church.

Share what you're experiencing. Let people pray for you.

Pray for others.

Fight together.

Because Ecclesiastes 4:12 says, Though one may be overpowered,

two can defend themselves.

A cord of three strands is not quickly broken. You were never meant to fight this battle alone, friend.

Strategy number six.

Remember who already won. This is the most important strategy of all.

When you're in a thick battle, when everything feels overwhelming, when you wonder if you should just quit, remember this.

Christ already defeated the enemy on the cross,

Colossians 2:15 says. And having disarmed the powers and authorities,

he made a public spectacle of them triumphing over them by the cross.

The enemy is defeated.

He's fighting from a place of loss, not power.

He can harass you, but he can't stop God's plan. He can make things difficult for you, but he can't derail your calling.

So you don't fight for victory, you fight from victory. And that changes everything.

When doubt comes, you don't have to convince yourself that you are called.

You just remind yourself that God already settled that when obstacles come, you don't have to panic. You just stand firm, knowing God will make a way.

When the enemy whispers that you are failing, you don't have to defend yourself.

Just rest in the truth that Christ already secured your victory.

You're not trying to win a battle.

You're walking in the authority of the one who already won.

So here's what I want you to do this week. I want you to implement one of these strategies. Pick one.

Don't try and do all six perfectly. Just pick one. The one that resonated most with your heart.

That then put it into practice.

Maybe it's praying through the armor of God before you write.

Maybe it's speaking scripture out loud over your book.

Maybe it's reaching out to another writer and saying, I'm struggling. Please, will you pray for me? Pick one. Do it. And watch what happens.

Because when you start fighting strategically instead of reactively,

the enemy loses his advantage. He can still attack, but. But he can't derail you. He can still oppose, but he can't stop God's plan.

And friend, the book God's called you to write, it matters. It matters enough for the enemy to fight against it, and it matters enough for God to fight for it.

So don't quit. Don't shrink back.

Don't let fear or doubt or distraction win.

Suit up.

Stand firm. Keep writing.

Because the world needs the message God put in your heart. And no amount of opposition can stop what God has ordained.

All right, friend, if you've been under attack and don't know how to fight back, I hope this episode equipped you.

I hope it gave you tools, strategies, and most of all, hope.

Because the battle is real, but the victory is already yours.

If this resonated with you, share it with another Christian writer who's fighting through opposition right now. Let them know they are not alone, they are not crazy, and they're not losing.

They are just in a battle they were always meant to win.

Make sure you subscribed so you don't miss the next episode. We're going to keep building this kingdom centered author business of ours together, one obedient step at a time.

So until then, friends, suit up,

stand firm and keep writing. The enemy's fighting you because your book matters,

friend. Before I let you go, I want you to use the send me a message link in the show notes and let me know where you need God to show up for you today so I can pray for you.

It's 100% anonymous. I can't see your name or your email or your phone number. I can't even reply to you.

But I can read your request and I can pray for you. So I encourage you to use this feature to send me a private message to let me know what you are struggling with right now so we can come together and take this to the Lord in prayer.

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Oh and if you want more tips outside of the show, sign up to my monthly 5 minute manna emails. The link is in the show notes. Okay, so that's it for today's show.

Thank you for listening. And remember, for such a time as this,

you have been called to thrive as God's anointed scribe.