Susie Larson helps us learn to gear up for battle...a spiritual battle. With helpful tips, she shows how we can get through anything with God!

I'm half way through Strong in Battle and there is so much I love about this book. It is the perfect book to pick up when you need a does of inspiration or motivation! As we all face battles in our lives, and with the help of Larson's writing, we will have the tools to not only fight the battles ahead, but to win those battles. I highly recommend!

Susie Larson has written the most amazing book on being strong in battle. From the introduction to the last word, the power of humility and the preciousness of intimacy with God is present. Susie is transparent and familiar with prayer and yielding to the Lord. And with those trials and tribulations that make praying with intention necessary.

This book touched my heart and refocused my aim for intercession, and fired up my passion for moving closer to the Lord.

Susie’s down-to-earth appeal for us think deeply and move closer to God and Jesus holds strength that I believe will make a difference—not just for the reader but for those the reader prays for and interacts with. Truly, this is a life-sharpening book that has redirected this disciple of Jesus onto a clearer path studded with purpose and joy.

I was given STRONG IN BATTLE, Why the Humble Will Prevail for an honest review, so I have written my thoughts and observations. I find the gems that Susie writes to be filled with wisdom and inspiration. If you seek closeness with the Lord and insight into praying with knowledge, authority, and victory—this is the book for you.

I’m part way through Strong in Battle and I’ve already highlighted so many parts. This book is not just a wonderful read, it’s encouraging, inspiring, motivating, and if taken to heart, life-changing. Larson not only discusses the spiritual battles we all face in life, she also gives readers tools to fight well and to win those battles. This is such a timely book for the days in which we live. I highly recommend this book to every follower of Christ who wants to live a victorious life.

Note: I was provided a free copy of this book through NetGalley, but the opinion is my own.

I was hooked by the title, Strong in Battle. Boy, has the warfare been fierce lately. Susie Larson did not disappoint. Each chapter was a deeper dive into the challenges we're facing and biblical strategies to fight the enemy's attacks. I discovered ways I had left myself open and vulnerable and encouragement to dust myself off, get up, armor up and get back in the game. Susie inspires me to be a better person. Even more, I was inspired to stay a group study and encourage others as well. This book is timely, relevant and powerful!

Susie Larson has done it again, with this being her most powerful stand in your faith, work yet. If you are ready to put on the FULL Armor of God daily and fight the good battle to stay strong in your faith no matter what life gives you or what our world becomes, READ THIS BOOK!

Susie Larson’s Book “ Strong in the Battle” is a book that equips its readers with insight into how to prepare for the storms of life by using scripture, prayer, personal experiences, journaling, and a community of Believers that share the same principles they do to help carry them through their turbulent times. Susie offers stories of her own journey which allows her to relate on a personal level to every reader so they can truly identify with what she has written. She writes from the depths of her heart where often brokenness has played a part knowing that redemption draws from the well. This gives the reader hope. When they can see there is hope in one person’s story, it allows them to feel there is hope for their story as well. There is rest and encouragement for the weary soul. God’s grace is sufficient in our time of need. Susie encourages the reader to be filled with the Holy Spirit, to learn scripture for when the storms of life hit hard, to be prepared so that one can petition God with powerful prayers. Truly a book worth reading and sharing with others.

This was a very timely book. Very encouraging and a reminder of who we are in Christ. Definitely worth your time to read and glean nuggets of wisdom, and tools for the battle.

Susie Larson has woven scripture from all parts of the Bible throughout her new book, “Strong in Battle” to strengthen our “ whole armor of God” for our battles, especially the sword of the Spirit, “which is the word of God.” This book leads readers, whether reading alone or in a Bible group, through the challenges we face today and those we’ve been dealing with throughout our lives. Susie encourages us to build a relationship with Jesus that cannot be broken. She is in it with us in this book.

I am in a valley right now, walking, sometimes crawling through it. Pain. Frustrations. Pride. Exhaustion. So much! And I know I am not alone in this challenging time. People who I’ve never heard say they are depressed and tired are depressed and tired. They have questions. Their questions are in this book, too. Susie doesn’t shy away from the stuff of this world that sucks our energy and joy. She guides readers through these tough questions and paves a way for us to seek God for the answers through His word and through prayer and conversations with Him. This book has taken my relationship with God to a level I’ve not had the courage, nor quite honestly, the faith to even imagine.

This book models finding joy in the battle in a way that transcends the world’s definition of joy. I was granted an early copy of the book, and I already feel stronger in my battles and am excited to work through the book with my family members and friends, sharing our love for God and holding each other up to flourish and live as the warriors we are through Christ Jesus.

Are you prevailing in your battles? Susie Larson’s new book, Strong in battle: Why the Humble Will Prevail, will equip you for today’s challenges.

This is such a powerful book, that I will be using it for a future Bible study. Larson has organized the book well for both personal and group Bible study.

Each chapter contains a Bible story and lesson. The reader is then asked to ponder prayerful reflective questions. A section on “The Humble Way” asks the reader to spend time with the Lord asking Him a specific question and waiting upon Him as the reader carefully listens. In the “Discern the Fiery Arrows” section the reader considers a Scripture and asks God what He wants the reader to do with it. Journaling space is provided throughout the book. In the “Say NO!” section the reader considers the shield of faith as a supernatural weapon to say “no” to Satan. The “Say YES” section reminds the reader that the Sword of the Word is our “weapon of offense.” The flame of personalized prayer leads the reader in a prayer steeped in gratitude and a request for strength in the battle. The last section, “Spiritual Intelligence Training,” asks the reader to read passages of Scripture and ask how those passages apply to them.

“There’s always a cost and a time of preparation for serving God in greater ways. How has God prepared you for what you’re doing now? How does it seem He’s preparing you for future service?” (Susie Larson)

I was strengthened by this incredible book. It provides practical steps based on God’s Word lived out in today’s world. In the midst of Larson’s health struggles, she wrote a strong message for us all … God has worked mightily through her.

I received an advance review copy for my honest review.

Strong in Battle, by Susie Larson, is a potent, yet gentle, truth-telling book that reminds us of who the enemy is and how we resist him and stay strong in the Lord and in our faith.

Daily life is filled with struggles and it’s so easy to grow weary in our faith and lose hope. This insightful book offers practical and helpful tips to gird yourself up, refresh your perspective, and find the steps forward through the hardships of life. Susie offers powerful reminders of who we are in Christ and how to walk in faith and hope. She provides encouragement, anecdotes and a guide to implement into your day-to-day life. I highly recommend Strong in Battle for any believer living life in our current world.

Strong in Battle has some great and powerful points and lessons. The chapters seem to be somewhat long and it's hard to decide where to take a break because of that.

A book for our times. There’s a war going on between good and evil. A war we cannot win without being made strong for the battle! Read it and gear up!

Strong in Battle so far is exactly what I needed to read at this moment in my life from dealing with grief in my family, and being prepared for what is happening in our country. One quote that Susie says hit home, “We must believe that we can be renewed day by day, live with a joy that strengthens us, shine brightly in a dark world that has lost it’s way, and live with holy expectancy that heaven is real and goodness is coming.” In addition to my everyday prayers I look forward to reading more Strong in Battle.

Who is Susie Larson? A year ago at this time, I hadn't heard of this podcasting prayer warrior who shares her love of Jesus with the world. Some might dismiss her as "just another Fundamentalist zealot" but her words leaped out at me one night, framed by a lovely nature scene, shared on the Facebook wall of a friend from my hometown. Wait: this is not the typical "Sweet Jesus" stuff I'd heard since infancy. This Susie does not sound obnoxious or brainwashed. She sounds intelligent, confident, wise, and strong.

I've heard prayers and blessings aplenty, but Susie's ring with freshness and positivity. E.g.,

"May God give you extra grace to thrive in life even when your heart is breaking. May you enjoy spilling-over-joy even before the breakthrough comes. May you find cause to celebrate and rejoice over all that is right in your world. Refuse to let your angst have the last say..." #SusieLarsonBlessings

I started hitting the LIKE and SHARE icons.

Susie Larson showed up with the right words at the right time, and I started paying attention. I'd heard all these things before, one way or another, but Susie knows how to pack a punch. Small words, big impact: E.g.,

"Life on earth is short and eternity is long. We’re here for the short term, not just to bide our time but to redeem our days. Every day is a gift. Every moment of your life is packed with purpose."

C.S. Lewis said something similar in "Surprised by Joy." This life is just a stay at an inn as we journey to our final destination. Somehow, I've always found it very hard to believe that there is any such thing as a loving Creator and an afterlife, but the conviction of others has been more convincing to me than the Bible itself. Susie demonstrates the courage of her convictions, so she got my attention.

I still hadn't heard any of her podcasts, nor had I read any of her books, until "Strong In Battle." I snagged an ARC of the book via NetGalley, where I've been a reviewer for ten years. I highlighted line after quotable line. On social media, I soon noticed others were highlighting and sharing the same passages that spoke to me. E.g.
“Bootstrap theology won’t save us. But if we’re willing to trust Him, we’ll see our God move in ways that just might leave us breathless.” #SusieLarsonQuotes #StrongInBattle

Well, buckle your bootstraps. Bring on the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, the sword of the Spirit. Add one more thing: You'll need a journal to work through this book, this battle.

Confession #1: I read the book, twice, but did not do any "journaliing" along with it.
Confession #2: I rarely read the "Reflection Questions" in any book, and I see this feature in a lot of books, these days. I did read Susie's. This one, for example:

Ask God to help you discern the arrows aimed at you. Write them down.
"You have one enemy and he attacks in often predictable ways. But we are not going to put up with it any longer."

Yeah! We're not gonna take it anymore!
Wait. Who is this "one" enemy?

"Our battle is not against flesh and blood but against principalities and rulers in the heavenly realms," Susie explains. "We have one enemy, and his name is Satan. On our own, on our best day, we are no match for him. He has studied us our whole lives. He knows our weak spots; he knows about our unhealed wounds and how to trigger our fears. We're like little children in the face of a Goliath of an enemy."

Well, that's annoying! This "enemy" wants to steal our joy, keep us from knowing God, even get us to believe the devil does not exist (as Paul Harvey famously noted). The enemy is every negative force seeking to pull us down into depression, apathy, despair, anger, hatred, self-pity; the enemy wants us to doubt that Heaven exists and question if there’s life after death.

The focus of this book is not the scheming and manipulation of Satan, but the positive, constructive things we can do to keep our thoughts out of the abyss and in the sunny realm of hope, joy, love, and all good things. Susie acknowledges that "....it's human nature (and a legitimate question) to wonder, *If God could stop this, why doesn't He?* She answers that, in part, with a quote from Bo Stern: "We may wish for a God who will keep us out of all afflictions, but isn't it wonderful to become acquainted with the One who goes with us into the heart of the fight, and then uses it for something beautiful?"

She answers that question (and more, much more) with many quotable quotes, but this is just a book review, not Cliff Notes, not a summation of the key points. A few select passages posted here, by me, cannot replace the riches of just reading the book, page by page, and taking in all the insights and battle strategies.

Even if you're agnostic or atheist, you can find common-sense ideas here. We all have negative thoughts.
Most of our thoughts are automatic. Many of our beliefs are borrowed or inherited, not formed in reaction to our own experiences. This constant stream of thoughts in our heads can mislead us, betray us, pull us down. Do you blindly accept intrusive thoughts that pop into your mind like cars on a freeway?

"Be selective about what you allow into your soul. Be more careful with the thoughts that seek to take up residence in your brain. Understand the wisdom of guarding your heart and renewing your mind." See, this is common sense advice, even if you think the Bible was written by men (patriarchal and provincial at times) and not inspired by a loving Father God. You can also take that leap of faith, and "Breathe in God's promises and breathe out His Word." #SusieLarsonBlessings

One of Susie's battle strategies is to network with friends, face to face, not just on social media, and to pray for one another. I would type out the excerpt here, but this review is getting too long already, and I haven't touched upon even a fraction of the ideas, insights, and tactics Susie offers. I'll write a long, detailed response at my blog (carolkean dot wordpress dot com). Another reviewer has summarized all nine chapter titles and the four icons (bowl, flaming arrows, sword, shield), so I will not duplicate that effort.

This is more than a book. It's a call to battle. Susie's audience seems to be almost entirely women, which makes her focus on strategy and fighting tactics all the more intriguing to me. Take heart. Trust God. Memorize more Bible verses, in case you're ever in some prison cell or lost on a desert island without books, and you have to rely on your memory to combat loneliness and desolation. Read, memorize, internalize.

There is so much more I would love to say about this book, but it would take weeks to hear what so many readers will have to share after experiencing "Strong in Battle."

Thank you to NetGalley and Baker House for the ARC of this book. My highest tribute is not the number of stars I might award, but whether I'd buy the book and give it away to friends. This one is giftable. Now, how many copies should I buy....

WOW....This book is a Godsend for me in the place where I am right now in my life . There is not one page in it that does contain some nugget of truth or insight. This book is not just a "good read" to be read once and put aside. I actually find myself re-reading some of the same chapters over and over because I see something new or God reveals something fresh that I may have missed on the previous read. This book is absolutely amazing. Insightful, Inspiring and Impactful are just a few words I could use to describe it.

Powerful and healing.... This is a gem packed with truths from the Word that will encourage us and enable us to focus on the Lord in every season of our life!