A person who does not recognize the Devil, understand his schemes, and prepare for battle is already a casualty in the war going on for our souls (2 Cor. 2:11; 1 Pet. 5:8-9). How do we rise above our doubt, our discouragement, our indifference, our sin to walk worthy of our heavenly calling? (Phil. 3:14). God’s word gives us a powerful strategy for victory over Satan and his forces.
(1) Recognize Victory Is Possible. Certainly the Devil is a powerful foe, but victory can be obtained through Jesus. Christ came to bring to naught the power of the Devil (l John 3:8). Through our Lord’s death, Satan’s choke-hold on us has been broken, and the Devil’s been given a knock-out punch (Heb.2:14-15). How we need to realize that salvation is only through Jesus! (Acts 4:12).
(2) Realize The Power Of Jesus In Your Life. Our faith in Christ is the victory that overcomes the world (1 John 5:4). By our loving response to the grace of God in Jesus, there is the strength to keep on keeping on (Phil. 4:13). By putting on the whole armor of God, and by properly using the word of God, we have tremendous resources at our disposal for overcoming Satan (Eph. 6:10-18).
(3) Don’t Give The Devil A Foothold. If the Devil has a place in our lives, it’s because we let him in. Whether it’s through ignorance, neglect, selfishness, lust or the heat of the moment, we still are very much involved in letting him in. And while no one is perfect, more diligent measures must be taken to allow no room for his entry into our lives (Ephesians 4:27). We must keep looking for open doors of service to God, and do our best to keep from giving Satan open doors to get into us.
(4) Remember Satan Can Be Resisted. Two extremes about the Devil are equally dangerous. One false view attributes to him more power than he has. It’s the one that insists “the Devil made me do it” (and I just couldn’t resist). Satan is not all powerful or all knowing. The other false extreme fails to take the Devil and his efforts seriously. He is a powerful spirit being who desires to see all of humanity lost. We cannot fully fathom his hatred for God and for God’s creation (John 8:44; Rev. 12:9-11). As powerful as Satan is, he can be resisted through humble, submissive faith in God, anchored in the truth of His word (James 4:7; 1Pet. 5:9).
(5) Bring Every Thought Captive To Jesus. There are no short cuts or easy ways to go about this! We need to so train ourselves to have the mind of Christ (Phil. 2:5) that our thinking, feeling and actions are controlled by the Lord (2 Cor. 10:4-6). There is no more powerful weapon against the Devil’s devices than determining to be just like Jesus.
The message of the Bible is one of victory. Whoever and whatever the foe, victory is sure when we trust and obey Jesus. If we fail to win life’s daily battles and if we ultimately lose the battle for our souls, it won’t be because we didn’t have the equipment and intelligence reports necessary to defeat the enemy. God has given us all that is needed for victory through Jesus Christ. Though Him, we can be “more than conquerors” (Rom. 8:37). Thank God for the victory He makes possible!
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