Resist the Devil
One of the things we quickly learn about living the Christian life is that it is a battle—against the temptations of the flesh (1 Peter 2:11), the allurements of the world system (1 John 2:15–17), and the seductions of Satan and his demonic forces (Ephesians 6:11–12). This battle is fierce, subtle, powerful, and relentless. As usual, the Lord gives us all the tools we need to fight with so we can win. Let me focus on how God has directed us to battle our fiercest enemy, the devil.
You can choose to take the direct route by studying and obeying all eight commands regarding spiritual warfare against Satan and his demonic force:
“Be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might” (Eph. 6:10).
“Put on the full armor of God” (Eph. 6:11, 13).
“Stand firm” (Eph. 6:13–14).
“Submit to God ” (James 4:7).
“Resist” (James 4:7, 1 Peter 5:9, Eph. 6:13).
“Be of sober spirit, be on the alert” (1 Peter 5:8).
“Pray then in this way…lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one” (Matt. 6:9, 13, 26:41).
“Do not give the devil an opportunity” (Eph. 4:27).
Or you can weave these commands and other teaching on spiritual warfare and focus on three ways to fight "against the schemes of the devil" (Eph. 6:11).
1: Employ the tactic of scriptural recall: Jesus quoted Scripture when He was tempted by Satan (Matt. 4:1–11; Luke 4:1–13). God's truth is the key to defeating the deceptive tactics of "the Father of lies" (John 8:44), and as you can imagine, we cannot afford to be "ignorant of his schemes" (2 Cor. 2:11), so:
Recall the purposes of God: Satan's temptations are sovereignly controlled by God just as we see who "led" Jesus into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil—the Holy Spirit (Matt. 4:1). His temptations are also sovereignly restricted or limited. He can work in believers’ lives by permission to discipline us (1 Cor. 5:5; 1 Tim. 1:20) and develop us (Job 1:8; 2 Cor. 12:7; Luke 22:31–32; 1 Pet 5:10–11) under God’s providential hand.
Recall the purchase of Christ at the cross: His death made Satan a defeated enemy (John 12:31: Rev. 12:11; 1 John 3:8; Heb. 2:14; Col. 2:15) so we are fighting from victory, not just for victory.
Recall the prayers of Christ for us: Jesus prayed "keep them from the evil one" (John 17:5; 1 John 2:1–2), so this assures us we are not battling alone.
Recall the punishment of Satan: He will be thrown into the lake of fire (Rev. 20:10). He’s defeated and will be eternally punished.
2: Employ the tactic of sound resistance. This is the most repeated defense strategy God has given us (mentioned 3 times).
Resist by being faithfully enslaved to God (James 4:7; Rom. 6:16)
Resist by being firmly established in your faith (1 Pet. 5:9; Eph. 6:10–11, 14).
Resist by being fully equipped for the battle with God's protective armor (Eph. 6:10–18). We depend upon His strength (Eph. 6:10), believe His assessment of who we are fighting (not people—Eph. 6:12), and put on His protective armor (Eph. 6:13–17).
3: Employ the tactic of supernatural reliance: God has some amazing defensive resources.
Rely upon His promises (1 Cor. 10:13; James 4:7; 2 Thess 3:3; Rom. 16:20).
Rely upon the power of Christ (Matt. 28:18; Rom. 8:33–34, 38–39; Eph. 1:20–23).
Rely upon the presence of the Holy Spirit (1 John 4:4).
Rely upon the providence of God (Rom. 8:28).
All the resources we need are found in God's sufficient Word, and it is our job to apply them by the enablement of the Holy Spirit. I love Hebrews 2:18: “For since He Himself was tempted in that which He has suffered, He is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted.”
One of my best friends in life and ministry is Pastor Bud Diener (Boulevard Park Church in Burien). He just released a fantastic book on spiritual warfare called The War You're Already In: How Satan Uses Lies, and How Scripture Defeats Them. I highly recommend this book!
Pastor Jeff
Foundational Faith Statement 35: What do we believe about the Holy Spirit? That He is God, coequal and coeternal with the Father and the Son, and He indwells permanently all who believe in Christ (Acts 5:3–4; John 14:16–17).