I’ve felt lately that my battles seem like attacks from the devil- on myself and my family members. In my prayers each morning, I pray for help to resist the devil and for God to grant a “hedge of protection” around each one of us. But how do we resist Satan’s attacks and make him flee?
I remember reading a faith magazine as a child (a long time ago!) It had a cartoon that depicted the devil with spots and horns and he was always sneaking around and trying to get children to disobey their parents.
We see this in the book of Job when God asks Satan where he had come from. Satan responds, “From roaming through the earth” and “walking back and forth in it.” Job 2:2.
That he is actively seeking us out as his targets is sobering, but the Bible gives us the wisdom and encouragement we need to fight against this spiritual warfare.
Satan is our enemy in the conflict of good vs evil. It makes me want, more than ever, to know how to fight against the father of lies.
How to Resist The Devil
Resisting Satan involves being aware of how Satan works and who he is. He is a wily enemy who uses lies and deceit to tempt us to sin and lead us away from God.
Paul reminds us of the deceptiveness of Satan, “for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light.” 2 Corinthians 11:14.
Peter warns us to be on guard against the wiles of the devil, especially when we are weak, sick, persecuted, or focusing on our trials and troubles. Satan loves a good foothold and wants us to concentrate more on our trials, leaning on our own strength than to stand strong in the power of God.
1 Peter 5:8-9
“Be self controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.”
We are to remain vigilant for Satan’s temptations, attacks, and lies. He loves to lie to us and plant seeds of doubt. It was his opening line in the Garden of Eden! He wants to tempt us to worry, lose hope, and feel overwhelmed.
To “stand firm” means to plant your heart and mind in God- every day. When I question and doubt, I need to go to his word for encouragement and strength.
They gave Satan the name “the great deceiver” for a good reason. He wants us to doubt God’s word and His love and care for us.
James (the brother of Jesus) has these words of advice:
James 4:7
“Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you.”
This statement from James are promises we can stand on!
We submit to God when we yield to His authority and commit our lives to Him. He gives us a choice- we can choose to submit to Jesus Christ, or submit to the deceit of Satan.
The Greek for “resist” means to stand against. We have the authority, by the death and resurrection of Jesus, to rebuke and oppose the devil.
Resisting him is a constant battle that we can win by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Satan is an enemy of God, working to keep us away from a saving faith in Jesus, or to tempt believers into sin and therefore, reducing our effectiveness as witnesses.
Even though he has no power over our eternal life in the kingdom of God, he wants to entice us away from becoming more Christ-like.
This last precious promise reminds us that as we come close to God, He comes close to us.
“Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” Hebrews 4:16.
There is no barrier that can keep us apart; Jesus paid the price for our sin. He wants to have a close personal relationship with us; helping us resist the devil.
“The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.” 1 John 3:8.
The Whole Armor of God
The apostle Paul instructs us to be “strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the schemes of the devil. 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.” Ephesians 6:10-12.
Paul realized the powerful armies of demons were real- not just fantasy stories. To be equipped for the battle, we need to depend on the might and strength of God to assist us and use every piece of His spiritual armor.
He describes each piece of the armor:
●Belt of truth- the knowledge of the truth of God.
●Breastplate of righteousness-the blood of the lamb covers and protects us. We received the righteousness of Christ from the moment we believed.
●Feet fit with the Gospel of peace-the gospel of Christ
●Shield of faith-a strong faith makes for an impenetrable wall to repel the flaming darts of the devil.
●Helmet of salvation-our salvation is solid and protective; no one can snatch us from our Father’s hand.
●Sword of the Spirit- we can overcome spiritual warfare by using the truths from the Bible, just as our Lord Jesus did when tempted in the wilderness.
Jesus replied to Satan, “It is written: ‘Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'” Matthew 4:4.
Prayer is a Powerful Weapon against Satan
Paul ends his discussion of the whole armour of God with a final piece-the powerful encouragement to pray.
“And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.” Ephesians 6:18.
We gain the strength and power to defeat the devil through prayer and the power of God.
The Holy Spirit is within us and helps us live according to God’s will. Of course, we will continue to sin, and Satan takes note. He loves to take advantage of our weaknesses.
Understand and recognize what type of sin you are more prone to commit. See them as a foothold for Satan to lead us away from God and pray against them.
When I’m tired and hungry, I know I get cranky. That’s when I pray for patience.
When my children are going through a struggle, I worry. I pray for trust and faith.
I struggle with the “business end” of running a blog. Satan would love for me to throw in the towel. I pray for strength and encouragement in His words: to “not grow weary and lose heart” (Hebrews 12:3) and knowing “I can do all things through him..” (Phil 4:13.)
God hears our prayers for protection, and He also allows trials. In those times, I will continue to pray for a hedge of protection because I know He can provide it.
Weapons of Our Warfare
God’s mighty weapons are available to us as we fight against Satan’s strongholds:
2 Corinthians 10:4
“For the weapons of our warfare are not of flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds.”
God’s weapons- prayer, faith, His Word, the Holy Spirit- destroy the power of the enemy. When we use these spiritual weapons, we tear down arguments, philosophies, and schemes of the enemy.
Jesus defeated Satan in the wilderness by speaking the word of God back to him.
We have the same weapon available to make him flee. Knowing the truths found in Scripture helps us recognize the lies of the devil. Speak what you know to be true back to Satan, as Jesus did!
The book of Revelation tells us of a future battle in heaven where Satan and his fallen angels will be cast down to earth. A loud voice declares how we claim victory over Satan:
“They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony.” Revelation 12:10.
God’s people understand that Christ Jesus’ death on the cross already won the battle, and are faithful witnesses to His work in their own lives to counteract the deception of the devil.
Prayer to Resist the Devil
Father, we love you and trust you completely. We know you are faithful, and will strengthen and protect us from the evil one. We want to walk with you daily. Help us put off our old ways so that Satan can not attack us. Focus our thoughts on you and your truth. Help us obey and follow your will. Empower us with your words to defeat the tempter when he comes prowling around. Hold Satan back from our loved ones. Place your hedge of protection around them. Give us the strength to turn to You and recognize the deceiver’s lies. Amen
Blessings!
AnnMarie
All Scripture is taken from the NIV unless specified otherwise.
Photo Credit: Canva, AnnMarie Anderson