Resist the devil! (1)

James is very clear in his epistle about how we should respond to the devil. We don’t entertain the devil, we don’t debate or argue with him, we don’t cower in fear of him, but we resist him! To resist means to stand firm against him and the only way to stand firm is through our knowledge of the word and the power of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit who lives in us is greater that the devil who is in the world. We pray and stand in authority through the Holy Spirit with our knowledge of what the word says. Remember that the word is “quick and powerful, sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12).

Remember when Jesus was being tempted by the devil in the wilderness; he used the word to remind satan of what was written. The devil is the master of deception and too many Christians are being outsmarted by the devil who comes to steal, kill and destroy. “so that we would not be outwitted by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his designs” (2 Corinthians 2:11). You are wasting your time if you are not dedicated to studying and understanding what the bible says. The word of God is a weapon against the enemy and our knowledge and understanding of the word helps us to grow. Stop using the excuse of not having enough time, when there are many activities that you devote time to daily that can be used for studying the word.

“My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge; because you have rejected knowledge, I reject you from being a priest to me. And since you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children” (Hosea 4:6). A lack of knowledge and understanding of the word has caused many Christians to fall for the devil’s traps because they fail to recognise a lie dressed as truth. If the devil could use scripture to try to tempt Jesus, what makes you think that it will be hard for him to tempt you. The bible warns against false prophets, so you also cannot use the excuse of being led astray by religious leaders.

We need to wake up to the reality of what is happening around us. We are children of God and the devil does not like any of us that are created by God. The devil’s strategy is, to draw us as far away from the will and purpose of God as possible. We have to pray daily, stay in the word, continue to be fully armoured and do not allow the devil to gain an advantage over us. You have been given power and authority over the enemy, so act like someone with authority and stop allowing the devil to take advantage of you. “Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil” (Ephesians 5:15-16).

A.P.-Y.