OVERCOMING THE ENEMY THROUGH THE POWER OF CHRIST
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Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you. Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith. – 1 Peter 5:7-9 –
The world is a spiritual battleground. Every day we face new battles. When we come to faith in Christ, we become an enemy of the enemy. His powerful army seeks to defeat all believers, turning them away from God and back to sin.
As Christians, we know that the ultimate victory has been won by the Lord Jesus Christ. His death and resurrection overcame Satan… sealing his eternal fate once and for all. Although Jesus has won the war, the warfare for the souls of mankind by the evil one and his evil cohorts will continue until Christ returns.
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 6:12
Many assume the enemy is no threat to them… a dangerous deception. Yet a most effective ploy for the adversary’s crafty schemes. If he can make people believe he is harmless, they will let down their defenses. They will become vulnerable to his lies and succumb to his wiles. The master of lies is an expert at his game.
Many deny Satan’s existence altogether, thus becoming easy prey for enemy takeover. No conflicts need to be fought. For these people are unaware there is even a battle going on for their souls. They believe the devil is merely a comical idea. They willingly cede all territory to this unnoticed intruder.
Christians need to be aware of the enemy and his war tactics. The stakes are perilously high. Our adversary is not powerless. We must suit up in our spiritual armor and fight him at his game. Yet we cannot achieve victory in our own power. We need the supernatural power of God to overcome.
Humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. – James 4:7
This is a promise of God. If we defy Satan’s incursions into the territory of our lives, God promises to compel him to leave. We can stand against the enemy without fear, knowing that the Almighty One will protect us and help us triumph.
Jesus is our mighty fortress. In Him we are strong… in Him we have enemy-destroying power… in Him we have victory. He is our first line of defense in the battle. We have His power, His Spirit within us to resist the onslaughts of the adversary. By His might, we can triumph over the forces of evil that come against us.
No weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and this is their vindication from Me. – Isaiah 54:17
God has not left us without weapons in our spiritual arsenal. He understands the vital importance of a strong offense and defense. His Spirit and His spiritual armor act to protect and defend us. Prayer, praise and God’s Word act as our offensive weapons to combat the enemy.
Prayer is formidable against the archenemy of our souls. It is the connection of our spirit with God’s Spirit. He is sovereign over all the powers of evil and His power lives within us. He inspires and empowers our prayers as we use them to battle Satan. Praying in the name of Jesus, Name above all names, breaks the power of the enemy.
Praise is an essential spiritual weapon in our arsenal, working together with prayer for victorious spiritual warfare. Praise turns our attention to our omnipotent God, the One who helps us defeat the enemy. God inhabits the praises of His people. The enemy wants no part of it and is forced to flee.
For the Word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword. – Hebrews 4:12
The Word of God is a mighty force against the powers of the evil one. The sword of the Spirit is another offensive weapon in God’s spiritual armor. Jesus used God’s Word victoriously against Satan in the wilderness. We model Jesus by using our sharpened sword to refute the lies and deceptions of the enemy of our souls.
The Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one. – 2 Thessalonians 3:3
We need to fight as God’s soldiers in the spiritual battleground of this world, using the offensive and defensive weapons He has provided us. The war has already been won by our Lord Jesus Christ. Our faith rests assuredly in our heavenly King to overcome the enemy and his influence in our lives.
† Eternal Takeaway – We daily fight our spiritual battles victoriously in Christ †
