Resist satan - Friday Praise & Pray (for others) September 8, 2023
Updated: Oct 15, 2023
Most of us are familiar with the instruction in James 4:7 - Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. How many of us, however, understand what it means to resist the devil? And if satan met us face to face, would you know what to do?
Our Savior, Jesus Christ, gives us a key example we can all emulate in the effort to set the devil aflight and keep it away. In Matthew 4:10, the Son of God said the following, "Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’” Those words are a crucial weapon in every believer's arsenal. And when coupled with scripture, the devil has no comeback. Just as it did with Jesus, it will back off.
There's also Jude 1:9 - But even the archangel Michael, when he was disputing with the devil about the body of Moses, did not himself dare to condemn him for slander but said, “The Lord rebuke you!” (NIV).
Another instance where the devil was pushed back was in Zechariah 3:2 - The angel of the LORD said to Satan, "May the LORD condemn you, Satan! May the LORD, who loves Jerusalem, condemn you. This man is like a stick snatched from the fire." (GNT).
Consider that same verse in a few other Bible versions -
But the LORD said, "Satan, you are wrong. Jerusalem is my chosen city, and this man was rescued like a stick from a flaming fire." (CEV).
The LORD said to Satan, "I, the LORD, silence you, Satan! I, the LORD, who has chosen Jerusalem, silence you! Isn't this man like a burning log snatched from a fire?" (GWT).
Why is it important to know how to command the devil to back off? Because the devil is constantly attacking God's children and usually in ways they cannot readily recognize. Nevertheless, we have to be ready with God's word to rebuke satan each time it takes a step against us. And how does it do this? By whispering slick lies to us. You woke up inspired to do something and suddenly, a thought slips into your mind suggesting that your efforts won't count. That nothing you do will work. And suddenly, your enthusiasm dims. Or, it throws arrows to block a person's path in an attempt to keep them from succeeding. Their car breaks down. They lose their phone. The person they need to speak to is mysteriously absent or busy.
Whichever way the devil tries to attack, the children of God are well-armed to resist it and send it fleeing. He has given us scripture for this very reason. Our Father opened His mouth and spoke against satan. So must we. Jesus wasn't quiet when the devil repeatedly tried to tempt Him and we can't be either. We must pronounce the word of God and tell satan to back off. We must declare the word of God, just as Jesus did when He resisted the devil three times in the wilderness.
And there's something else we have to do. We must submit ourselves to God as James 4:7 states. We must therefore choose to live righteously, putting sin behind us in order to live the way God wants. It is the way we live our life that speaks the loudest in resisting the devil and causing it to flee. Let us take it one day at a time, trusting the Lord to build us up and make us deadly weapons for His earthly ministry who terrify hell itself. The Lord will help us because His plan is to turn us into vessels that give Him glory, IJN, Amen. Never forget, His glory rises upon us and we have authority in Christ. Hallelujah!
If you forgot about the numerous ways satan uses deceit to throw us off, now would be a good time to refresh your memory by reading the following,
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