How to Resist the Devil

The repeated command of Ephesians 6, to those who accept their role in the spiritual struggle being waged around us all, is to STAND FIRM!!! The word resist is another such directive; the Greek anti-histemi --to stand against--being the same word adopted by our medical technology for those chemicals developed to withstand forces that would invade the body with sickness and pain, and conceivably destroy the resistance unto death.

We are warned, 'Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary the devil seeks whom he may devour.' The sobriety enjoyed is wise awareness of his tactics; the vigilance is a wise alertness to his timing. And entire study is warranted on these two features of Satan's workings alone! Consider now the reality of this enemy; Satan (mentioned 54 times in the Bible), the devil (35 times), is also called the Adversary and the Accuser. He opposes all that is God or God's: satan means 'attacker or accuser', devil means 'slander or conveyor of contempt or shame. He is:

Four powerful weapons:

 1. Speak the Name of Jesus

        Mark 16:17:  Jesus said, 'In My Name cast out devils'.

        Ephesians 1:21-22: 'God raised Jesus from the dead and set Him above every name that is named...'

        Proverbs 18:10: 'The Name of the Lord is a strong tower...'

        Philippians 2:9-11: 'Wherefore, God has given Him a name that is above every name...'

        Jesus said, 'Whatever you ask the Father in my Name, He will give it to you."

2. Declare the Word of God

        Matthew 4:1-11; Luke 4:1-13: Records Jesus' triumph against temptation by the devil. Jesus key to resistance: 'It is written...'

        Ephesians 6:17: 'Taking the Sword of the Spirit...the Word of God.'

        Isaiah 43:1-3: '...when thou passes through the waters, I will be with thee...when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned...

3. Raise the Banner of the Cross

        Song of Solomon 6:4,10: 'Who is she that looketh forth as the morning, fair as the moon, clear as the sun and terrible as an army with banners.'

        Colossians 2:14,15: 'He blotted out the handwritings of broken laws that stood against us, and took them out of the way, nailing them to His Cross; and in that Cross He defeated the powers of darkness, making an open spectacle of them by His manifest triumph.'

        Revelation 12:10-11: 'They overcame him (the devil) by the Blood of the Lamb and the Word of their testimony.'

4. Rejoice in the Holy Spirit

        Jude 18-21: Here reveals the posture of the believer in a time when scoffers and scorners oppose all that you may hold dear. 'But ye, beloved, build yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost.'

        1 Corinthians 14:15: This Scripture clarifies this practice as singing and praying in the Spirit.

[excerpt from text by Jack Hayford, The Church On The Way]