As Christians, we all have a common enemy – the devil. The Word says he’s very angry because he knows he only has a short time. He’s angry primarily with us because we’re made in God’s image, we’re the apple of His eye and He came down to save us from satan because He doesn’t want us to perish with him and all his demons. Secondarily, the devil abhors anything that has to do with GOD because he was cast out of heaven and discharged from all areas of responsibility, he’s a useless outcast who’s a sworn enemy of Christians around the world.
The devil is cunning, since Jesus defeated, destroyed and stripped him of all power, he now relies chiefly on the tool of temptation to fight against believers. Sin is the bane of man, it operates in the flesh (man’s rebellious nature against GOD). The Word summarizes it as the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye and the pride of life. These were the areas of temptation against Jesus during His 40-days fast in the wilderness. He emphatically resisted and defeated satan’s temptation in each of these areas. In other words, the devil is resoundingly destroyed in the area of sin and temptation. He’s a toothless lion in this area, unless we serve him our ignorance. The LORD did a complete work of redemption, salvation and victory on the Cross for us. The devil only feeds and relies solely on ignorance on our part and deception. He’s a fraud. He deceives, he lies, he cheats, he steals. This is how he devours whom he can (1 Peter 5:8).
The instruction of the LORD is crystal and succinct: submit to GOD, resist the devil and he will run away and flee from you. Resistance is offense. How do we resist satan? By submitting to GOD, remaining steadfast and resolute in our faith. Faith overcomes him with all his shenanigans, wiles, devices, schemes, strategies, evil plots. Faith issues from the word of GOD, so we must build ourselves on the Word and learn to use it skillfully on our enemy. Remember the LORD always leads us victoriously against the devil (2 Corinthians 2:14). We’re always triumphant in Christ!
To continue in victory we need to understand that we’re in a state of perpetual warfare against darkness. Our LORD said we are the light of the world and the salt of the earth. By this He declared war between us and the powers of satan. This is why we exist in a state of warfare every moment of our Christian life. To be effective in our assignment, we need to be actively engaged. Resistance is not passive, that is, we need to constantly submit ourselves to GOD and constantly resist the devil in all his tricks and advances. Satan is wily, angry and determined. He doesn’t give up. He doesn’t let up. He doesn’t miss an opportunity, he’s an opportunist par excellence. Therefore, temptations will not cease. Temptation is the only thing he has against a child of GOD. Temptation is enticement or inducement to sin against GOD. It leverages the three areas of weakness, i.e. the lust of the flesh (physical cravings and pleasures), lust of the eye (greed, envy, jealousy, discontent) and the pride of life (selfishness, vanity and ego).
We must deny the enemy areas of weakness in our lives. As we run the race of faith we will need resistance against sin. Sin enters through our areas of weakness. Christ said the enemy is coming but he has nothing in Me (John 14:30). We must not give place or foothold to the devil (Ephesians 4:27). He has nothing against us unless we give him. Temptations only exist because of weakness, however the LORD is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble (Psalm 46:1). Greater is He who is in us than he who is in the world. Who is in us? The Holy Spirit, Who’s our Helper and Advocate. If GOD is for us, who can be against us? (Romans 8:31).
Now is not the time to be caught napping.The devil is more vicious now than ever before. He knows that he has a short time. We have to be watchful in prayer. The LORD said to the disciples they must pray not to enter into temptation. Temptations are relentless, so we mustn’t be so comfortable in our freedom that we become careless. If you are serious about knowing, serving and being used by Jesus, you need to be vigilant.The devil is fighting your calling and your destiny. He’s trying to hinder what God wants to do through you.You have to resist him all the way into your destiny. No one is immune from temptations, nor outgrows them. The more you grow in spirit, in faith, in the LORD and in glory, the more your temptation is growing with you, and the more subtle it becomes. The more subtle, the more dangerous. “Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us,” Romans 8:37.
Temptation leverages the three areas of weakness, i.e. the lust of the flesh (physical cravings and pleasures), lust of the eye (greed, envy, jealousy, discontent) and the pride of life (selfishness, vanity and ego)
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