Resist…

A friend mentioned a verse yesterday when we were talking about fighting the devil…

‘Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.’

Then when I opened my Bible this morning, there it was, following on from a verse I mentioned in my post yesterday. (He giveth more grace!)

Little did I know that within the hour I’d be needing that grace to resist the devil.

Friends, the enemy is subtle and he knows our weaknesses better than we do.

Do you remember what he said when he tempted Eve in the garden?..

‘Yea, hath God said?’

And his insinuations are still the same, Did God really say that? Did God actually give you that promise or was it your imagination?

Or there’s the what ifs and the yes buts and the if onlys!

Or he gets us annoyed with someone and if it’s a brother or sister in Christ and we listen and get irritated or offended, all he then needs to do is sit back and watch it come between us, breaking the unity of the body of Christ.

Friends, Satan is subtle, he’s a liar, he knows our weaknesses and he’s stronger than us BUT if we’re born again, he’s not stronger than Christ IN us.

So what do we do?

We cast ‘down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;’

We draw from that abundant free grace, remembering that…

‘while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.’

And by His grace we extend that grace to others or draw from it to…

‘resist the devil and he WILL flee from you.’

So what does resisting the devil look like?

It looks like war friends, our minds are a battle ground and we have to fight, fight through prayer, using the “the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:’

We fight by taking those wrong thoughts and lies captive.

We fight as Jesus did when He was tempted by the devil and say…

‘it is written!’

We fight as we take our sword, the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God and fight with it.

We take those promises, those words that God has used to bless us in the past and through God’s grace, with His help, we fight!!

We…’Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.’

And Friends, by that same grace we ‘Cast ‘down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;’

”Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.’

James 4:7, Genesis 3:1, Rom 5:8, Eph 6:17, Matt 4:4, Eph 6:13, James 4:7.