A friend of mine the other day in response to the question, “How are you?” responded, “I am fighting the devil.” I thought, “Praise God she knows how.” That is a great deal more than can be said for many people. I have encountered people who believe there is no evil in the world. How can anyone really think that? Have you looked around lately? I have met plenty of others who don’t believe there is a devil. Again, I wonder how people can be so deceived. Both of these groups are pretty easy targets for the devil. They never fight him because they don’t even acknowledge his presence. So, he gets away with anything he wants in their lives.
Then there are the people who know he exists, know he is a liar and knows that he is bent on killing, stealing and destroying. These are the people of the Bible. And yet, I wonder how many of us really know how to fight the devil or perhaps need a refresher course. You see, we were not born with innate knowledge of how to operate in spiritual matters. We must learn and to learn we must be taught. Thankfully this friend of mine has learned how to stand against the devil’s schemes.
Ephesians chapter 6 tells us to put on the full armor of God that “you may be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil” (v.10). Having clothed ourselves, then, and only then, we take up the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God (v. 17). Your one and only weapon against the devil is the Word of God. It is the only weapon God has given us, but then again, it is the only one we need. Now, how do we wield this weapon?
Once the devil has begun an attack, you must find scripture that speaks to the situation. Perhaps a verse you already know applies. Otherwise, you begin with prayer. Go to the Father in prayer and ask for Him to show you what you need. Petition Him for His wisdom and understanding. He has already promised to give you both of those. Sometimes you will need to spend some significant time in prayer. You should commit yourself to seeking His answers. You can also call a friend or pastor. Now you don’t need to call your pastor whining. There is a better use for your time and his (hers). Humble yourself and allow them to lead you. They should give you Bible verses upon which you can stand. You can also look for help from all sorts of Christian authors and reference materials. Topical Bibles are nice in such a case. Some ministers have even written help books that list verses for specific kinds of problems.
Once you have found scriptures that speak to your heart about your situation, write them down in a readily accessible place. Review them constantly. Meditate on them. Repeat them over and over in your mind, and even aloud if you can. Minimally you should review these verses daily.
Then you’ve got to start speaking them out of your mouth. Let God’s word come out of your mouth. That is where the real power is. Start saying things right out loud such as, “Greater is he that is in me than he that is in the world” (1 John 4: 4), meaning greater is God who is alive inside of you than the devil who is the prince of this world. Or “By his stripes, I am healed (1 Peter 2: 24). Job 22: 28 says that you will decree a thing and it will be established for you. So, the question is, what are you decreeing?
You’ve got to stand against what the devil is trying to convince you of and stand on what God has said. You must choose whose report you will believe. Shall you believe the report of the world or the report of “The Word?” Then hold up that Word as the final authority. Keep pounding the devil with it. That is exactly what Jesus did in the desert when the devil tempted him. He kept fighting back with the Word. He kept quoting the Holy Scriptures to the devil. That is our model.
And then begin to get out in front of the devil’s attacks. Start preparing your way daily so that you do not need to constantly fight the attacks of the devil. If you find that you are often sick, then begin to confess healing scriptures daily. Don’t wait until the devil is all over you to start sticking the Word in his face. Do it daily. Remind him and yourself every day that God already sent His word and healed us all (Psalm 107: 20). Are you financially challenged? Daily confess financial blessing scriptures.
And speak results. Don’t only go to God and ask him to fix your world. That is only one way of talking with the Father. There is a time for putting your petitions at his feet but having done that you need to move on to faith speech. God works with faith words. Start speaking out the blessing instead of the curse. Offer tons of thanksgiving and praise. Thank the Lord that He has already provided your healing. Declare and decree your financial increase. Visualize the end result. See yourself healed; see yourself financially successful.
Don’t wait until the devil is beating up on you to start praying. You can win some of these battles before he ever has a chance to get his team on the field. Start decreeing and declaring your victory in advance. Use the sword of the Spirit to defeat the devil. Resist his lies. Resist his report and he will flee.