Day 14: Resisting the Devil
How do I deal with the devil?
One day a heated argument broke out between two otherwise collegial senior managers at our company. What caused the outburst? I didn’t have a clue!
That evening, as I read a book called Dealing with the Devil, it dawned on me that Satan, God’s archenemy, could be stirring up trouble with our managers. The author used an analogy to describe the authority we have in Christ to make a difference: Suppose a person in street clothes is standing in a busy traffic intersection. He waves his arms wildly to stop oncoming traffic, but cars keep whizzing by. Then he makes one change. He puts on a policeman’s uniform. Instantly drivers comply!
Here was my clue. If I were “clothed with Christ” I could influence spiritual traffic. So I “put on my uniform” and prayed in Jesus’ name, taking authority over the troublesome unseen forces. To my amazement, the problem had evaporated by the next day.
The devil is a real adversary. Once a high-ranking angel, he rebelled and was evicted from heaven (see Isaiah 14:12). Though defeated by Jesus in His death on the Cross, Satan continues, by bluster and intimidation, to harass and deceive God’s people. Jesus called him a thief who steals, kills and destroys.
What are we to do? The Bible says, “Resist him and he will flee from you” – James 4:7. In other words, put on the policeman’s uniform!
Key Verse
“I (the Lord) will contend with him who contends with you”
Isaiah 49:25