Mentoring Men for the Master

HOW I LEARNED TO OVERCOME THE DEVIL

I thought it might be helpful for me to share “How I Learned to Overcome The Devil” in my own life.  I do not mean to imply for a moment that I am perfect and not tempted by the Evil One; but I can testify, to the glory of Jesus, that the Holy Spirit taught me to use the weapons that will absolutely defeat the Devil.

Remember, we Christians have three enemies, and we have to fight them differently, for they are different in nature.  They are as follows:

  • THE WORLD – We defeat the world by the “renewing of our minds” through the Word of God (Romans 12:1-2).
  • THE FLESH –  Our inward disposition, passed down from Adam, which rebels against the authority of Jesus Christ.  We defeat this evil nature by recognizing that it was judged to death at Calvary, and by judging it ourselves as powerless through the power of the Holy Spirit.
  • THE DEVIL – An Evil and Wicked personality who attacks from the outside.  He must be resisted, and then he will flee.  But we can only resist him with the weapons God has provided.  The following is the ways the Lord taught me to resist the Devil: 
  1. I KNOW THE DEVIL IS A DEFEATED FOE AND I LET HIM KNOW THAT I KNOW THIS (Colossians 2:15).  The devil knows he is defeated, but he does not know you know it until you think it and tell him.  I do not give the devil “the time of day,” I have only contempt for him  I never, never, never credit him with power or the ability to win over me.  Read Revelation 12:11a. 
  1. I KNOW WHO I AM IN CHRIST JESUS AND I LET THE DEVIL KNOW I KNOW THIS. This is called the “Word of our testimony” in Revelation 12:11.  Many Scriptures tell us who we are in Jesus: 2 Corinthians 5:17; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Ephesians 1:3-5; Romans 8:16-17; John 1:12, etc.
  • I ENDEAVOR TO STAY SO BUSY LOVING THE LORD AND SERVING HIM AND OTHERS THAT I HAVE NO TIME TO WORRY ABOUT THE DEVIL. Revelation 12:11b describes this as “loving not their lives unto death.”  This is living by the principle of the cross – self-denial and crucifixion.
  • I HAVE LEARNED THE ACCUSATIONS OF THE DEVIL AND HAVE MEMORIZED SPECIFIC SCRIPTURES TO ANSWER EACH ACCUSATION.

 

 

Accusations                                              Answers

“You are not saved”                                   Romans 10:13; John 1:12

“God does not love you”                             John 13:1, 17:23

“You are unworthy to serve God”   2 Corinthians 5:21

“You’ll be miserable if you

become a Christian”                                 John 10:10, 15:11

 

I HAVE MADE JESUS LORD OF ALL OF MY LIFE – NOT PART OF IT.  You do this in two ways:

  • You yield every area of your life to Christ’s control, including leisure time.
  • You keep your sins confessed up to date. One unconfessed sin is the devil’s legal territory.

I RELY CONSTANTLY ON THE POWER AND ENCOURAGEMENT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. (Romans 8:13).

I LITERALLY BELIEVE AND LIVE BY ROMANS 8:28. “We know God causes all things to work together for good to them who love God, to them who are called according to His purpose.”

I DO NOT PRACTICE WHAT I CALL “CHRISTIAN ANIMISM” Satan and demons do not indwell inanimate objects.  There is no such thing as a “demon of alcohol,” “demon of sex,” “demon of temper.”  To take this approach is to blame Satan, and not take responsibility myself.  “The Devil made me do it” is a false theology.