Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. James 4:7 NASB1995
We have authority over everything to do with our lives, God gave us that authority from the beginning. God did not make as autosomes, people that did what He wanted without the ability to make choices, He gave to us free will, the choice to do what we want or carry out God’s plan for our lives. In the beginning Eve and then Adam handed over authority for their lives and of the world to Satan. Satan has control and manipulation over the whole world, except for those who are in Christ.
Look at the verse above. It does not tell us to get into an argument with the devil, or even have chat with him. It says resist, and he will flee. The verse does not say get ready for a fierce battle. It says resist, not fight resist. Push him away do not receive the things that he is trying to do to us. Resist.
If we just resist it says the devil will flee. One definition of flee, which is the one that I will have in mind every time this scripture comes to mind is this; ‘To run away in fear.’ The devil is scared of us when we resist. When we stand, in the name of Jesus.
That is a statement of fact. Trouble is a lot of believers do not understand the authority that they now have over the spirit of this world. They believe that satan is so powerful, that we cannot guarantee victory over him in this life. This is not what the Word of God says. Jesus defeated the enemy, He took back the authority from the devil.
When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him. Colossians 2:15 NASB
Right here it says the He, Jesus, disarmed the rulers and authorities. Disarm means taken away their weapons. They have no power or authority over us. The rulers and authorities are the devil and his demons and also those humans in power that rule over us. This whole verse is about the way that the Romans made a show of defeated enemies. They disarmed them, striped them naked and paraded them bound in chains through the streets. Let us take a look at it in the Amplified Bible
When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities [those supernatural forces of evil operating against us], He made a public example of them [exhibiting them as captives in His triumphal procession], having triumphed over them through the cross. Colossians 2:15 AMP
The armour of God is the ultimate protection for us What does Paul say three times? It must be important if He felt the need to say it three times. The second time Pauls say so you can resist. He says for us to STAND! Not just to stand, but to stand and pray in the Spirit at all times.
Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. Stand firm therefore, having girded your loins with truth , and having put on the breastplate of righteousness , Ephesians 6:11,13-14
We put on the armour of God to enable us to resist and Stand in the word of God. I am reminded by this, that we are never immune to the attacks of the evil one. Also that we are in a spiritual battle not a physical battle. The enemy may enlist the help of physical people, he has to, to effectively fight.
A question that comes to mind, if the devil has been disarmed, how can he attack us, surely he uses a weapon? The only weapon that can be used against us is our minds. Think about it the only weapon he had in the beginning was suggestion, through a question. “Did God say.” Really all he did was to drawn Eve into a conversation. If Eve had said, “that’s a bit weird, a talking serpent,” picked up a stick and shooed him off we would not be in the state of sin that we ended up in.
Sometimes he does try to infiltrate our minds, (fiery darts) drawing us into a conversation with him. When that does not work he will use other people, to throw the fiery darts. This is much more an effective strategy, because we want to fight back. We see a physical battle, we fight against people we can see. But, and a big but!! It is a spiritual battle. Always, it is so easy to forget this fact. We forget what the Word of God has to say about our struggles.
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Ephesians 6:12
That looks like a mighty army arrayed against us. Rulers, powers, world forces, spiritual forces. So much against us. The word of God tells us simply to resist. Do not fight, just resist and the devil will flee. Resist, stand your ground and the devil will flee. We do not and should not be warring according to the flesh. It is a spiritual battle. Resist means do not get into a conversation with him.
The battle begins in our minds, and that is where we begin to resist. Resisting can destroy strongholds. These are strongholds that the enemy tries to establish in our minds, in our way of thinking. He does that by engaging us in conversation. The devil does not need to use a serpent any more, he has people who are willing to be a mouthpiece for him. They may not even know or understand this is happening.
It is a play for our minds, our thoughts. If he an get us to think his way he thinks he can win. A war is usually comprised of smaller battles. These are battles to some way have a control within our minds, it does not matter how big or small, once he get a foothold he can use it to generate rebellious thoughts, that throw us off track.
Paul tells us in Romans. Do not be conformed to this world, the way that this world thinks with its influence from the principalities and powers. Do not allow the thinking and rules of behaviour of this world to dominate our minds. Stand and they will flee. They are all under the influence of the devil. Resist him them and they will flee.
And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. Romans 12:2 NASB1995
The battle is spiritual, and it is and always has been for them mind, the battles are fought in the mind. The biggest losers of these battle will normally be people with mental health problems. Understand this that many physical health problems can be traced to the mind also.
I have not had a health problem with sickness of any sort in nine years at least. I did have a spiritual attack that made me feel ill in 2021. Actually I felt as if I was very drunk on alcohol, even to the point of vomiting.
This lasted about twenty-four hours before I gained victory over it. Sometime during the Sunday church meeting, before I got up to teach/preach. It is a spiritual battle for our minds. I could have given in and accepted that I was sick. It made me lay down in bed, I lost a few hours work. I battled in the Spirit for a few hours and then slept soundly. This thing tried to control me Sunday morning as I got but I resisted it in my mind. I no long felt drunk but was not steady on my feet. Three hour later when I got to teach, I had a testimony of victory. The enemy knows that if he can control our minds he can control us.
For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ, 2 Corinthians 10:3-5
The battle can seem like it is in the flesh, as mine did, but it is a spiritual battle that takes place in our minds. Once we know this it becomes easier to stand, easier to resist. That is why we are told to take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. That resisting the enemy’s thoughts and taking on Christ’s thoughts. Paul says that “We have the mind of Christ.”
Look at the verse above we are not just resisting, defending ourselves, We are DESTROYING fortresses and speculations and every lofty thing that is against the truth, against the knowledge of God. Not just our individual knowledge, Every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God.
There is much more to write on this subject, suffice to say that we have been given authority over our lives, our thoughts, our circumstances, our choices. We have authority over spirits, and the things we allow to have control us, things like worldly wisdom. The only things we do not have authority over are other people and their thoughts and actions, an of course our Lord God.
Blessings
Charlie
