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Recognizing Enemy Tactics Series
Contributed by Shaila Touchton on Feb 8, 2024 (message contributor)
Summary: I want to talk to you about the power of resistance against the devil.
In 2 Corinthians 2:11, Paul writes, “so that Satan will not outsmart us, for we are familiar with his schemes.” You see, our enemy, Satan, is a deceiver and a schemer who seeks to destroy our relationship with God and harm us. He uses subtle and clever tactics to achieve this, but we must be aware of them.
One of his tactics is to distract us from our focus on God. He will try to get us so caught up in the worldly things that we forget to spend time with God and prioritize our faith. Another tactic is to sow seeds of discord and division among us, causing us to fight and argue with each other.
But we must be wise to his ways and resist his efforts. We must stay grounded in God’s word and prayer, stay vigilant and discerning, and stay united in our faith. Remember, greater is He who is in us than he who is in the world.
In James 4:7, it says “Submit yourselves to God, resist the devil and he will flee from you”.
This verse reminds us that we have the authority and the responsibility to resist the devil’s schemes and temptations. We must submit ourselves to God and His will, and then we can confidently resist the devil’s attempts to deceive and destroy us.
Resisting the devil is not just passive, it’s an active choice we make every day. We resist the devil by:
* Renewing our minds with God’s word
* Praying for strength and wisdom
* Standing firm in our faith
* Turning away from sin and temptation
And what’s the promise? That he will flee from us! The devil is a coward, and when we resist him, he will run away. He knows that he has no power over us because greater is He who is in us than he who is in the world.
So let us be encouraged today to resist the devil and his lies. Let us draw near to God and His truth. Let us stand firm in our faith and trust that the devil will flee from us.