Three Steps In Defeating The Devil
“Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you…” James 4:7-8, NKJV
Most Christians are well aware of the term “Spiritual Warfare”. I have taught on the subject numerous times, myself. The concept of spiritual warfare can be traced all the way back to the garden of Eden. It can be followed through the bible right up to the book of Revelation when a mighty angel casts the devil into the bottomless pit.
However, prior to his final judgment, he continues to strive against believers like you and me. With all the coverage of satan in the bible, there should be a least some scripture that gives the believer wisdom as to how to deal with the devil in the here and now.
There are many of such scriptures. Let me mention one that gives us three things we must do if we ever want to defeat the devil in our own personal spiritual warfare. The scripture is James 4:7-8. Notice what James tells us we must do.
One, submit to God. We must be willing to submit ourselves to God’s will, God’s word, and God’s way.
Two, resist the devil. We must learn to resist whatever temptation the devil puts in front of us. Learn to recognize what it is and what he is trying to do and resist it with everything we have.
Three, draw near to God. We must get close to God through prayer, through fellowship with Him, and through the reading of His word.
When we master these three things, we will be much stronger when the devil comes against us. We must continue to tell ourselves we are able, through God’s help, to defeat the devil.
Riley Pippen