“Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” (James 4:7)
Jesus Christ defeated Satan decisively. But the battle is not over yet. God is giving Satan a certain amount of rope before he is finally destroyed. Satan is using that time to keep as many people as possible away from God and to tempt them into sin.
The Bible warns us: “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” (1 Peter 5:8) That is a frightening image. Yet we are not defenseless: “Resist him, firm in your faith.” (1 Peter 5:9) By faith, we are connected to Jesus. He is the great Conqueror. No one can snatch us out of His hand (see John 10:27-29). Therefore, Satan cannot harm us if we belong to Jesus through faith.
Do you experience influences and attacks from evil spiritual forces in your life? Then take up the shield of faith to resist Satan. On our own, apart from Jesus Christ, we don’t stand a chance of winning that battle. But with Him, we have complete victory. Our Lord triumphs over the powers of evil, and we get to share in His victory!