Dealing with the Devil

In this post, I share six strategies the devil uses, and how you can overcome them. 

Satan's strategies include:
 
1. Deceptions
 
The devil is a deceiver.  He wants you to believe lies about God, yourself and others.
 
Revelation 12:9 (HCSB)
“9 So the great dragon was thrown out—the ancient serpent, who is called the Devil and Satan, the one who deceives the whole world. He was thrown to earth, and his angels with him.”
 

2. Doubts
 
Satan’s strategy is the garden was to get Eve to doubt God’s word.  His strategy hasn’t changed; he still wants you to doubt God’s word!
 
Genesis 3:1 (NIV)
“1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?””
 

3. Desires
 
Satan tempts you by trying to fill your hearts with wrong desires, whether that be to lust from someone who isn’t your spouse, to take something that is not yours, or to say something that isn’t true.
 
Acts 5:3 (NIV)
“3 Then Peter said, “Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land?”
 

4. Distractions
 
The devil wants you to be distracted from God’s mission.  He tried to take Jesus away from the mission God gave Him:
 
Matthew 16:21–23 (NIV)
“21 From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life. 22 Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to you!” 23 Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.””
 
 
5. Damnation
 
By this, I simply mean that the devil wants you to feel condemned.  He is the accuser of God’s people:
 
Revelation 12:10 (NIV)
“10 Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: “Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Messiah. For the accuser of our brothers and sisters, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down.”
 
 
6. Discouragement
 
When you are making progress in your relationship with God, the devil will seek to discourage you:
 
Zechariah 3:1 (NKJV)
“1 Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the Angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to oppose him.”

Joshua led the priests in rebuilding the temple and restoring the sacrifices and festivals.  But Satan opposed him.  He will endeavour to do the same to you.
 
 
WE CAN OVERCOME THE DEVIL BY:
 

1. Discernment
 
2 Corinthians 11:14 (NIV)
“14 And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light.”

Have you notice that the devil doesn’t appear to you as a small red man with a pitch fork and wearing leotards!?
 
He comes in more sinister ways!
 
We need discernment from the word and Spirit of God to recognise his activities.
 
 
2. Direct confrontation
 
When the devil is attacking you or your family, you need to confront him and say, “Satan, in the name of Jesus, I break your power right now, and I command to go!”. 

​Luke 10:19 (NIV)
“19 I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you.”
 

3. Death of old self
 
When Jesus died, our old sinful self was crucified with Him.  If you were to go to the grave, and try and speak to a dead body it wouldn’t respond.  Why? Because it’s dead!  When sin comes knocking on our door, we won’t respond.  Why? Because our old sinful self is dead!  We simply need to accept this by faith, and consider it to be so:
 
Romans 6:6–7 (NIV)
“6 For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin--7 because anyone who has died has been set free from sin.”

Romans 6:11 (NIV)
“11 In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.”
 

4. Discipline
 
If we are going to overcome the devil, we need to live disciplined lives:
 
1 Corinthians 9:27 (HCSB)
“27 Instead, I discipline my body and bring it under strict control, so that after preaching to others, I myself will not be disqualified.”

If you are greedy, you won’t win.  If you do not have the discipline to take authority over a plate of food, how will you take authority over the devil?
 
You also need to be disciplined about prayer, Bible reading etc if you win against the devil.
 
Our mind also need to be disciplined.  If you think carnal thoughts you will yield to temptation.  But if you think spiritual thoughts you won’t. Think about what you are thinking about!
 
Romans 8:5 (NIV)
“5 Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires.”
 

SUMMARY

1. The devil strategies include:
   1. Deceptions
   2. Doubts
   3. Desires
   4. Distractions
   5. Damnation
   6. Discouragement
2. We can overcome the devil by:
   1. Discernment
   2. Direct confrontation
   3. Death of old self
   4. Discipline