Episode 12: Who Are You Really Fighting?
Words like “Fight,” “Battle,” and “Conquer” are often used to describe a life of faith, but unless we understand what we’re fighting and who is behind it—we’ll never mature as believers. Most people agree that evil exists, but research shows that 59% of American Christians don’t believe in the devil. This is in stark contrast to scripture that teaches “Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.” - 1 Peter 5:8
Who Is The Devil?
There are many people who have turned talking about spiritual things like God the devil into weird theology. However, this isn’t something to be afraid of, but it is something that’s a reality. The devil is a real entity with a real name. Jesus most often called him satan. Here are his nicknames and resume:
Jesus calls satan a LIAR in John 8:44. When he lies, he speaks from his own nature.
Jesus calls satan a THIEF in John 10:10. His role is to steal anything of value from humans, including their peace, joy, confidence, and faith.
The Apostle John calls satan the ACCUSER in Revelation 12:10. He shouts accusations against believers’ night and day before God’s throne.
The Apostle Paul calls satan CRAFTY in 2 Corinthians 11:3. He’s always trying to shift perspective in a sneaky way.
What Does The Devil Do?
In Ephesians 6:11 Paul warns us to beware of the schemes of the devil. This word comes from the word schematic which is a detailed plan, diagram or flow chart describing how something functions. The devil has a schematic for each believer and uses it to deliver his blows. By studying how we act and react to life’s circumstances, he plots his schemes by following the flowchart formed by your behavior. When the enemy finds things that cause negative reactions in you, he’ll continue to push those same buttons until you stop them, or they no longer work because your faith has grown past his schemes.
How Do We Win?
The best way to combat the devil is to use the model of Jesus in Matthew 4:1-4. The Bible is a weapon and we must know it and use it to fight the attacks of the enemy. We must remember that everything in our lives is spiritually based. The Bible is our best defense against the lies and deception, and we must allow our belief to lead—and feelings to follow.
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