Resisting The Enemy

Put on the whole Armor of God, 

that ye may be able to stand 

against the wiles of the Devil. 
Ephesians 6:11

As the nearing of Jesus is closer than ever before, the battle is increasing in intensity as the enemy uses whatever and whoever he can to distract us away from God.  We must be much more diligent and alert than ever.  We know that the great spiritual battle in which we are engaged cannot be fought with natural weapons. It must be fought both offensively and defensively with spiritual weapons.   The basic battle strategy includes:

            ¨ The Word of God

            ¨ Delegated power and authority

            ¨ Prayer

            ¨ Fasting

            ¨ Keys of the kingdom 

            ¨ The name of Jesus

In addition to these basic warfare strategies, God has placed a whole arsenal of spiritual weapons at our disposal.

The word of God illustrates and teaches the following defensive actions which must be taken by the believer:

ü       Submit To God And Resist The Devil:  

Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the Devil, and he will flee from you.  James 4:7

Note the order in this verse: First submit, then resist. Many people skip over the first step of submission and try resisting the Devil, only to discover it does not work. Defeat results when we act independently of God. It is the humble, not the arrogant and self-confident, who overcome the enemy. We will be able to resist Satan only as we submit to God. To "resist" means to "stand firm against and oppose the enemy at every point." The Scripture does not teach us to go looking for demons, but to resist them when they approach us.

ü       Resist Steadfastly In The Faith:  

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the Devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.  Whom RESIST steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in you brethren that are in the world.   1 Peter 5:8-9

To resist "in the faith" means to resist on the authority of God's Word.

ü       Neither Give Place:  

Do not leave room for Satan to operate in your life:  

Neither give place to the Devil.   Ephesians 4:27

ü       Recover Yourself:  

We must recover our self from Satan's snare by applying Biblical strategies:  

And that they may RECOVER THEMSELVES out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.  2 Timothy 2:26

ü       Abstain From Fleshly Lusts:  

To "abstain" means to keep yourself from something and refuse to do it:  

Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul.   1 Peter 2:11

For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication. 1 Thessalonians 4:3

Abstain from all appearance of evil.  1 Thessalonians 5:22

ü       Shun:  

To "shun" means to avoid or turn away from. We should avoid every evil thing related to the enemy: 

But shun profane and vain babblings; for they will increase unto more ungodliness.   2 Timothy 2:16

ü       Stand:  

When we "stand our ground" we are defending that which is rightfully ours.

Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, . . .   Ephesians 6:13-14a

ü       Beware:  

Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, BEWARE lest ye also being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own steadfastness.  2 Peter 3:17

ü       Try The Spirits:  

Trying the spirits prevents deception.

Beloved, BELIEVE NOT every spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.   1 John 4:1

To "try" means to "test." We are not operating in unbelief when we try the "spirits" of those with whom we come in contact or in operation in and around us. If they are true, they will pass the test.

ü       Shun False Teachers:  

When you receive false teachers into your home you become partakers of their evil. Defend your home from enemy attack:

If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, RECEIVE HIM NOT into your house, neither bid him God speed; For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds.    2 John 10-11

ü       Lay Aside:  

We are to lay aside worldly affairs which prevent us from being a good soldier. To "lay aside" is defensive action we must take.

Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.   2 Timothy 2:3-4

Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us.   Hebrews 12:1

Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.     James 1:21

ü       Put Off All Evil:  

Study Ephesians 4:17-32. The "putting off" of all the evil behavior listed there is defensive warfare.

ü       Put On The Armor Of God:  

PUT ON the whole Armor of God, that ye may be able to STAND AGAINST the wiles of the Devil.   Ephesians 6:11

"Put on" indicates action we must take. The basic description of the armor of God is given in Ephesians 6:10-17.  

Apostle Paul introduces the subject of warfare by emphasizing that the battle is not a natural one and natural weapons are ineffective. Spiritual battles must be fought with spiritual weapons. Apostle Paul describes the armor to be used in spiritual warfare:

Wherefore take unto you the whole Armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.  Stand therefore, 

having your loins girt about with truth, and 

having on the breastplate of righteousness; And 

your feet shod with the preparation of the Gospel of peace.  

Above all, taking the shield of faith, 

wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.  

And take the helmet of salvation and 

the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. 

Ephesians 6:13-17

The purpose of the armor is to be able to stand against the wiles (deceit, cunning, craftiness) of the enemy, Satan. It is our responsibility to put on the armor:

Put on the whole Armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. Ephesians 6:11

But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof.   Romans 13:14

The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the Armor of light.  Romans 13:12

The phrase "put on" means to "put on once and for all".  Our spiritual armor is not like a athletic uniform you put on at game time. You put on the armor once and for all and leave it on the rest of your life. Just as a soldier on the battlefield does not take his armor off and on, you will not lay down your armor until you go to be with the Lord. If you do not have your armor on at all times, you are vulnerable to the enemy. It is expedient to check often that each piece of your spiritual armor is still in place.

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