Welcome to the InTouch podcast with Charles Stanley for Thursday, August 7th. Satan is a master of warfare, so believers in Jesus need to take him seriously. Today's podcast briefs us on the scriptural strategy for resisting the devil. Do you know how to resist Satan when he tempts you? If you don't know how to resist him, you're going to spend your life like a spiritual roller coaster, up today and down tomorrow, one defeat after the other, until you learn how to resist the devil.
Satan is the personal enemy of every single one of God's children. You can narrow Satan's objectives down to one simple thing, and that is destruction. Satan has one thing in mind primarily to destroy your body. Your soul and your spirit. And if he can't kill you, he'll do his best to harass you until he wrecks and ruins your testimony or your witness for Christ and renders you absolutely of no use and no value to God.
When you look at the way he operates, he operates in three areas primarily. And what are those three areas? He operates, first of all, in the mind. For example, how does Satan work in a person? Here's what he does.
Now, watch this. He injects into your mind his thoughts.
Now, listen, if Jesus Christ is your Savior and Christ is your life, which the Bible says he is, and the Holy Spirit is living within you, Jesus isn't coming up with a lie. The Holy Spirit isn't coming up with error and gossip and criticism and all the rest. That is strictly from the devil. It doesn't make any difference who it comes through. It is ultimately from Satan.
Maybe an evil thought. Maybe an unkind thought, maybe a lustful thought, greedy thought, whatever it might be, but he injects it in your mind. At that moment, you have the privilege of accepting it or rejecting it.
So, the mind. The second area in which he works in is our conscience.
Now, here's what he does.
Now, listen carefully. Do you feel guilty even though you don't do what Satan tempted you to do? If you feel guilty, Because he sent the thought through your mind, that is a satanic accusation. And he's called the accuser of the brethren. He is called a liar.
He is called a deceiver. He is called the destroyer because he seeks to accuse.
Now, if I sin against God, I have a right to feel guilty. That is the Holy Spirit convicting me of my sin, and I have to deal with that. But the question comes: How am I able to distinguish between an accusation of Satan and the conviction of the Holy Spirit? If, for example, it is the Holy Spirit convicting you of sin. The Holy Spirit doesn't say to you, you are bad.
You're evil. You're not worth anything. Look to what you've done. Look at you now. That's the way Satan operates.
The Holy Spirit is specific in his conviction. That was a lie you told. That was a lustful look. That was a deceitful word you passed on. The Holy Spirit convicts us specifically about sin.
He doesn't tell us, oh, what's God going to think about that?
Now, that never comes from the Holy Spirit, that is strictly from the devil. It is the devil who says, Well, well, well, you've blown it again. What do you think Jesus thinks about this? Look at you now. What do you think God's going to accept you?
Look at your behavior. Look at your performance. What kind of a character? What does He do? He, in general, just absolutely attempts to annihilate your sense of self-worth.
But when the Holy Spirit is convicting, He convicts precisely and exactly what you and I have done. When the Holy Spirit is working on us and we deal with sin, what happens? There may be some agony over the grief of our sin, but after we've settled it with God, what happens? There is joy and peace and release and freedom. But if it is a satanic accusation, That is, he's just accusing you falsely and making you feel what you feel.
Here's the difference: even after you have agreed with the devil, oh, that's right. Oh my goodness, I'm not worth anything. Listen, even after you've agreed with His lie, there is no peace, no joy, no release. But what? There is oppression, there is depression, there is discouragement, and that's the way you can tell the difference.
When you've settled it up with God, there ought to be a certain peace and joy and release in your life. If you're believing the devil's lie, listen, if you confess it, God settles it. He says, all your sins have been atoned for on the cross. You've been forgiven past, present, future. And what we do in confession, we just write our fellowship with Him.
We get that right. Then there ought to be peace and joy and release because it takes confession and repentance to do that. If I'm still feeling down in the dumps, and oh, what does God think? And God's upset with me and He's mad, He's angry, I want to tell you, you are listening to the devil's lie. Every bit of that is a satanic accusation that's straight from hell and not from God.
Don't believe it. You just point the devil to the cross and tell him, listen, all my sin was atoned for by the blood of Jesus Christ. I refuse your accusations because my sin has been taken care of. But if listen, if you accept his accusations, he'll pile it on you. You'll be living under a load of 40 tons of false guilt.
False guilt means that Satan has you feeling guilty when God says you are not guilty. That's the way he operates. And let me tell you something. That's why so many of God's people are so useless in the work of God. Listen, if you feel guilty, If you have a false sense of guilt, let's say you're not even guilty, that you are.
Living as obediently as you know how, and that you are keeping your sins confessed up to date. If Satan has you feeling guilty, You have a sense of unworthiness before God. You come to Him in prayer. Listen, if you're feeling guilty, you cannot pray the prayer of faith. Your prayers are null and void.
If you're feeling guilty and accused and down in the dumps and harassed by the devil, then listen, how are you going to stand up in front of anybody else and do anything, do anything with any authority and power from God? You cannot. The false sense of guilt renders your faith and your service for God almost futile. And Satan knows that.
So if he can keep you feeling guilty and down in the dumps and harassed by him and that you're unworthy and what does God think? All this stuff, then he just mumbles it out. And if you accept the devil's lie, he's defeating you. There's the third place where he operates, and that's in the human body.
Now, let me show you something. All of our sickness is not the result of Satan, but a lot of it is. If I unknowingly violate A law of health. Then I'm going to get the consequences whether I'm the finest saint in the world or not. And all disease, we cannot say in all sickness.
Now, ultimately, you can trace it all the way back to the Garden of Eden when Adam and Eve fell. But I'm saying, as far as for practical daily living, you can't say, well, Satan did this, that, and the other. Ultimately, yes.
So he's going to attack your mind, he's going to attack your conscience, and he's going to attack your body.
Now, what is the proper attitude when Satan attacks us? All right, look at this verse, if you will. He says in 1 Peter, beginning in chapter 5, verse 8: Be of sober spirit. Be on the alert.
Now, what does he mean here? He's simply saying two things. First of all, That word, be of sober spirit, means be serious-minded. The Greek word means don't be fuzzy in your thinking. The word was used as the opposite of intoxication.
He's saying, Don't be fuzzy in your thinking when it comes to the devil. That is, don't be joking about him. Don't have the idea he's just something out there, some force somewhere. Satan is a personality who is the commanding general of an innumerable host of demonic powers determined to destroy the people of God. He says, Don't be fuzzy-minded about it.
And secondly, he says, if you'll notice, be alert. That is, be sensitive, be serious and be sensitive. No fuzziness, be watchful. Because he says he's always prowling, present tense, prowling about, roaring about, seeking to devour God's people. All right, what is their action?
I want you to watch this very carefully what he says. Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. But resist him how? Firm in the faith.
He says we're to resist him firm in the faith.
Now listen. Watch this, if I am to resist him, that implies I have a responsibility. If I have a responsibility, then there's also accountability. That means I'm going to have to give an account for the way I responded to Satan. He says, resist the devil.
I have a responsibility, there's going to be accountability, and in James chapter 4, we have a beautiful promise in that chapter, and verse 7 he says. Submit therefore to God, resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
So I have a responsibility. I have an accountability to give, and then I have a promise that if I resist the devil the way God tells me to, Satan is going to flee. The Christian is in Duran, it is Satan who is to flee.
Now let me show you something very important when it comes to resisting the devil. In both these passages, there is a word here that we must not overlook. In chapter 4, verse 7. Right before he says resist the devil, he says submit. Therefore to God.
Then what do you do? You resist the devil and he'll flee from you. In 1 Peter 5, verse 6, he says, Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God.
Now, listen. It is very important if we're going to resist the devil successfully. Listen. That we keep ourselves obedient, that is, submissive in every area. When God brings about the realization that I'm not submissive in an area, I need to deal with it.
If you're not living submissive, that is, if that's not the bent of your life, if that's not where your heart is, and you have a rebellious spirit, I can tell you already, if you have a rebellious spirit, Satan has a stronghold in your life. All he wants is a toehold. Just give him a toehole and be quiet. He'll get a foothold. Then he'll get a stronghold.
Then he'll have absolute victory.
So, what we have to remember is this. When he says that we're to resist the devil, We ought to resist him. What? In the spirit of submission, and we are to resist him, what? We had to resist him firm in our faith.
Now, watch both of these words. My spirit must be submissive. And listen, my battle is a battle of faith. Faith in what? Listen, faith.
in what God says about you. Faith in what God says about Himself, faith in what God says about the devil. All right, what is this that I'm to have faith in? I'm to have faith in the truth. What is the truth?
I'm to have faith in the truth, first of all, of who I am, who you are. You are a born-again. A converted Child of God. He says, You are a new creation in Christ Jesus. He says, Christ, who is our life, when He shall appear, we shall appear with Him.
Christ is your life. Who is indwelling you? The Holy Spirit of the living God. He says you are a saint, not a sinner. You are a saint saved by grace.
If Satan can get you to thinking, well, you're just a sinner saved by grace, and after all, a little sin is part of everybody's life. Nobody's perfect. Everybody makes mistakes. He gets you running down that line, brother. You're just as sunk as you can be because you're going to be defeated.
So first of all When I think about what he's saying here, I have to remember who I am. Who am I, child of God? Eternally secure in the Lord Jesus Christ. My sins have been forgiven. I've been reconciled to God.
I've been sanctified under Him. I've been glorified by Him. I am His. I am not my own. I am owned by Him.
All my sin has been placed on the cross, past, present, and future. My name is written in the Lamb's book of life. I have an immutable, unchangeable, unalterable relationship of Father, Son to God Almighty. That means, friend, I am secured forever in Him. That's who I am.
If I don't know who I am and I see myself as a struggling sinner, just a pilgrim passing through this world, doing the best I can, struggling with Satan, this overpowering, awful line of Satan who keeps on defeating me, if I see myself as a defeated child of God, as a sinner saved by grace struggling through this world, I am sunk for sure. I need to remember who I am based on the truth of what God said, not Satan's lie. It is Satan's lie who says you're a sinner. You're weak. You're unworthy.
God doesn't love you. Look what you've done. You're not fit. You're not worthy. You can't do that.
Why do you think God? You see, all of that's straight from hell. All that's the devil's lie. Listen, if Satan can get you focused on what he thinks you are rather than who God says you are, he's got you defeated. He has ensnared you.
First of all, I need to remember who I am. Secondly, I need to remember what I have. What do I have? I have the Holy Spirit living within me just like you do. He says, he that is within you is greater than he that's in the world.
That means the Holy Spirit who's living within you has more power. He is omnipotent. Satan is subject to the Holy Spirit.
So we're not these little weaklings running around down here, just subject to all of Satan's whims. We are the servants and the sons of the saints of the living God, entwelt by Jesus Christ, indwelt by the supernatural resurrection power of the Holy Spirit living within us, which means that Satan cannot, Satan absolutely cannot overwhelm my will. He does not have the power to do it. The one who is in me is greater than the one that's in him. First of all, I need to remember who I am, what I have, and where I am.
Where am I? He says, listen, he says every believer is in Christ Jesus, and Christ Jesus is in us. That means if I'm in him, I'm covered by him. The only time Satan can get to me, only if God allows him to get there. And secondly, he says, we are hidden away in Christ Jesus, in God the Father in the heavens.
So you are eternally secured in Him.
Now if Satan can get you to thinking that you're stranded out here on some island, it's just you and him, two of you are going to battle it out, you're sunk. But if you remember who you are, what you have, where you are, then you're on your way to victory. But there's something else you must remember: you must keep in mind two things about the devil. Two very important things about it. First of all, he's a liar and secondly, he's limited.
Those two words, he's a liar and he's limited. Everything he says is a liar. Secondly, he's limited. He said, What do you mean he's limited? Remember this verse?
There have no temptation taken you but such as is common to man. But God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted above that which you're able, but will with the temptation also make a way to escape that you may be able to bear it. That is God putting a limitation on Satan.
Now, listen. Satan cannot Force a believer to sin against his will. Did you hear that? Satan cannot force you to sin against your will. He cannot.
He does not have the power to do it. You've become a child of God. And you're, listen, you have been freed because Satan's power was broken at the cross. His power was broken. This disposition towards sin within you was rendered inoperative, and you only will sin against God when you choose to do so, when you consent to Satan's lie.
He cannot overpower your will. If Satan could overpower your will against the will of God, Satan would be more powerful than God. Or if he overpowered your will and God did not provide a greater power than us, it'd be unjust on God's part. You have within you the Holy Spirit. and you have within you the power to say no.
You have within you the authority to say no. He is limited. By God Almighty, and he is a liar. And listen, who are you? You're a saint, separated under the living God, and dwelt by the Holy Spirit, and dwelt by the Lord Jesus Christ, the power of the Holy Spirit, the resurrection power of God living within you, and you have the right to choose to sin or not to sin.
It is your decision to sin or not to sin. It is not the devil's decision. Listen, if I think my sinning is the devil's decision, I'm sunk. But if I see that my sinning is my decision, then I can live in victory.
So I must remember who I am, what I have, and where I am. Second, I must remember Satan is limited. And he's a liar. then what do I what shall I do when Satan attacks? For example, let's say that Satan throws one of those thoughts your way.
You ask yourself the question: where did that come from? And you knew it came straight from hell, straight from the devil. What do you do? Because of who you are and what you have and where you are. And because of what God's done by limiting Satan.
You just say. Confessing with your mouth. And it's good to do it out loud. I refuse that. I reject that in the name of Jesus Christ.
I refuse that on the authority of God's Word. What is the authority of God's Word? That Satan is a defeated foe. That Satan's power has been broken. The Holy Spirit is living within me.
He that's in me is greater than he that's in the world. Therefore, I have the authority given to me by God, just like you and every believer does, to say, I refuse that. I reject that. I resist that. And the Bible says, when you resist him, he flees.
Now, you say, well, how long is it going to be before he comes back? He may come right back. Just, you see, he's going to come right back again. You just say that's strictly from the devil. I refuse that.
I rejected a confession with the mouth, a confession of faith to Satan of rejecting his. His actions, his attitudes, or his thoughts, the Bible says Satan will flee from you. But listen, It is a confession of faith. It is a statement of faith. I resist that in the name of Jesus Christ, covered by the blood, standing on the authority of His Word.
In the name of Jesus Christ, I resist that. And friend, God says Satan is limited and he's got to hit the road. The Bible says, when you resist him, he will flee. The Bible says that Satan is a defeated foe, and God's already prophesied and written in the book of Revelation that he's bound for an eternal hell with all the demons and all the angels, Antichrist, the false prophet, and forever and ever the smoke of fires will burn. Satan forever.
Now do you think he doesn't like that? He hates that. He doesn't want us talking about it or thinking about it. And the one thing He doesn't want us thinking about is who we are in Christ Jesus. How do you resist the devil?
In the spirit of submission. In faith in the truths of God's word, believing who you are, what you have, where you are, that Satan is a liar and that he's limited, and in a confession of faith, I reject that, I resist that, I refuse that in the name of Jesus Christ, and God says he's got to go. He comes back, you tell him the same thing. If he sends a thought my way and I think, well, Well, not nobody's perfect. You're headed for trouble.
You must discern where it comes from. and immediately begin to act. And if you'll do so, my friend, God says Satan will be defeated in your life and you will learn to live in victory after victory after victory. The choice of victory. is yours.
But they ask. Thank you for listening to part two of Resisting the Devil. If you'd like to know more about Charles Stanley or InTouch Ministries, stop by intouch.org. This podcast is a presentation of In Touch Ministries, Atlanta, Georgia.
