Winning against our enemy

Not long ago, a friend of mine experienced a terrifying night experience. She was awakened and something just "felt weird" in her room. She was able to go back to sleep. She was awakened again by a noise in the room. She couldn't identify the source but spoke the name of Jesus against it. She went back to sleep again. She was awakened a third time by a voice and something tugging at her blanket. The room felt chilly. She felt absolute terror but, being a woman of faith and knowledge, she sat up in bed and started to rebuke this thing in the name of Jesus. She found it difficult to speak at first, but won out by praying out loud in the spirit and using the name of Jesus.

She shared this with a few of us who prayed with her. One of the other ladies emphasized James 4:7: "Therefore, submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you." It doesn't say he might flee from you. It says he will.

I read a story about a British evangelist born in the mid 19th century, named Smith Wigglesworth. He woke one night and heard a constant creaking sound coming from the main floor of his house. He lit his candle and went down to investigate. He discovered a demon sitting in his rocking chair, rocking back and forth, causing the creaking sound. Mr. Wigglesworth said, "Oh, it's only you," and turned and went back to bed. Now, that would be truly insulting to a demon.

I think in our culture, there are two extremes in opinions about the devil and demons. On the one side we have those who don't believe there are any such creatures except possibly in some dark and heathen foreign land. On the other hand, we have those who see demons and a devil absolutely everywhere, and think that they are very powerful, almost equal to God in their power.

The truth is that demons are, of course, real. Jesus dealt with them on a regular basis. People report encounters with them to this day.

But, as always, the Bible, the Word of God, has to be our authority on what we believe about them.
And what does the Bible say? It tells us in Ephesians 6:12 that we don't wrestle against flesh and blood, but we do wrestle "against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places." 

Notice what exactly we are fighting against, in verse 11. The King James Version tells us we have to "stand against the wiles of the devil" while the New American Standard and New International versions have us standing against his "schemes". The Amplified Bible has us "able successfully to stand up against [all] the strategies and the deceits of the devil." Apparently his fiery darts are wiles, schemes, strategies and deceits. Some of his names are liar and father of lies, accuser, and deceiver. The term "devil" literally means "slanderer." 

But according to Colossians 2:15, he is a defeated foe: "Having disarmed principalities and powers, He (Jesus) made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it (the cross)." If Satan is disarmed, what does he have to fight with? Apparently, wiles, schemes, strategies and deceits. If we know the truth and put on our armour of truth, we are "able successfully to stand against" all his lies. 

Jesus didn't give in to him for a second, but always came back at him with the truth; "It is written, it is written."

Philippians 2:9-11 says, "Therefore God also has highly exalted Him (Jesus) and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." By using the authority of His name, we can enforce the victory that He has won over Satan.

Besides knowing the truth that the devil has already been defeated and that the name of Jesus is above every name, we also need to know that we are more than conquerors (Romans 8:37). Also, "you are of God, little children, and have overcome (the spirits) because He who is in you is greater than than he who is in the world (1 John 4:4).

So, if you encounter an attack of the enemy, remember that (1) he was defeated and disarmed by Jesus in His finished work, (2) the name of Jesus is above absolutely every name, including every name that the devil introduces to cause you to doubt and fear, and (3) you have within you the Spirit of the resurrected victorious Lord whose love makes you more than a conqueror.

I realize this is a very long blog, but I want to include a song we first heard on an LP by Don Francisco sometime in the '80's. It's called "The Package"; here it is:

I was awakened in the morning by a knockin' on the door,
So I got up to see what all the knockin' was for.
There stood the devil with a box addressed to me.
He said, "Boy, I got something here I think you oughtta see."

I said, "I know that I don't want it if it's anything from you
'Cause I hate everything you say and don't like anything you do."
But then he pointed with his finger and he smiled kinda sly
'Cause the package said "From God" there in the corner 'way up high.

So I said, "If it's from God, then why'd He send it here by you?"
He said, "He always sends me when there's dirty work to do,
And this box is full of misery, poverty and shame
To perfect you through your suffering 'til you're worthy of His name."

Well, I'd been pretty patient but that last line took the cake!
I just couldn't take no more, I'd taken all that I could take
So I told him what I thought of him and all his filthy lies.
Then I fired the shot that got him right between the eyes...

I told him, "Jesus took my sickness, sin and poverty away.
You nailed it to the cross when you murdered Him that day.
The sufferin' that I do will be for love and not for shame;
I'm already worthy by His blood to wear His name.

And I know my Father loves me and has only good in store
So you just take that jive and get away from my front door!
You can write my name on packages until I'm ninety-two
But every single one I'm sending back to hell with you.
Go on, get out of here!"