A very popular character that we meet in the Bible is the devil, who is also known as Lucifer. According to the scriptures, the devil appears early in Genesis in the form of a serpent (Genesis 3:1-5). From Genesis to Revelation, the scriptures portray the devil as a personal being who is in direct opposition to God and his purpose. The devil is called an adversary and as much as possible, tried to make himself equal to God.
“How you are fallen from heaven, O shining star, son of the morning! You have been thrown down to the earth, you who destroyed the nations of the world. For you said to yourself, ‘I will ascend to heaven and set my throne above God’s stars. I will preside on the mountain of the gods far away in the north. I will climb to the highest heavens and be like the Most High.’ Instead, you will be brought down to the place of the dead, down to its lowest depths. Everyone there will stare at you and ask,‘Can this be the one who shook the earth and made the kingdoms of the world tremble?
Isaiah 14:12-16 (NLT)
The origin of the devil is quite explicit in the Word of God. So, in looking at this character, we are not dealing with just a mysterious creature that came from nowhere. The devil was created by God. He was one of the three archangels who was put in charge of the universe at the time by God. The Bible says, “But you belong to God, my dear children. You have already won a victory over those people, because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world. 1 John 4:4 (NLT). Believe it or not, the devil is in this world, but because we have God in us, we have nothing to fear. The person in you is far greater than the devil. That is why you can overcome the devil by yourself. “And they have defeated him by the blood of the Lamb and by their testimony. And they did not love their lives so much that they were afraid to die.” Revelation 12:11 (NLT).
The word ‘devil,’ when translated means adversary. The devil is an adversary to God, he is an accuser and a hostile person. Since the devil is God’s adversary, he is also your adversary. The devil is the chief of the fallen angels because he is their head. At the time that God created mankind, the devil and his fallen angels were active rebels against God. The devil fell through his pride. When we look at the story of Job, we see one of the many ways the devil operates. In Job chapter 2 and 3, the devil appears as an agent of God whose purpose appears as testing human beings. When the devil appeared before God, he came with the members of the heavenly court. (Job 1:6). The devil asked God, ‘Does Job fear God for nothing?’ (Job 1:9). He wanted to discourage, distort and disprove the faith of Job. So, to disprove the devil’s claim, God granted the devil certain powers.
All right, you may test him,” the Lord said to Satan. “Do whatever you want with everything he possesses, but don’t harm him physically.” So Satan left the Lord’s presence.
Job 1:12 (NLT)
The power of the devil over your life is limited. He can only do anything with God’s permission. He tempts and can create problems, but the devil is not all in all. Now, generally, the great emphasis on the activities of the devil is the major cause of most of our problems. He stunts achievement. He creates fear. You as a human being without the Holy Spirit are in trouble with the devil, but when you give your life to Christ and make Him your Lord and Savior, you can be absolutely free. You can work in that freedom every day of your life.
The devil is in the world today doing different activities. When Christ is in you, the devil recognizes you. He knows you shouldn’t be messed with. You should have the boldness and confidence to attack the devil, to cause him to run. It is one beautiful thing when a believer sees the devil running. God says, ‘Resist the devil, and he will flee from you’ James 4:7b (NLT).
HOW DO YOU RESIST THE DEVIL?
- You resist him by first knowing the authority you have over him. Exercise that authority. “Look, I have given you authority over all the power of the enemy, and you can walk among snakes and scorpions and crush them. Nothing will injure you.” Luke 10:19 (NLT). Stand on that authority, even when it appears that certain things are inconsistent with the Word of God. Show forth your faith because God promises that the devil will flee if you resist him.
- Steadfast in faith. This means you should stand only on the Word of God, not in contradiction or culture or even how you feel or what you think. So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don’t get tied up again in slavery to the law. Galatians 5:1 (NLT)
Vest_ Brooks Brothers
Shirt_ Calvin Klein
Bow Tie_ Burberry
Jeans_ J.Crew (Wallace and Barnes)
Boots_ Frye Seth Cap Toe
