Resisting the Devil

“Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world.” 1 Peter 5:8-9

Some Christians are afraid to talk about Satan or think about spiritual warfare. While we should be careful not to underestimate his destructive arsenal (Jude 9), we should never fear the devil. Although he is still active by God’s permission, the devil has been soundly defeated. He is a rebellious angelic creature on the losing end of a cosmic struggle with Creator God. He knows his fate is the lake of fire from where he will never escape (Rev. 20:7-10).

The instrument of defeat and our guaranteed victory over his power is the Cross of Christ. When Jesus died on the cross, He paid the price for our sins and conquered the power of Satan. “...He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil” (Heb. 2:14).

At the cross, Jesus “disarmed the rulers and authorities [Satan and his demons]” and “made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him” (Col. 2:15). Jesus defeated the devil at the cross by delivering us from sin’s penalty - death. Satan is a vanquished foe, and he knows it. You are no longer under his dominion but under the rule and reign of Christ.

“On the cross was the purchase made, and on the cross was the victory gained.” -John Eadie