Defeating Satan 

“Put on the armor of God so that you may be able to stand firm against the tactics of the devil.” (Eph 6: 11) 

   Some try to blame Satan for their sins saying, “The devil made me do it.”  But that is a lie.  With the help of God, we can turn the devil away and make him flee.

   We often give Satan far too much credit; we act as if he can force us to sin.  We claim he is more powerful than we are, and by ourselves this is often true.  We are weak and can easily fall victim to the devil’s lies.  But he can only tempt; we must agree to follow his temptations. 

   Satan is a master of disguise; he is a liar and the father of liars.  He may come to us as a loved one urging us to do what we know we shouldn’t.  He may appear as a trusted friend leading us down the wrong path.  He may even come to us as our priest or pastor, telling us that we are good Christians when we are not.

   I believe that deep inside we recognize when we are being led astray; it may be no more than a feeling of uneasiness, but if we pray and listen closely to our heart, we will know.  With the help of God, we can rebuke the devil when he comes.  In the name of Jesus, we can cause him to run from us.  The evil one cannot remain where there is prayer and faith and trust in God.

   Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life.” (John 14:6).  If we trust in Him and seek His strength, He will give us the power to defeat the Satan.