Anna Jean loves to sing. It’s not uncommon for her to jump from Disney songs to church hymns to nursery rhymes in a matter of moments. Last week, she was singing “Roll the Gospel Chariot” and came to the verse about the devil. The verse is supposed to go, “If the devil’s in the way, we will run right over him.” But she got a little mixed up and blended it with another verse: “If a brother’s in the way, we will stop and pick him up.” So she sang, “If the devil’s in the way, we will stop and pick him up.” Trying to hold back our laughter, Leslie and I had to explain that we do not want to ever pick the devil up!
But think about it for a moment. How many people in the world, and even in the church, have done exactly that? Instead of running over the devil, they pick him up. He doesn’t just ride along; he takes control. Instead of resisting the devil and watching him flee (James 4:7), they fall into his snare and are captured to do his will (2 Timothy 2:26). Instead of putting on the armor of God and standing against his schemes (Ephesians 6:11), they allow the adversary to devour them (1 Peter 5:8). Instead of recognizing the seriousness of the spiritual battle we are fighting (Ephesians 6:12), they are deceived by his cunning and led away from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ (2 Corinthians 11:3).
So how can we resist the devil and his attempts to pull us away from God? There are many passages we could consider, but Jesus’ example in Luke 4:1–14 is especially powerful. From that passage, here are two truths that help us stand firm against the enemy.
First, we must stand in the power of the Holy Spirit. When Jesus was baptized, the Holy Spirit descended on Him in bodily form like a dove (Luke 3:22). From that moment, He was “full of the Holy Spirit” (Luke 4:1). He was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, where He was tempted for forty days (Luke 4:1–2), and afterward He returned to Galilee “in the power of the Spirit” (Luke 4:14). Jesus resisted Satan by relying on the Spirit’s power and guidance. The same is true for us. God strengthens us with power through His Spirit in our inner being (Ephesians 3:16). As Paul writes, “For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God” (Romans 8:14). If we try to stand against Satan in our own strength, we will fail; he is stronger than we are. But he is not anywhere close to be stronger than God. When we are “strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might” (Ephesians 6:10), everything changes. We can stand firm against our enemy when we stand in the power of the Holy Spirit.
Second, we must stand in our knowledge of the Scriptures. In each of the three temptations, Jesus answered Satan by quoting from Deuteronomy (Luke 4:4 quotes Deuteronomy 8:3; Luke 4:8 quotes Deuteronomy 6:13; Luke 4:12 quotes Deuteronomy 6:16). Jesus knew the Word. He had stored it in His heart and brought it to mind at the moment of testing (Psalm 119:11). We must do the same. Yes, we rely on the Spirit who dwells within us (1 Corinthians 6:19), but we also rely on the Word the Spirit inspired (2 Peter 1:21). Spend time in Scripture. Memorize it. Fill your heart and mind with it. When you do, you are equipping yourself to stand against the enemy’s attacks.
As we roll the Gospel chariot along, let’s make sure we’re not stopping to pick Satan up. Instead, by the power of the Holy Spirit and with a firm grasp of God’s Word, let’s resist him, standing firm in our faith, knowing that believers everywhere face the same struggles (1 Peter 5:9).
Tyler Alverson
0 Comments