How to Stop the Devil

I want to show you today how to fight the devil. Jesus gave us power over the devil. As a matter of fact, the enemy has no power over us because we are in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Jesus, you have been given power over the devil and all his demons. None of his tactics will succeed against us.

Luke 10:19 Behold, I have given you the power ‘to tread upon serpents’ and scorpions and upon the full force of the enemy and nothing will harm you.

Jesus Gave Us Authority

Since Jesus gave us authority over all the power of the Devil. Let’s use it.

The devil cannot seduce you, tempt you or overpower you in any way. He can only do to you what you all him to do to you. We have been given authority over the devil and his authority over us has been stripped away. But we don’t know leaves us vulnerable and helpless. A Few Facts you Must Know about the devil.

• The devil comes to kill, steal and destroy
• The devil is a liar and accuser
• The devil is defeated – Jesus took care of him over 2000 years ago.
• The devil has no power accept the power we give him.

Does the Devil Really Exist?

Do we have an enemy in heavenly places? Demons are said to occupy heavenly places; not “Heaven” as we know it, but they are in a spiritual realm. Jesus speaks about the devil so he must be real. The enemy comes at us everyday. We truly have an enemy. Because we belong to God the Devil hates us. He hates God and does not want us to experience the love, the joy, the power, peace and victory we have in Christ Jesus. He hates us because we have what he spurned. He chose to rise up against God and now the devil is miserable and misery loves company.

Here are some scriptural references regarding demonic forces at work against us.

• 1 John 5:19 “We know that we are children of God and that the world around us is under the control of the evil one.”
• John 10:10 “The thief comes only to kill, steal, and destroy. I have come that they may have life and have it to the full.”
• 1 Peter 5:8–9 “Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.”
• Ephesians 6:11–12 “Put on the armor of God so that you may be able to stand firm against the tactics of the devil. For our struggle is not with flesh and blood but with the principalities, with the powers, with the world rulers of this present darkness, with the evil spirits in the heavens.”
• James 4:7 “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.”
• John 8:44-45 (Jesus speaking)“You belong to your father the devil and you willingly carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in truth, because there is no truth in him. When he tells a lie, he speaks in character, because he is a liar and the father of lies. But because I speak the truth, you do not believe me.” We have been raised in this world, but Jesus wants us in His world. He wants us in His Kingdom so He came to earth and rescued us Himself.
• Col 1:13 “For He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son He loves.”

The devil is relentless and merciless but you are armed and dangerous; you just don’t know it. You have been armed and well supplied with everything you need to not only battle but win. The devil knows this, but you and I forget. We are in the world 24/7, and we give God just one or two hours of our attention each week. It is not enough to drown out the world and all the lies of the enemy. It’s not enough to combat the onslaught delivered to our mind and soul each week through television, internet, friends, music, movies, etc.

God has equipped us with powerful tools and weapons. We have his word and his name which gives us the authority we need to trample and-and tread and annihilate the enemy that has already been overpowered and destroyed. As long as we don’t know that, the enemy will have his way with us and keep spoon- feeding us anxiety, fear, sickness and whatever else we will accept and believe is ours to keep and endure.

Did you know that the devil is no competition for God. There is no power struggle going on between good and evil. Good destroyed evil at the cross where Jesus crushed death and sin and all power of hell. God wins every time. Which means you win every time. You may lose a battle here and there but you win the war. You win because Jesus already fought it and won. He rose from the dead and because you are with him and in him, you too rose from the dead to new life in him.

Against a child of God, the devil is powerless though he won’t quit trying to seduce you. He will continue to harass you until it quits working on you. He will scare you and lie to you and try to get you to do things his way but he cannot succeed unless you let him and actually follow him. He is relentless and persuasive but powerless. The only power he has is the power we give him. You have to recognize him and his tactics so you don’t follow him down to the pit he wants to carry you to.

The Devil wants you on your knees before him cowering, fearful and anxious. He wants you in a fetal position fearful of the past, present and the future. He wants you faithless and trusting in no one but him.

Mark 16 “In my name you will cast out demons.” Luke 10:19 “Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing will injure you.

Jesus did not leave us defenseless or powerless, but he left us strong and powerful. The Spirit of God lives in us, and this power is the same power that raised Jesus from the dead.

Ephesians 1:19-20 I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms.”

Never Fear the Devil

You should never be afraid of anything the devil throws your way because the Greater one lives in you (1 John 4:4). Don’t let images from the television or a movie or stories you heard growing up influence you. Get those thoughts and pictures out of your head. You are not ruled by demons, they are afraid of you, so much so that they will do anything to keep you from learning who you really are. You are royalty, heirs to the Kingdom of God, the child of God himself.

It’s very important to know who you are in Christ and what is yours. When we know who we are and what is ours, we can fight the devil and all his thoughts from a position of authority and confidence. We won’t just give in or run in fear or cower and just accept things as they are. We are willing to take back what the enemy stole from us. We become strong in the Lord and in His mighty power (Ephesians 6:10).

When we know who we are and what is ours we will not sit back and let the devil run amuck with our health, our family, friends, and finances.

Colossians 2:14-15 …..having canceled the debt ascribed to us in the decrees that stood against us. He took it away, nailing it to the cross! And having disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.

We are either victorious or not. We are either “In Christ” or not. Victory is ours, or it isn’t. You and I have to make a decision that the Word of God is true and stand on it. When the devil throws sickness and symptoms on you fight back, don’t just roll over and play dead. Speak God’s word out loud. Reject those symptoms. You can and you must. Reject that runny and itchy nose. Reject that nausea, that diagnosis that says it’s hopeless. You have the greater one living on the inside of you. There is hope. Don’t worry or think about all those who died sick. Believe more in God’s word than anyone else’s circumstances. Today is a new day for you, a day to pick up God’s word and believe.

Practice Taking Authority

Only God can read your thoughts. The devil can send thoughts your way, but he can’t understand what you’re thinking. He is not GOD. He is not omnipresent nor omnipotent. We give him too much power.  So keep your mouth shut, and he won’t know the thoughts of fear and terror and worry he sends are effective. Don’t talk about how afraid you are. Don’t talk about how sick you are, depressed you are. Don’t reveal your weakness day after day to the one who will use it against you.

Declare this out loud, so the devil can hear you.

“I am a child of the most High God. Jesus is my Lord and savior. He is my healer and my deliverer. I can do all things through Christ who paid for all my sins on the cross. He died for me so I can live and He took with Him all my sicknesses and diseases as well. Now I can declare in faith that I am well and these symptoms are lies. By His Stripes, I am well.”

When those pesky symptoms rise, beat them down.

“I resist you, nausea, in the name of Jesus. I am well. I rebuke you and command you off of me. The blood of the Lamb has washed me, and I am hidden in Him, cleansed and forgiven. I belong to Jesus, and I trust Him with my life. I command my body into obedience to Jesus Christ. My mind, my thoughts, my organs, bones, and systems.”

We are either victorious or not. We are either “In Christ” or not. Victory is ours, or it isn’t. You and I have to decide that the Word of God is true and stand on it. When the devil throws sickness and symptoms on you, fight back, don’t just roll over and play dead. Speak God’s Word out loud. Reject those symptoms. You can, and you must. Reject that runny and itchy nose. Reject that nausea, or that diagnosis that says it’s hopeless. You have the Greater One living inside of you. There is hope. Don’t worry or think about all those who died sick. Believe more in God’s Word than anyone else’s circumstances. Today is a new day for you, a day to pick up God’s Word and believe.

Here is a handy warfare CARD! When in doubt come in the name of Jesus against the spirit of infirmity. When Jesus saw the woman bent over in Luke Chapter 13, He set her free of her infirmity.

RECOGNIZE HIM

and render him ineffective.

RESIST HIM

, and he will flee from you.

REFUSE HIM

, refuse his lies and temptations.

REJECT HIM

, reject the thoughts he sends your way.

RENOUNCE HIM

, renounce addiction and every spirit of infirmity you have allowed entrance in the name of Jesus.

REBUKE HIM

in the name of Jesus. Command the spirit of ___________ to depart.

For copies of this card to download or order go to

Downloads

BOOKS

Pope Francis – REBUKING THE DEVIL

Pope Francis Rebuking the Devil

Marybeth Wuenschel – Your Thoughts are Killing you

Your Thoughts Are Killing You