The Bible tells us, “For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ” (1 Corinthians 10:3-5). We are living in a very serious warzone and peace is hard to find in it. There are certain satanic strongholds that imprison us each day that we must be aware of. The battles are taking place in our thoughts and the Devil prays on our vulnerability in hopes of breaking us down and separating us from God. Scripture doesn’t answer all our questions about the Devil but one thing is certain – he is real and he is opposed to God. All evil we encounter comes from Satan. In John 8:44, Jesus called him “a liar and the father of lies” for a reason. Here are six truths about the Devil.
The Devil is Real
Many people think that the Devil is only part of folklore, mythology and superstition, but the Devil is Bible fact. The Lord Jesus Himself taught us to pray, “Father, deliver us from the Evil One,” and by saying this, Jesus is clearly telling us that the devil is not a figment of the imagination. One of the big reasons he’s able to trick so many people is because he makes you think that he doesn’t exist. We think of him as a cartoon character with horns and a pitchfork, but the devil is nothing like how he is characterized. The Devil wants you to be confused about who he is because if you don’t understand your enemy, you won’t be in a position to defeat him.
The Devil Loves Sabotage
The Devil will try to sabotage you when you’re beginning a new spiritual quest. There is nothing he hates more than you building up your relationship with God and growing in your faith. Right after Jesus was attacked by the Devil, He began His public ministry. The Bible tells us, “From that time Jesus began to proclaim, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near” (Matthew 4:17). Knowing Jesus was about to begin His ministry, the Devil attacked Him, but Jesus was not deterred. On the beginning of any new spiritual journey, the Devil will attempt to sabotage and distract you in an effort to keep you from growing closer to God and expanding the mission of Christ. Do not let him defeat you.
The Devil Wants You to Believe He Has All the Answers
The Devil will attempt to lure you to quick-fixes when you’re hurt and in pain. He wants you to believe he has all the answers, not God. If you are having problems in your relationship, he will feed you bad words and thoughts about that person to break the relationship down even more. If you are battling an illness or in physical pain, he will try to make you believe that God isn’t present and doesn’t care about what you’re going through. If you don’t seek God in these moments, the Devil will make you wonder if God is really good.
The Devil Will Surface at Your Weakest Points
The Devil will try to break you down when going through a period of extreme frustration. During a spiritual attack, the enemy uses a variety of circumstances to repress the mind and bring great frustration. When you are under siege, you may find yourself feeling on edge, anxious or agitated. In these moments, a simple conversation with your partner or friend can turn into an explosive argument and a simple thought in your head can take you down a roller coaster of negative emotions. You may also find yourself saying things that are out of character or not feeling quite like yourself. This isn’t just in your head. In moments such as these, it’s important that you center your focus on God.
The Devil Attacks You When You’re Vulnerable
The Devil attacks us when we’re alone because he knows we are most vulnerable when others aren’t around us. He also thinks this is when we’re at our weakest point. The Bible tells us, “Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the Devil” (Matthew 4:1). He knew Jesus was alone and he tempted him. The Devil can detect when you’re feeling alone.
The Devil Also Attacks When You’re Alone
The Devil will also try to wear you down when you’re in a weak position, both physically and emotionally. Jesus was attacked after He had fasted for 40 days. The Bible tells us, “[Jesus] had fasted for forty days and forty nights, and afterwards He was famished. The tempter came and said to Him, ‘If indeed you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread” (Matthew 4:2-3). The Devil attempted to break Jesus at one of his lowest points physically. There are those who will nurse their weaknesses and keep them. If you are one of these people, you will never be free. The Devil has you in his grasp and will keep you there, willingly.
In these moments, he wants you to believe that you’re all alone. At times when you feel like the Devil won’t leave you alone, it’s important to remember that God is with you!
If you are part of the body of Christ, then be assured the Devil is going to try to destroy you. While everything can’t be blamed on the Devil, there are a lot of things that are a result of his work and it’s important to know when he is working in our own lives. If we are not on guard, he has the power to destroy us and separate us from our Heavenly Father. There is nothing he would love more. Yet, when we are protected and guarded, we have the power to push back and come out victorious.
