6 Ways to Beat the Devil l Satan's Tactics and Strategies

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Since the dawn of time, the devil has been out there scheming to take down the believer. We can't see him, but this does not mean he's not there. The devil whispers those lofty temptations into our spiritual ears and into our minds. He was present was Jesus was born and showed up at Calvary. He loves to torment us and is pretty good at tempting us into sin since he was the first sinner! Satan rebelled and was cast out of Heaven and this became a domino effect as sin emptied into the Garden of Eden. The Bible said that Satan is angry. No wonder why, he was God's chosen one and fell from the skies in disgrace. Look at Ezekiel 28:13-15, which described Lucifer as a precious stone and was "The anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire. Thou was perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee." The enemy desires to remain supreme above God. Are you powerless? No! You have weapons that you can use. Here are 6 ways that you can beat the devil.

Pray

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Prayer gives you a covering against the devil and is the opportunity to share our wants and needs with God. Prayer in our daily lives is important as it protects us. "The Bible reminds us that our battle is not people-based, it’s spiritual. Identify your opponent, his strategies and tactics and be empowered through the Holy Spirit to thwart them," author Joel Osteen wrote. Additionally, Jesus prayed often. In Matthew 14:23, He went up on a mountainside by Himself to pray. In Mark 1:35 we know that he prayed in the morning. "Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed." Prayer is mentioned a lot in the Bible and there is a reason.

Cast Down Thoughts

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So when you're attacked by depression, hate, anger, division, addictions and all of those nasty thoughts that come into the heart, that could be the devil. "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this world's darkness, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms," the Bible warned. In this case, you want to combat these thoughts by casting aside things that are not true. Jesus was tempted in the desert and was tempted to give up on the cross, but He focused on the power of God and God's Word. The tempter came and said to Him, ‘If indeed you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread,” it said in Matthew 4:2-3. Again, Jesus prevailed.

Get Rest

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If you are exhausted in every sense of the word, you won't be able to combat the devil on the spiritual plane. Get rest and build yourself up. Church, people, schedules and taking on satan head-on is depleting. The author of Hebrews mirrors this by instructing us to cease from weariness. “Let us, therefore, be zealous and exert ourselves and strive diligently to enter that rest of God, to know and experience it for ourselves.” When you are feeling discouraged, stop yourself for a moment and release the burden to God. On your darkest days, you should rest and on your good days, you should rest. Israel wandered across the wilderness for 40 years and felt depleted. According to Psalms 95:10-11, "For 40 years I loathed that generation and said, 'They are a people who go astray in their heart, and they have not known my ways.' Therefore I swore in my wrath, 'They shall not enter my rest.'"

Renew Your Spirit

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When you don’t feel like you can make it another day, turn to the Scriptures to drown out depression, anxiety, doubt and anger. God promised to renew our strength like the eagle, and we will run and not faint. Also, go to the Bible, a devotional, enter into prayer, or play worship music to encourage yourself and to keep your spirit energized. You need to come to Jesus and just humble yourself before Him. "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light," Jesus reminded us.

Be Positive

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We can't go into any battle without confidence and you need to know who you are in Christ. To do this, start affirming yourself through Scripture. Your words are powerful and are impactful. Think of it as one of the most powerful weapons that you own, which is your mouth. The Bible says out of the abundance of the heart the "mouth speaks and also as a person thinks so they are. Change your thoughts, change your words and God’s power will change your life," Osteen added. Once you build up your confidence you can take on the devil and show him who is the boss. If you lack self-confidence, the devil will walk all over you and use people to keep you down as well. Speak life and power into your situation, not doubt.

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