Overcoming Satan
(Part 1)

by Chris Simmons

He is a deceiver and a liar and from the beginning he has sought to bring man to spiritual destruction. His methods are well thought out and very deceptive. But through His Son, God has given us everything we need to defeat him in this life and death battle that we are in. The scriptures teach us the following regarding how we can overcome Satan.

Be engaged in the battle and plan to be victorious. To live as if we have no such adversary is to already be overcome. To be ignorant of the battle is to ensure our defeat. We must “fight the good fight of faith” (1 Tim. 6:12). The fact that we are commanded to “resist the devil” (Eph. 6:13; James 4:7; 1 Peter 5:9) indicates our role in this battle is not a passive one. Our responsibility to “contend earnestly for the faith” (Jude 3) is found in the definition for the word “contend” which means, “to contend about a thing, as a combatant” (Vine’s Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words). This is a battle we not only can win, but one in which we must plan to win and be among those who “overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us” (Rom. 8:37; cf. 1 Cor. 15:57; 1 John 5:4). Failure is not an option!

Never purposely or willingly put yourself in harm’s way. Battle we must, but that doesn’t mean that spiritually we are to put ourselves in situations where Satan will have the advantage. We should never expose ourselves to his schemes unnecessarily and give him the opportunity to overcome us. Ephesians 4:27 states succinctly, “do not give the devil an opportunity.” Paul in the letter to the Romans admonishes us to “behave properly” and not to give in to the lusts of the flesh. We can do this if we “put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts” (Rom. 13:13-14).

Be aware and sober minded. Since we have an adversary who is said to be one who “prowls about like a roaring lion,” God exhorts us therefore to “be sober” and “be on the alert” (1 Peter 5:8). It may seem over simplistic but one of our first steps in overcoming Satan is to simply become more aware of how and where he might attack you. The grave danger he poses should be sufficient motivation for us to improve on our sober mindedness. The word “sober” simply means to think clearly and properly, to exercise sound judgment. It includes the idea of being morally alert, watchful and spiritually awake (cf. 1 Thess. 5:6-8). It should concern us if we reflect back on our lives and realize that we have lived significant stretches of our lives with little thought or concern about what schemes or tactics that Satan may be using against us.

Put on the “full armor of God” and don’t take it off. The context of Ephesians 6:11-18 begins with, “Put on the full armor of God, that you may be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.” We are divinely instructed in this passage regarding what we need to be victorious in our battle against Satan. It includes our love for the truth, the righteousness and salvation that is found in Christ, the power of the gospel of Jesus Christ which is revealed in the word of God, our complete and active working faith, and our prayers before God. There is so much for our hearts and minds to meditate on regarding “the full armor of God” in that passage of scripture, but it is important to note the importance of the fact that we are commanded to put it on. God’s word never mentions a time when we can take it off. We never grow old enough that His armor is not needed and we will never reach a point in our lives when it will become optional. Satan will never give up on seeking to destroy us.

Spend significant and concentrated time in your life with God’s word. When it comes to the power of God’s word, a little dab won’t do you! If we are to succeed and be victorious, we have to learn to set aside the time that it takes to bury our head in the word of God. Paul warned the Ephesian elders of dangers from without and within. He then commended them “to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified” (Acts 20:32). David wrote by the inspiration of God that the spiritually successful and prosperous man is the one who “delights” in the law of the Lord and “meditates day and night” in His word (Psalms 1:1-3). It takes time and diligence to become skillful and adept in “handling accurately the word of truth” (2 Tim. 2:15). If we are not careful with the “sword of the spirit” and “distort” the Scriptures, we will not only destroy ourselves, but others perhaps as well (2 Peter 3:16).

Maintain your communication with He who is our advocate with our Father in heaven. Prayer plays a vital role in our ability to withstand Satan’s attacks. We are to be “unceasing” in our prayers to God (1 Thess. 5:17) and to “pray at all times” (Eph. 6:18). The Greek word for “times” in this verse is kairos which means “on every occasion” (Vincent’s Word Studies in the NT). This helps us to understand that there isn’t a situation or occasion in life in which our prayers should not ascend to our Father in heaven. The prayers of one who is in fellowship with God are to express “everything” that is of concern in this spiritual battle. The result promised is that God will guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus (Phil. 4:7-8).

Surround yourself with the right people who have the right type of influence on you. Solomon wrote, “Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor. For if either of them falls, the one will lift up his companion. But woe to the one who falls when there is not another to lift him up. Furthermore, if two lie down together they keep warm, but how can one be warm alone? And if one can overpower him who is alone, two can resist him. A cord of three strands is not quickly torn apart” (Eccles. 4:9-12). It is much easier to resist the efforts of Satan we when are spending time with our brethren. This includes not only time together in the assembly, but also other times in which we share a “like precious faith” (2 Peter 1:1). Those in Acts 2:46 continued “with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart.” It’s amazing how many Christians are so neglectful of the opportunities to assemble with the saints in worship or take advantage of the opportunity to be with them socially (cf. Heb. 10:24-25).

The stakes are high in this battle against Satan. It is a battle for the eternal destiny of our souls and the outcome depends on our ability to overcome the schemes of the devil.