Overcoming Satan (Part II)

by Chris Simmons

As we noted in the first installment of this article, we have a formidable foe who employs methods that are well thought out and very deceptive. However, we are promised victory if we utilize God’s spiritual armor (Ephesians 6:10ff) every day of our lives. The scriptures teach us the following regarding how we can overcome Satan.

Immerse yourself in the work of the church and strive to make yourself useful to the Lord. The busier we are doing the things we ought to be doing, the less we will be tempted to fall victim to Satan. Paul wrote in I Corinthians 15:58 about the connection between steadfastness and our work for the Lord, “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.” A song that we sometimes sing in our worship includes the words, “there is much to do, there is work on every hand.” Those who overcome are always considering the much work to be done and don’t expect someone else to take care of it. If we are “zealous for good deeds,” then we will diligently look for those opportunities in which we might be found to be “useful to the Master” (II Timothy 2:21).

Plan your escape routes ahead of time. Paul wrote in I Corinthians 10:13, “No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, that you may be able to endure it.” We know that we are not to wait until a fire breaks out to plan our escape route. Yet, all too often we get ourselves into situations where temptations confront us and we have never planed how to escape from them. We don’t read of Joseph responding to Potiphar’s wife tempting him to lie with her by saying, “now what do I do?” Rather, due to the fact that he planned his escape route (Genesis 39:7-12), Joseph knew he had to flee the situation and get out of there. “Fleeing” is something Christians must be adept at doing (I Timothy 6:11; II Timothy 2:22; I Corinthians 6:18). That is precisely how we are to respond to temptation as we pursue “the way of escape” (I Corinthians 10:14).

Follow the pattern of success. In the inspired description of the battle against Satan in Revelation 12:7-11, we read of the keys for successfully overcoming him in verse 11, “And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even to death.” Three things John records that enable us to overcome:

The blood of the lamb. I have often wondered why there is so much confusion and error that is propagated regarding the subject of baptism. I believe it reflects Satan’s continual efforts to keep the souls of men from being immersed in the waters of baptism so that they contact the blood of Christ and have their sins forgiven. Without the blood of Jesus Christ, we would have no hope in this battle for our souls (Hebrews 9:13-14, 22; 10:10-14). Unless man contacts the blood of Christ in the waters of baptism, he cannot be forgiven and overcome Satan (Romans 6:3-4). Satan does not quit once someone has been baptized into Christ, for he will seek to keep us from worship, and remembering Christ’s shed blood in the observance of the Lord’s supper on the first day of the week (Acts 20:7; I Corinthians 11:17-29). Satan will also continually seek to lead the Christian astray and bring us again into the bondage of sin. John wrote in his first epistle to remind us that as Christians we are not to keep on sinning. However, when we do sin, if we are willing to confess our sins and repent, “the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin” (I John 1:7; cf Acts 8:22). Thus, we must continually examine our lives (II Corinthians 13:5) and have the courage and faith to confess and repent of the sins we commit.

The word of their testimony. The power of God is in the preaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ (Romans 1:16). God’s word is sufficient and fully capable of achieving the victory over Satan. The Lord said in Isaiah 55:10-11, “For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return there without watering the earth, and making it bear and sprout, and furnishing seed to the sower and bread to the eater; so shall My word be which goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me empty, without accomplishing what I desire, and without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.” God said His word will be successful! He sent His word so that man might overcome Satan. Do we believe it?

They did not love their life even to death. A proper view of life is a powerful tool in our battle against Satan. There isn’t much hope for Satan when he attacks someone whose perspective on life is that, it is simply the preparation for something much better (II Corinthians 4:17; Romans 8:18). Satan is defeated when one has the attitude towards life that Paul expressed in Philippians 1:21-24, “For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. But if I am to live on in the flesh, this will mean fruitful labor for me; and I do not know which to choose. But I am hard-pressed from both directions, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, for that is very much better; yet to remain on in the flesh is more necessary for your sake.” Simply put, we win if we will be “faithful until death” (Revelation 2:10).

Be persistent. God has promised, “resist the devil and he will flee from you” (James 4:7). Satan will flee from the Christian who utilizes God’s spiritual weapons, but he will return. We must be steadfast in our resistance as long we may live in the flesh (cf Colossians 1:22-23).

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.