By Riley Nelson Minister Richmond Hill Church of Christ
The battle against Satan can be won, but it will not be won unless we keep our guard up against all attacks. Soldiers in the army of God must never forget their armor, and ever keep a watchful eye. The enemy is subtle attacking in ways and from places one might never suspect. Once again God has warned us against this foe. “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:” (1 Peter 5:8). We must ever guard against becoming involved in the works of the flesh, “which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God” (Gal. 5:19 – 21).
Sometimes when everything seems to be going right, people of God let their guard down and Satan overtakes them. When things are good it seems unbelievable that anything could happen to change them. We let our guard down.
The Bible gives us several examples of this happening. The book of Judges stands out as a prime example of people letting their guard down. “And the people served the LORD all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders that outlived Joshua, who had seen all the great works of the LORD that he did for Israel. And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died, being an hundred and ten years old, … and there arose another generation after them, which knew not the LORD, nor yet the works which he had done for Israel. And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and served Baalim: (Judges 2:7 – 11). Just because things had been going smoothly, they forgot what it took to get them to that point, and they were overcome.
If a man will only open the word of God, study its contents, obey its commands he can overcome Satan. God’s word has the answers to all life’s problems. If you will put your faith and trust in God you can face the worst situations and still survive. This faith is developed by the study of the Bible. Paul tells about this, “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Rom. 10:17); “Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Tim 2:15). This faith leads to a desire to obey God, by following God’s pattern for salvation; Faith, repentance (Luke 13:30), confession of Christ as the Son of God (Matt. 10:32, 33); baptism into Christ (Gal. 3:27) and the desire to live faithfully (Rev. 2:10), standing faithfully against Satan. Paul wrote, “3Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
You can win in the battle with Satan, but you must be a faithful child of God.