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Adapted
from "The Adversary" by Mark I. Bubeck
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A. The triumph of Jesus Christ is the surety of the believer's
victory (Mt 4:1-11; Ro 5:12-19)
1. Christ defeated Satan at the cross and has given that foothold" (Eph
4:27) victory to all believers. "He who does what is sinful is of the
devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil's
work" (1 In 3:8; see also Col 2:15; Heb 2:14-15).
2. In our Lord's exaltation, the believer has the Savior's victory imputed
to him. "That power is like the working
of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the
heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the
present age but also in the one to come. God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything
for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way." (Eph 1:19-23). "God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions-it is by grace
you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in heavenly realms in Christ Jesus." (Eph 2:4-6; see also Heb 1:13; 1 Pe 3:22).
B. Through God's salvation, the believer is legally set
free from Satan's power. To open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God so that
they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me. (Ac 26:18; see also Lk 10:17-20;
2 Co 4:4; Eph 2:1-3; Co I1:13).
C. Through his sanctified walk with God, the believer
maintains his legally purchased freedom.
1. He must yield to God and resist the devil. "Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee
from you." (Ja 4:7; see also 1 Pe 5:8).
2. He must not give ground or foothold to Satan through fleshly sin.
"And do not give the devil a foothold." (Eph 4:27).
3. He must put on his provided protection in the whole armor of God.
"Finally, be strong in the Lord and
in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so I that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle
is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and
against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day
of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to, stand. Stand firm then, with
the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with
the I gospel of peace as a firm footing. In addition to all I this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can I extinguish
all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.
And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep
on praying for all the saints." (Eph 6:10-18).
4. There are special warnings for us to heed against Satan's tactics.
The suggested portions of Scripture listed below although not quoted are worthy of careful investigation on the part of any
believer who desires a victorious walk and the defeat of Satan in his life.
a. Do not accuse others judgmentally (2 Co 2:1-11).
b. Avoid hypocritical actions (Ac 5:1-11).
c.
Do not disobey what is known to be God's
will (Eph 4:17-32).
d. Make sure that your testimony is consistently obvious to all men
(1 Ti 3:7).
e. Constantly guard against pride (1 Ti 3:6).
f.
Avoid a striving, contentious spirit (2
Ti 2:23-26).
It
is vital for the believer to be sure of his ground and his certain victory through the Lord Jesus Christ in combatting the
forces of darkness. It is not unusual to be challenged by a wicked spirit who contests your authority when commanding him
to depart to the place the Lord Jesus Christ sends him. The quoting of the Word and pressing it constantly against the contesting
spirit always brings victory. The Word cannot be broken.
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Box 575