By Michael Youssef, Ph.D.

It's important that we understand that our enemy, the devil, is not very creative. Satan is not an original thinker, and he has no new ideas. If you study the Bible and human history, you'll see that he has only one trick up his sleeve, and he relies on it over and over again. In every generation, he dresses it up and tries to sell it as a new idea, but it's the same deception he used in the Garden of Eden. In Genesis 3:1, Satan said to Eve, "Did God actually say, 'You shall not eat of any tree in the garden'?"

In other words, "Did you really understand what God was saying? Are you sure God's Word really means what you think it means? What if you misinterpreted His command?"

Just as the devil succeeded in deceiving the generation of the Judges by convincing the Israelites that they could have Yahweh and the fertility gods of the Canaanites as well, the devil is deceiving our generation, saying that Christians can have Jesus and evolution as well, can have God the Father and Mother Earth, can have the Holy Spirit and a spirit of self-centeredness and materialism.

To combat Satan's trick, we must put on "the whole armor of God" that enables us to stand firm in the battle: the belt of Truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shoes of the Gospel of peace, the shield of faith (to extinguish Satan's flaming darts), the helmet of salvation, the sword of the Spirit (which is the Word of God), and the power of prayer (see Ephesians 6:13-18).

So let us model the mindset and behavior of a spiritual warrior. Let us drench our minds with the Truth of God's Word and not allow Satan a foothold. So that, along with King David and in reliance on the grace of God, we may say, "He trains my hands for war, so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze" (2 Samuel 22:35).

Prayer:

Lord, I reject the lies of the devil. Strengthen me with Your Word of Truth. Thank You that You never let me down and never let me go. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.

"He trains my hands for war, so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze. You have given me the shield of salvation, and your gentleness made me great" (2 Samuel 22:35-36 ESV).

by Ryan Duncan, Crosswalk.com Entertainment Editor

Then Jesus said to him, "Go, Satan! For it is written, 'You shall worship The Lord your God, and serve Him only.'"
Matthew 4:10

"This stock is about to take off!" ... "You won't believe this Miracle Pill!" ... "Hello, I am a Nigerian Prince" ... These are only a few of the emails that have ended up in my spam folder. We've all received them, those obnoxious messages that try to trick you into sending money or personal information to some unknown source. All spam email follows the same design. First, they open up by preying on a person's fear, insecurity, or general discontent. After that, they propose a simple solution, an easy win for the reader, which convinces the reader to put their trust in something very untrustworthy.

Thankfully, most computers now come with software to filter out the phony emails. Unfortunately, the same can't be said for everyday life. I've found Satan often uses the same tactics as these spam mails whenever he wants to attack a human being. First, he takes advantage of your worry, your self-image, or something else in your life. Then he offers you something that might fix the problem, but in truth, only makes things worse. These temptations will always be present in life, but Jesus offers us a powerful reassurance in Matthew 6 that equips us to defend ourselves.

"For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life? And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin, yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these."
- Matthew 6:25-29

Many people have taken this verse to mean that as long as we trust in God, nothing bad will happen. Not so. We live in a fallen world, and bad things are always going to happen. What this verse does promise is that no matter what we face in life, God will always be there. Sometimes in the healing we desperately prayed for, other times in the shoulder we cry on.

Whatever roads our lives take, Christ is there to provide for us. Don't allow Satan to fool you with the offer of an easy fix, don't let fear and despair dictate your actions. God is there, and he will help you.

Intersecting Faith and Life:

As a Christian, you are not alone in your struggles. Find support in a small group or an accountability partner.

Further Reading

Zephaniah 3:17

By Michael Youssef, Ph.D.

Many times, we can lose our spiritual footing by focusing on the wrongs that have been done to us. Our prayer life suffers and we lose our sense of joy. We also can forget how to praise God because we are entrapped by our angry thoughts and insecurities.

Don't allow yourself to be snared by Satan's trickery. Instead, set the focus of your heart on Christ. Remain close to Him, and seek His wisdom concerning your situation. Don't hesitate to tell Him that you do not know how to handle the hurt you are feeling.

Many times, a result of focusing on your problems is that you will begin to "fake" your spirituality. Your devotion will not be true or sincere. God knows our hearts. He is aware of temptations we face. He knows when the enemy has whispered lies to us, telling us that others are speaking badly about us. Be aware of this profound truth: The man or the woman who seeks to hurt you or your reputation is merely the enemy's bagman. He or she is merely delivering the devil's mail. When you understand this, you will not be tempted to hate others or to become embittered.

Always guard your heart. Never allow the words of those who attempt to wound you to find a resting place in your life. In fact, by keeping your eyes set on the Lord, you will discover a way to love and to pray for your persecutors - just as Jesus asked us to do in Matthew 5:44.

Despite David's many trials and temptations, he knew in whom to place his confidence: The Lord is my light and my salvation - whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life - of whom shall I be afraid?" (Psalm 27:1). In times of weakness and testing, remember that God is your strength and confidence. No one who places his or her hope in Him will be disappointed!

Prayer:

Father, what a privilege to call You Savior! Place a hedge around me that Satan's arrows cannot pierce. Help me to continually place my hope and trust in Your power and grace. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.

"For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his sacred tent" (Psalm 27:5).

by John MacArthur

"Resist the devil and he will flee from you" (James 4:7b).

Anyone who possesses scriptural humility will take an uncompromising stand against Satan.

The successful diplomat or politician is quite adept at the art of compromise and finding the middle ground on various issues. But such skill is a hindrance when it comes to determining your position before God. If you humbly, by faith and repentance, submit yourself to God's authority, you will immediately find yourself the enemy of Satan. You are either in God's kingdom and under His lordship, or you are in Satan's kingdom and under his lordship. It is impossible to have one foot in each kingdom and to be serving both kingdoms' rulers.

To "resist the devil" gives us insight into what it means to be an enemy of Satan. "Resist" means "to take a stand against" the person of Satan and his entire system, which includes everything he does and represents. Such resistance is the complete opposite of the position you had before you submitted to God. Ephesians 2:1-2 reminds us of what that position was: "You were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air [Satan]." At that time, you had no power to resist the Devil and no desire to serve God, because you were slaves to Satan and his system (Heb. 2:14-15).

But all of that can and will change if you humbly switch your allegiance from Satan's kingdom to God's kingdom. In today's verse the apostle James is promising you that as a part of that changed loyalty, you will automatically be in a position to take a stand against Satan. The minute you forsake Satan's mastery he will flee from you.

Many Christians wrongly assume that Satan is much more powerful than he really is. But if you understand James's promise you will know you have abundant spiritual resources to handle Satan's empty threats. Being humble before God doesn't mean being weak before Satan. God enables you to stand firm and resist.

Suggestions for Prayer

Thank God for the wealth of spiritual resources He provides for you to stand against the Devil.

For Further Study

Read Ephesians 6:10-18.

Make a list of the spiritual weapons God has given us. Pick one of these, and do some additional reading and study to improve your application of it.