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HOW to Resist the devil – Don’t Allow him ANY FOOTHOLD
HOW TO RESIST THE DEVIL AND NOT ALLOW HIM ANY FOOTHOLD
There are many Christians who ask the same question about sin and how to resist temptation. It is one of these questions that comes back again and again. Many Christians are defeated and can’t seem to overcome. They say it is impossible to stop sinning. Some even flip and start attacking Christians who are walking in victory over sin accusing them of pretending to be perfect.
The issue is of course one of dominion not of perfection. We need to be FREED from sin as Jesus said He would do to them who are ADOPTED SONS. He said that those the Son sets free, will be FREE INDEED. Paul says “sin shall NOT HAVE DOMINION OVER US, because we are UNDER GRACE”.
But why is it that many Christians can’t overcome their slavery to sin?
I can speak of my own experience here. After I got born again alone in my room, I straight away knew what sin is and the war started against it. But for the longest time, I could not stop it, I could not overcome. It was a combination of many reasons and excuses, but there is ONE THING that always happened that I wasn’t aware of. It happened time after time and it would make me fall every time:
I was BELIEVING THE DEVIL and his mind games.
I realized I was BELIEVING his lies when he came to me. He is a master crafty serpent, make no mistake brethren. He has been in this business for CENTURIES, from the beginning. So to be clear, I believe the main reason Christians can’t overcome sin is that they are ALLOWING the devil to deceive them when he comes to them with his mind games.
The devil and his demons are very busy, working extra time to see whom they can devour with their lies. But they always come to us with SUGGESTIONS that start IN THE MIND: this is their ENTRY POINT, the knock on the door so to speak. And HERE is where we need to RESIST and the way to do it is ONLY WITH ONE WORD, ONE RESPONSE. THEN JUST MOVE ON.
I can take a good example from the experiences of our Lord Jesus in the wilderness. Each time the devil tempted him, Jesus answered ONLY ONE TIME, WITH ONE RESPONSE. The devil said to Him: “command this stone to become bread”, he tempted Jesus because He got hungry. Jesus answered and said: “Man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God”. It was one response, Jesus did not go back and forth with the devil over that one.
The evil one did that THREE times with Jesus, three DIFFERENT suggestions but each time, Jesus answered ONE TIME, ONE RESPONSE and He KEPT MOVING.
And this is what we should do as Christians, we answer ONE TIME, with ONE RESPONSE and that is as soon as we WISE UP to him and his bait. We don’t go back and forth with him, we don’t ENTERTAIN him, we don’t ALLOW him ANY FOOTHOLD.
I can give you another example with someone knocking at your door to sell you something. As soon as you open the door, they present themselves and what they want to sell you. But they are looking for time to present their sales pitch. Now here we have a choice, if we start asking more questions, if we give them ear, if we invite them in, then we will have a problem. As soon as they STEP IN TO OUR HOME, then it will be MUCH HARDER to get them to leave.
The way to do it is to CUT IT OFF RIGHT THERE AT THE DOOR.
Say:
– Sorry I am not interested.
– Sorry I got not time for this.
– No thank you, we don’t need this.
– No thank you, been there done that.
– etc..
It is the same with the devil’s suggestions. DON’T ALLOW HIM INTO YOUR HOME, INTO YOUR SPIRIT. Because if you do, it will be just a matter of time until you give in to his sales pitch. He always comes with a bait, he will try to make you focus on it, make it desirable in your eyes.
WISE UP TO HIM. RESIST HIM WITH ONE RESPONSE and CLOSE THE DOOR QUICKLY. Put your focus BACK ON CHRIST AND CALL ON HIM.
Dear friends, sin is serious and if we don’t wise up to the devil and his devices, we will become eternally lost. Each time we sin deliberately, we give the devil place in our home until he becomes the owner of our home and enslaves us. RESIST him and close the door. The SPIRIT OF CHRIST IN YOU WILL HELP YOU, CALL ON JESUS ALL THE TIME.
If we are wise like serpents, if we resist the evil one, if we continue with Jesus focused on Him, we WILL OVERCOME BY THE POWER OF THE SPIRIT. Without the Spirit and His guidance we will not be able to do it. But we still have our part to do.
SUBMIT TO GOD, RESIST the devil and he will flee brothers and sisters.
Please share with Christians struggling with sin.
May God keep His own in this time.
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