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| How
Satan Attacks |
Intro
The Believer's
Authority Over Satan
How Satan Attacks
Strongholds
Breaking Strongholds
Ancestral Strongholds
Take the First Step |
Yet the questions continue to arise--why, DO Christians struggle?
If they really are seeking to walk with God, live in the Word and prayer,
what is wrong?
Let us look at how Satan fights. He tempts us to sin to draw us
away from God so that we cannot know the abundant life that Jesus promised
to His children. When God tests us, it is to draw us closer to Himself, to
reveal His love, His character. Many times God is blamed for what Satan is
doing.
It is not a sin to be tempted. Jesus was tempted in all points as
we are, but without sin. His victory gives us the example of overcoming
temptation. He reminded Satan, “It is written,” then quoted the
appropriate Scripture. He gave Satan a jab with the Sword of the Spirit
and won the battle. Satan always goes for the mind. The mind is the door
to man’s three-fold being, and Satan’s wicked spirits persistently
seek entrance to it. They push and shove, jab and hammer, beat and blast,
as they seek entrance to destroy our peace, wreck our bodies, and block
our fellowship with God. When a foreign thought comes to mind, one
completely out of character for our thought processes, Satan’s evil
spirit is shooting his fiery missile. He knows that if he can control the
mind, he can defeat us. Our answer to temptation is to do as Jesus did,
when there is no known sin in our life, reminding Satan, “It is
written,” then quote the appropriate Scripture. God’s word is our
sword and we remind Satan that he must obey it.
A powerful verse about resisting the enemy is James 4:7: “Submit
yourself therefore to God, resist the devil and he will flee from you.”
Then, we say, “I submit to God and I resist that thought.”
When we allow an ungodly thought to register in our mind, it is
sin, whether we act it out or not. Jesus said that everyone who looks at a
woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his
heart. In 1 John 1:9, we read, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful
and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all
unrighteousness.” Therefore, the cleansing in from unrighteousness
differs from the remedy from temptation. The Holy Spirit, who is faithful
to convict of sin, convinces us, and we know that we have sinned. When we
agree with Him, turning from our sin, He forgives and cleanses us from all
unrighteousness. |
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© Marie Hearn, 1999
Notice: These materials are not intended to take
the place of professional, mental health services, but rather to provide
Biblical insight and helpful resources regarding various spiritual and emotional
problems. While we are glad to offer these resources for your personal
use, we encourage you to contact our pastor, Nolan
Jackson, Sr., for in-depth, free, Christian Counseling. If you are
interested in setting up an appointment, please call 770-786-8676 or e-mail
(be sure to include contact information).
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