How do we resist the devil? In Luke 4, Jesus was tempted by the devil for forty days, but he got the victory over Satan. He is our perfect example, and there are seven spiritual strategies he used that we should apply to our lives to overcome the enemy and get the victory.
BE LED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT
Jesus had just been baptized by John the Baptist, and the heavens opened, and the Holy Spirit descended on him in the form of a dove. Immediately afterward, he was led by the Holy Spirit in the wilderness where the devil tempted him for forty days.
“And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, being forty days tempted of the devil” (Luke 4:1-2 KJV).
The first way we can resist the devil is to be led by the Holy Spirit. The Bible says, “When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him” (Isaiah 59:19). Without the Holy Spirit we are no match for the enemy because we cannot overcome the devil in our own strength. We need the Holy Spirit to empower us to overcome spiritual attacks and temptation.
PRAYER AND FASTING
So, the Holy Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness, “Being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered” (Luke 4:2). The second way we can resist the devil is by fasting. Fasting helps subdue our flesh and makes us more sensitive to the Holy Spirit.
Remember what happened when Haman threatened to destroy Mordecai and the Jews. Queen Esther asked them to fast and pray for three days. After they fasted, Haman’s evil plot was shattered, and he was hung on the gallows he intended to hang Mordecai on.
The Bible says, “Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?” (Isaiah 58:6). Whatever evil plot Satan is working through people to come against us, that thing is thwarted when we fast.
THE WORD OF GOD
“And the devil said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread. And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God” (Luke 4:3-4).
The third way we can resist the devil is knowing the Word of God. Study and meditate on the Scriptures. Listen to anointed men and women of God teach and explain the Word of God until it gets down into your soul. The Word of God builds our faith and helps us overcome temptation. The psalmist wrote, “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee” (Psalm 119:16).
WORSHIP
The fourth way we can resist the devil is by our commitment to worship God. When the devil offered Jesus the kingdoms of the world he stole by deceiving Adam and Eve, he told Jesus he would give him all the glory and power of those kingdoms if Jesus would worship him. “And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve” (Luke 4:8).
We cannot compromise our loyalty to Christ by prioritizing worldly possessions, achievements, and relationships above our relationship with God. Jesus said we cannot serve two masters (Matthew 6:24). He should be first in our lives, and when we worship God, he moves on our behalf.
When three nations came up against King Jehoshaphat and the children of Israel, they cried out to God and fasted. After consulting with the people, King Jehoshaphat put the praise team in front of the army. “And when they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, which were come against Judah; and they were smitten” (2 Chronicles 20:22).
STAND YOUR GROUND
Back to Jesus’ battle in the wilderness. Finally, the devil took Jesus to the pinnacle of the Temple. “Jump off if you are the Son of God,” he said. “Doesn’t the Word says God’s angels will guard you and hold you up?” The devil was misinterpreting the Scriptures. “And Jesus answering said unto him, It is said, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God” (Luke 4:12).
Jesus answered Satan with the Word. He stood his ground and rebuked him. The fifth way to resist the devil is to stand your ground. Dig your heels in, rise up in faith, and fight back. Do not run from Satan. The enemy is supposed to be running from you. The Bible says, “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (James 4:7).
TESTIFY
The sixth way we can resist the devil is by pleading the blood of Jesus over our lives and testifying of the goodness of God. The Bible says, “And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony” (Revelation 12:11). The word overcome in this verse means to subdue, conquer, prevail, and get the victory.
HAVE FAITH
The seventh way we can resist the devil is through our faith in God. The Bible says, “Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked” (Ephesians 6:16). The shield of faith is your confidence in God, your confidence in Christ’s victory on Calvary. Jesus defeated the devil and stripped him of all his authority. He said, “All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth” (Matthew 28:18). And we are overcomers because greater is he that is in us than he that is in the world (1 John 4:4).
IN SUMMARY
By following the leading of the Holy Spirit, praying and fasting, studying God’s Word, worshipping the Lord, standing our ground, testifying, and having faith, we can resist the devil and get the victory over every temptation and spiritual attack he throws at us.
When Jesus was done resisting Satan with the Word of God, the devil had to leave him for a whole season. “And when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from him for a season” (Luke 4:13). Jesus sliced him with he Word of God through the power of the Holy Spirit. And he ultimately defeated him when he died on the cross and rose from the dead.
And this same Jesus lives inside of us, and he empowers us through the Holy Spirit to overcome the enemy and defeat every principality and ruler of the darkness of this world.
PAKISTAN CRUSADE
As you know, we have been given an amazing opportunity to preach the Gospel in the city of Mian Channu where we will hold an evangelistic mega-crusade on November 4th to 11th. We are expecting over 100,000 people to be there and believe the power of God will show up in mighty ways. The blind will see. The deaf will hear. The crippled will walk. Broken bones will be mended, and cancer will be healed. The demon-possessed will be delivered, and most importantly, many souls will be saved.
We are so excited. God is going to do amazing things, and he is giving you an opportunity to play a role in a mighty move of the Holy Spirit. We are in the process of raising $60,000 and are asking our partners to stand with us and sow a seed of $1,000, $750, $500, $250, $100, $50, or $20 to help us cover the costs of the crusade. We will be using 550 buses to bring families to the evangelistic crusade, as well as renting a tent and chairs, lighting and sound equipment, a generator, and more. And we’ll be feeding ushers, bringing in worship singers, arranging team visits, and covering travel expenses.
If you have already given, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts. And if you have not yet given towards the crusade, we encourage you to do what you can, and God will honor seed of faith. We know many lives will be touched and many healings will take place, and we give all the glory and honor to God. And we thank you for making this outreach possible with your prayers and donations.
When you give, we ask that you specify that your donation is for the Pakistan crusade. Please visit the platform of your choice to give:
Or mail your donation to:
Sean Pinder Ministries
P.O. Box 2726
McKinney, TX 75070
God Bless,
Pastors Sean & Aimee Pinder
