I (the Lord) will contend with him who contends with you.
One day a heated argument broke out between two otherwise collegial senior managers at our company. What caused the outburst? I didn’t have a clue!
That evening, as I read a book called Dealing with the Devil, it dawned on me that Satan, also called the devil, God’s arch enemy, could be stirring up trouble with our managers. The author used an analogy to describe the authority we have in Jesus to make a difference: Suppose a person in street clothes is standing in a busy traffic intersection. He waves his arms wildly to stop oncoming traffic, but cars keep whizzing by. Then he makes one change. He puts on a policeman’s uniform. Instantly drivers comply!
Here was my clue. If I were “clothed with Christ” I could influence spiritual traffic. So I “put on my uniform” and prayed in Jesus’ name, taking authority over the troublesome unseen forces. To my amazement, the problem had evaporated by the next day.
The devil is a real adversary. Once a high-ranking angel, he rebelled and was evicted from heaven (see Isaiah 14:12). Though defeated by Jesus in His death on the Cross, Satan continues, by bluster and intimidation, to harass and deceive God’s people. Jesus called him a thief who steals, kills and destroys.
What are we to do? The Bible says, “Resist him and he will flee from you” (James 4:7). In other words, put on the policeman’s uniform!
A big part of facing the Devil is understanding his tricks and lies. Think of the last time you fell into temptation — what do you see now as Satan's attack against you? Talking with someone about your temptation can help you overcome it.