Last week, we discovered that our most intense struggles in life do not generally come from what we can see, but from what we cannot see. As we saw last week, the Apostle Paul identified this “unseen enemy” as “rulers,” “powers,” “world forces of darkness,” and as “spiritual forces of wickedness in heavenly places.” With this in mind, we need to realize that the real battles that we face in life are “spiritual battles” that wage war against our souls.

Jesus understood the reality of this conflict, as He identified the archenemy of our souls as the devil. And Jesus identified many aspects of his character, specifically, that he is a “thief,” a “murderer,” a “liar,” and in fact, he is the “father of all lies.” He also “accuses” us, just like a prosecuting attorney, whenever we fail to obey God and follow His plan for us. Indeed, the devil is bent on destroying us by stealing our hopes and dreams, our integrity, and even our faith.  

Satan tempts each of us to believe his lies, and if he can do that, then he has won the battle. 

And so, the place where the battle rages is in our minds, for it is through the mind that Satan tries to convince us that following his lie is better than following God’s truth. That’s why the Apostle Paul says,

“Do not be conformed to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good, acceptable, and perfect” (Rom. 12:2).

Paul knew that the key to overcoming Satan’s temptations is to know and act upon the truth of God. Jesus said,

“If you hold to My teachings…you will know the truth, the truth will set you free” (Jn. 8:32).

That’s why we desperately need to know those things that Jesus has taught us in His Word. Remember what Satan did in the Garden of Eden? He peppered God’s truth with lies, and Adam and Eve bought into those lies and were thrown out of the garden. But what happened when this same Tempter approached Jesus in the wilderness, trying to get Him to act outside of the Father’s will? In each of the three temptations, Jesus counterattacked with truth spoken from God’s Word. Time and time again, we find that if we know and act upon the truths found in God’s Word, Satan’s power, which is in the lie, is broken. In short, we fight Satan’s lies with God’s truth, as revealed in His Word.

The Apostle James gives us the key to overcoming Satan’s temptations: 

“Submit to God and resist the devil” (Js. 4:7).

It’s short and easy to remember, but oh so difficult to obey. James’ exhortation is packed full of strategy for confronting the lie and winning the battle that is being waged in our minds.

First, we must submit our will to God’s will, that is, we deliberately choose God’s will over our own. Jesus confronted Satan in the Garden the night before His crucifixion when He prayed,

“Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet, not as I will, but as you will” (Mt. 26:39).

Second, we need to resist the devil. Notice that James does not tell us to “flee” from the devil, but to “resist” him. If we try to run, he will just catch up to us around the next corner. No, we are to resist him, and how do we resist Him? We do just what Jesus did – He always affirmed God’s truth and did not waver from it. That’s how we are to confront Satan’s lies – we affirm God’s truth. And that’s why “knowing the truth,” as Jesus told us, will “set us free.”

“Submit to God and resist the devil” – That’s the key to overcoming Satan’s plans to destroy us. Let’s identify the lies when they bombard us, and then obey James’ exhortation. May God bless you as you seek to gain the victory over the “unseen forces of darkness.”