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Overcoming The Devil

"We are not ignorant of his devices."(2Cor.2:11)

1. Where did the devil come from?

A. God created the devil:

Pro.16:4 - The Lord hath made all things...even the wicked
Isa.45:7 - I form the light, & darkness...& create evil: I the Lord do all these things
Ezk.28:14,15 - Anointed cherub...from the day thou wast created
Jn.1:3 - All things were made by Him (Jesus)
Col.1:16 - By Him (Jesus) were all things created

B. The devil's fall through pride:

Isa.14:12-15 - Thou hast said...I will be like the most High
Ezk.28:13-17 - Thine heart wast lifted up because of thy beauty
1Tim.3:6 - Lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the (same) condemnation of (judgement as) the devil

2. The devil is under God's control & restrictions:

A. Satan could only afflict Job as God permitted:

Job 1:6-12 - All he hath is in thy power; only on him put not...hand
Job 2:1-7 - He is in thine hand; but save his life

B. God rules over the entire world:

Dan.4:17 - The most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, & giveth it to whomsoever He will
Dan.4:34,35 - He doeth according to His will...& none can stay His hand, or say unto Him, What doest Thou?
Psa.24:1 - The earth is the Lord's (See also Acts 17:24)
Psa.89:11 - The heavens are Thine, the earth also is Thine
Job 41:11 - Whatsoever is under the whole heaven is Mine

C. But, within limitations, He allows the devil to rule it:

Jer.27:5 - I (God) have made the earth...& have given it to whom it seemed meet (appropriate) unto Me
Lk.4:5,6 - All the kingdoms of the world...all this power & the glory of them...is delivered unto me (Satan)
Jn.12:31 - The prince of this world (See also Jn.14:30; 16:11.)
2Cor.4:4 - The god of this world
Eph.2:2 - Prince of the power of the air

D. The devil rules over the fallen angels:

(See Mat.12:24; Lk.11:15; Rev.12:3,4,7-9.)

3. Victory over the devil:

A. God's power is much greater than the devil's:

1Jn.4:4 - Greater is He(Jesus) that is in you than he (the devil) that is in the world
Lk.10:17 - The devils are subject unto us through Thy name
Lk.10:19 - I give unto you power..over all the power of the enemy: & nothing shall...hurt you
Phi.2:9-11 - At the name of Jesus every knee should bow
Jam.2:19 - Thou believest that there is one God; the devils also believe, & tremble
(See also Zech.3:2; Jude 9.)

B. Jesus defeated the devil:

1Jn.3:8 - The Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil
Heb.2:14 - Through death He (destroyed) him that had the power of death, that is, the devil
Col.2:15 - Spoiling principalities & powers...triumphing over them
Lk.10:18 - I saw Satan fall as lightning from Heaven

C. Jesus ' power to exorcise (cast out) demons:

Mat.8:16 - He cast out the (devils) with His Word
Mat.9:32,33 - When the devil was cast out, the dumb spake
Mat.12:22 - One possessed with a devil...& (Jesus) healed him
Mat.12:28 - I cast out devils by the Spirit of God
Mk.1:34,39 - He cast out many devils; & suffered not (did not allow) the devils to speak
Lk.4:33-36 - With authority & power He commandeth unclean spirits
Lk.9:42 - Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, & healed the child
Lk.8:27-33 - [Jesus rebuked Legion; the devils went into the herd of swine] (See also Mk.5:1-15)
Acts 10:38 - Jesus...(healed) all that were oppressed of the devil
(See also Mk.1:23-17; 7:25-30; 9:17-27.)

D. Jesus gave His disciples power over the devil:

Mat.10:1 - He gave them (His disciples) power against unclean spirits, to cast them out
Lk.9:1 - He...gave them power & authority over all devils
Acts 5:16 - There came [to the disciples] them which were vexed with unclean spirits: & they were healed every one
Rom.16:20 - The God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet
(See also Acts 8:6,7; 19:11,12; 26:17,18.)

E. Jesus gives all believers power over the devil including you:

Mk.16:17 - These signs shall follow them that believe; In My name shall they cast out devils
Lk.9:49,50 - We saw one casting out devils in Thy name [It wasn't only the apostles who had this power]
Jn.14:12 - He that believeth on Me, the works I do shall he do also
1Jn.2:14b - The Word of God abideth in you & ye have overcome the wicked one

4. The spiritual warfare:

A. Our war against the devil:

2Cor.10:3-5 - The weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God
Eph.6:10,11 - Be strong...put on armour...stand against the devil
Eph.6:12,13 - We wrestle...against the rulers of darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness...withstand
(See also 1Sam.16:23; Rev.12:7,17.)

B. Be on guard against & resist & defy the devil:

1Pet.5:8 - Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walketh about, seeking whom he may devour
1Pet.5:9 - Resist (the devil) stedfast in the faith
Eph.4:27 - Neither give place to the devil
Mat.4:10 - Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only
Mk.8:33 - Get thee behind [away from] me, Satan

C. Promises to claim when fighting & overcoming the devil:

Isa.59:19b - When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him
Mat.16:19 - Whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound
Lk.10:19 - I give unto you power...over all the power of enemy
Rom.16:20 - The God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet
Jam.4:7 - Resist the devil, & he will flee from you
1Jn.2:14 - Ye are strong, & the Word of God abideth in you, & ye have overcome the wicked one
1Jn.4:4 - Greater is He (Jesus) that is in you, than he (the devil) that is in the world

D. Be prepared for battle when confronting the devil:

Mat.12:29 - How can one enter into a strong man's house...except he first bind the strong man?
Mk.9:29 - This kind can come forth (only) by prayer & fasting
Acts 19:13-17 - [Seven sons of Sceva attempted exorcism without being full of Jesus themselves, & met disastrous results]

E. United prayer for deliverance of the oppressed:

Mat.18:19,20 - If two of you shall agree...ask, it shall be done
Eccl.4:9-12 - Two are better than one

F. They must get filled up with Jesus & Word once they're delivered; or they may end up worse than they were at first:

Lk.11:24-26 - Unclean spirit, gone out of a man [returns to him, finds him empty, & re-enters with 7 other spirits]
(See also Mat.12:43-45a)

5. The devil's devices:

A. Don't be ignorant of the devil's devices:

Gen.3:1a - The serpent was more subtil than any beast
2Cor.2:11 - Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices
Eph.6:11 - Stand against the wiles of the devil

B. The devil is a liar & deceiver:

Gen.3:1b - [Creates doubt of Word:] Yea, hath God said?
Jn.8:44b - For he is a liar, and the father of it
Acts 5:1-4 - Satan filled...heart to lie to the Holy Ghost
2Cor.11:3 - As serpent beguiled Eve...so your minds be corrupted
2Cor.11:13,14 - Satan...transformed into an angel of light (See also 2Thes.2:9-11)
1Jn.4:1,3 - Beloved, believe not every spirit (See also 1Tim.4:1.)
Rev.12:9 - The devil, Satan, which deceiveth the whole world

C. The devil tries to turn men from salvation:

Mk.4:15 - When they have heard, Satan cometh immediately, & taketh away the Word (See Mat.13:19; Lk.8:12.)
Acts 13:8,10 - Elymas...child of the devil (sought) to turn away the deputy from the faith
2Cor.4:4 - The (devil) hath blinded the minds of (unbelievers) lest light of the gospel...should shine unto them

D. "The hinderer":

Zech.3:1 - Satan standing at his right hand to resist him
1Thes.2:18 - We would have come...but Satan hindered us

E. Specific "devices" to be on guard against:

Mat.16:21-23 - [Leads men to contradict & doubt truth. Ex. of Peter]
Jn.13:2 - Devil, having put into the heart of Judas...to betray
Acts 13:10 - Child of devil...not (ceasing) to pervert right ways
1Cor.14:33 - For God is not the author of confusion
Col.1:13 - Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness
2Tim.1:7 - For God hath not given us the spirit of fear
1Jn.3:10 - [Hatred:] Children of devil...loveth not his brother

6. Accuser & tempter:

A. Satan tempts men to sin:

(See Gen.3:1-6; 1Chr.21:1-3,7,8; Mat.4:3-9; 1Cor.7:5; Lk.4:1-13)

B. The devil is the accuser, like a prosecuting attorney:

Rev.12:10 - The accuser of our brethren...which accused them before our God day & night
Job 1:6 - The sons of God came....before the Lord, & Satan came also [Note: "Satan" means "accuser"]

C. Jesus is our advocate, like a defense attorney:

1Jn.2:1 - If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous
Rom.8:34 - Who is he that condemneth? Christ...at the right hand of God, maketh intercession for us
Heb.9:24 - Christ is...entered...into Heaven, to appear in the presence of God for us (See also 1Tim.2:5)

7. The devil is a destroyer:

A. He causes bondage, snares & oppression:

(See Lk.8:29b; Acts 10:38; Rom.8:15; 1Tim.3:7; 2Tim.2:26.)

B. Disease:

(See Job 2:7; Lk.13:11,12,16; 2Cor.12:7.)

C. And destruction:

(See Jn.8:44a; Heb.2:14; 1Pet.5:8,9.)

D. God sometimes uses the devil to punish the disobedient:

(See 1Sam.16:14; 1Cor.5:5; 1Tim.1:20.)

E. Satan seeks to subvert the saints:

Job 1:8-11 - Doth Job fear God for nought? Put forth Thine hand
Job 2:3-5 - Put forth Thine hand...& he will curse Thee
Lk.22:31 - Satan hath desired to...sift thee as wheat

8. Judgment of the devil & his demons, & final end:

A. Some are bound, awaiting judgement:

2Pet.2:4 - Angels that sinned...into chains of darkness
Jude 6 - Reserved in everlasting chains unto judgment

B. Apparently most are still loose, their time not yet come:

Mat.8:28,29 - Art Thou come hither to torment us before the time?

C. Devil not yet cast out of Heaven; has access to throne:

Job 1:6; 2:1 - Sons of God...before God, & Satan among them
Rev.12:10 - Which accused them before God day & night
Rev.12:7-9, 13,14 - [The devil completely cast out of Heaven at the beginning of the last 3-1/2 years, in the time of the end]

D. Devil will be bound 1,000 years in God's prison:

Rev.20:1-3,7, 10 - [Satan bound 1,000 years, afterward released for a short time before being thrown into lake of fire]

E. Devil & his demons finally thrown into lake of fire:

Mat.25:41 - Everlasting fire prepared for devil & his angels
Rev.20:10 - The devil was cast into the lake of fire & brimstone

9. Your armour & weaponry to defeat the devil:

A. Your spiritual armour:

Eph.6:11,13 - Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil
Rom.13:12 - Let us cast off the works of darkness, & let us put on the armour of light
2Cor.6:7 - The armour of righteousness on the right hand & on the left

B. Your mighty shield:

Eph.6:16 - Take the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked
Psa.91:4 - His truth shall be thy shield & buckler
Psa.3:3 - Thou, O Lord, art a shield for me (See also Psa.28:7; 33:20; 115:9; 144:2; Pro.30:5.)

C. Your invincible sword of the Spirit:

Eph.6:17 - Take...the sword of the Spirit...the Word of God
Heb.4:12 - The Word of God is...quick(alive) & powerful, & sharper than any two-edged sword

D. Your breastplate:

Eph.6:14 - Stand...having on the breastplate of righteousness (See also Isa.59:17)
1Thes.5:8 - Let us...put on the breastplate of faith & love

E. Your impenetrable helmet:

Eph.6:17 - Take the helmet of salvation
1Thes.5:8 - Let us...put on for an helmet, the hope of salvation

10. Power, freedom & deliverance from the devil's darkness:

A. God gives us overcoming power:

Lk.10:19 - I give you power over all the power of the enemy
Eph.3:16 - That He would grant you...to be strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man
2Tim.1:7 - God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, & of love, & of a sound mind

B. Freedom from the devil's snares & bondage:

Psa.91:3 - He shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler
Psa.124:7 - Our soul is escaped as a bird out of the snare of the fowlers: the snare is broken, & we are escaped
Pro.14:27 - Fear of the Lord [helps] depart from snares of death
2Cor.3:17 - Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty
2Tim.2:25,26 - Acknowledging of the truth...that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil

C. Delivered into God's glorious Kingdom of light:

Acts 26:18 - Open their eyes...turn them from darkness to light, from the power of Satan unto God
Col.1:12,13 - Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness... partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light

D. The devil cannot separate us from God:

Rom.8:38,39 - Neither angels, nor powers...nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from...Christ Jesus
1Pet.1:5 - Who are kept by the power of God...unto salvation

11. Our astonishing angelic allies, the hosts of Heaven:

A. They outnumber the devil's forces two to one:

2Ki.6:16,17 - They that be with us are more than they that be with them...mountain was full of...chariots of fire
Rev.12:3,4 - (Satan's) tail drew the third part of the stars (angels)
(See also Rev.5:11)

B. Their fantastic flaming weapons:

Gen.3:24 - Cherubims & a flaming sword, which turned every way
2Ki.6:17 - The mountain was full of horses & chariots of fire round about Elisha
(See also Num.22:23; 1Chr.21:16.)

C. They battle against & defeat the devil:

Rev.12:7-9 - Michael & his angels fought against...the (devil) & his angels [& the devil's forces were defeated]

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Copyright (c) 1998 by The Family International

Request
James Arendt
James Arendt

My name is James Arendt. I was raised in the Hegewisch neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois, served in the USAF from 1970 to 1974, and became a full-time missionary for Christ living 40 years in Japan, 3.5 years in Russia, and a few months in other countries such as Finland, Poland, Estonia, Latvia, South Korea, Taiwan and mainland China where I also served the King of Kings, Jesus, as an Ambassador for His Kingdom. My full bio.

On September 24, 2023, I had an accident and broke the bone of the tip of my left elbow. A boy ran in front of my motorbike less than 2 meters from me as I was leaving home. I stopped suddenly and my front tire slid on the sandy concrete road which caused me to fall. I did not hit the boy. On October 18th I had surgery done on my elbow. The doctor put in titanium rods to hold my bones together. The entire procedure including an entire week in the hospital was roughly $4000 USD. This was done in the Philippines where my wife and I have been living since June this year.


X-rays of bone before and after surgery that inserted titanium rods to reinforce my broken bone.

Before and after one week in the hospital.

Undergoing therapy to bend my arm again.
I'm now undergoing therapy to be able to bend my arm again.

It would be a super blessing to us if any of the visitors of this website can help us cover this expense!

You don't need a PayPay account to send me a donation! Just click on the donate button and you will see an option to send through your debit or credit card.


Or if you have a PayPal account, just log into it and send to my PayPal ID:
james.arendt@jamesjpn.net

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