Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. –Ephesians 6:10–11
SPECIAL EDITION BLOG POST (A bit longer than normal, but oh so important!)
We have an enemy of our soul who desires to keep us from becoming all that God created us to be. He wants to keep you and me ineffective for the Kingdom. Therefore, to march forward in battle, it’s important to know who this enemy is, how he operates, and, more importantly, to learn tangible ways to overcome him.
We learn from Scripture the following concerning Satan:
- He has been sinning from the beginning (see 1 John 3:8).
- In fact, he has been a murderer from the beginning (see John 8:44).
- He is the father of all lies (see John 8:44).
- He is compared to a serpent and a roaring lion (see Revelation 12:9; 1 Peter 5:8).
- He is known as the god of this age (see 2 Corinthians 4:4).
- He is the unseen power behind all unbelief and ungodliness (see 2 Corinthians 4:4).
- He disguises himself as an angel of light (see 2 Corinthians 11:14).
These are just a few of the horrible attributes of Satan, the enemy of our soul, that we contend with in life.
But as I wrote in Clothed in Righteousness:
A crucial point that you must not overlook is that Lucifer [Satan] is a created being, not eternal like God. He is limited in his knowledge, not all-knowing like your Savior. He is limited in his activity, not all-powerful like your Lord. He is even limited in that he can only be in one place at one time, not omnipresent (everywhere-present) like your King.
Did you notice the word I repeated again and again? Limited! Lucifer is limited and has boundaries—never forget that. Do not make him to be something bigger than he is, for that is just what he wants you to do. At the same time, to live your life as if he does not exist is also playing into his hands. Either of these two extremes is dangerous to your walk.
So, given this, it is . . . important to have true knowledge of who he is and how he operates. For even though his powers are limited, since the time of the fall, he has been given rule over the earth. Thus, another name to describe him is “the prince of this world” (John 12:31).
At this point, you may be thinking, If Lucifer is limited, how is he able to accomplish so many things in different parts of the world?[i]
That question brings us to our second point.
How Satan Operates—4 Distinct Demonic Entities
In Revelation chapter 12, you learn that Satan was kicked out of heaven when he rebelled against God. When this happened, Satan took a third of the angels with him. Under his command, these fallen angels (also known as demons) have been wreaking havoc ever since.
There is an interesting description about them in Ephesians 6:12:
For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places (nkjv).
From this verse, we learn from that our struggle is not against flesh and blood. It’s not against our neighbors, not against our coworkers, not against our boss, not against our loved ones, but our struggle is against 4 distinct demonic entities. Satan has a vast army of demonic beings that assist him in his attacks against citizens of the kingdom of God.
These 4 four entities are known as:
- Principalities
- Powers
- Rulers of the Darkness of this Age
- Spiritual Hosts of Wickedness in the Heavenly Places
Click on the link above to listen to the companion podcast to this blog. It describes each one of these demonic entities and how they work in detail.
But do not fret there is a way to overcome Satan.
7 Effective Ways to Overcome Satan
To learn about 7 effective ways to overcome Satan and walk in victory, it’s important to read the complete passage found in Ephesians 6:10–18.
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore, put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints (nkjv).
James 4:7 says: Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
There are tangible ways to resist Satan by putting on the full armor of God. Each piece of armor is vital to your walk to overcome Satan and his many cohorts.
In fact, this information is so crucial to your walk that, besides the companion podcast to this blog, there are also YouTube videos available on each individual piece of armor that go much, much deeper. Simply click on the links provided below to access the individual videos.
- Know the Word—Ephesians 6:14: Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist. This simply means to put on and allow the belt of truth—the Word of God—to fully encircle every aspect of your life. This can only be done by being in the Word daily. Read it. Know it. Memorize it. And, more importantly, live by it.
Click here to access the teaching video on the belt of truth.
- Stand Firm in Your Identity in Christ—Ephesians 6:14: Stand firm then . . . with the breastplate of righteousness in place. A simple way to put on your breastplate of righteousness is by knowing who you are in Christ and by making decisions based on that truth.
Therefore, learn who you are in Christ. Know who you are in Christ. And make decisions based upon who you are in Christ and not based upon your feelings and emotions. Feelings are fickle. They change moment by moment, and the enemy will use that against you if you allow him to.
This truth of who you are in Christ is so important, so foundational to your walk that it’s the reason I wrote this blog and podcast series—Embrace Truth—so that you will learn the truth of who you are in Christ and know how to move this truth from your head to your heart in a tangible way. When you grasp hold of this and apply it to your life, you will become all that God created you to be.
There is a super cool word picture concerning the breastplate of righteousness in both the teaching video on the breastplate of righteousness (free) and the book Clothed in Righteousness (costs $) also the recently released Clothed in Righteousness In-Depth Devotional Study Guide (costs $). Simply click on one of the links.
- Share the Gospel with Others in Both Words and Deeds—Ephesians 6:15 Stand firm then . . . with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.
This simply means to live your life everyday walking in the ways of the Lord. As you do this, your feet are fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. Sometimes your life is the only Bible a person will ever read. By walking in God’s truth, before you know it, you become contagious for the Lord. Plus, there is a bonus—the enemy and his cohorts are foiled in their attempts to trip you up.
Click here to access the teaching video on having your feet fitted with the gospel of peace.
- Walk in Faith—Ephesians 6:16 says: In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. The enemy will shoot flaming arrows and fiery darts at you hoping to destroy your heart relationship with the Lord.
But by faith and through faith you can overcome him. Remember, one of Satan’s tactics is firing lies at you. John 8:44 says, “When he lies, he speaks his native language” (niv1984). Therefore, to overcome him, simply pick up your shield of faith and use the truth of God’s Word against the enemy. God and His Word is a shield around you.
Click here to access the teaching video on the shield of faith.
- Take Up the Helmet of Salvation—Ephesians 6:17 says: Take the helmet of salvation. In war, one of the most sought-after targets is the head. Therefore, beware! The enemy wants to divide your mind in two.
2 Corinthians 11:3–4a says:
I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ. For if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it easily enough (niv1984).
“When Paul told the Corinthians they had ‘put up’ with these things easily enough, he meant they had lost their discernment and had become tolerant of the deceivers in their midst.”[ii] Remember your salvation and the faithfulness of God and His promises. Do not embrace the lies of the enemy. Do not let him or his cohorts divide your mind. Instead embrace truth.
Click here to access the teaching video on the helmet of salvation.
- Grab Hold of the Sword of the Spirit—Ephesians 6:17 goes onto say: take the . . . sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Your ability to overcome Satan is directly related to your knowledge and application of God’s Word. Therefore, get equipped.
When the enemy is attacking, use the Word just like Jesus did in the wilderness when Satan tempted Him (see Matthew 4:1–11 and Luke 4:1-13).
Click here to access the teaching video on the sword of the spirit.
- Engage the Weapon of Prayer—Ephesians 6:18: And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.
Charles Spurgeon wrote,
Look upward, and let us weep. O God, You have given us a mighty weapon, and we have permitted it to rust.[iii]
“Prayer is a top-secret weapon with which God has equipped you for battle, so don’t allow it to rust. Use it ever time you find yourself in a situation that you need God’s strength, guidance, and wisdom.”[iv]
Click here to access the teaching video on being equipped with prayer.
PRAYER
Dear Lord,
Help me to overcome the enemy of my soul by applying Your Word to my life. Give me spiritual eyes and ears to discern when something is off. I want to become all that You created me to be, and I know I must walk in Your truth. Thank You for preserving Your Word for me so that I can learn from it.
In Jesus’ name, amen.
EMBRACE TRUTH
I am able to overcome the enemy of my soul!
DIG DEEPER INTO GOD’S WORD
1 John 3:8; John 8:44; 2 Corinthians 4:4;
Still need to list all the verses here that are not written out in the above blog.
Adapted from my book Clothed in Righteousness and Clothed in Righteousness In-Depth Devotional Study Guide.
[i] Cherie Fresonke, Clothed in Righteousness (Bellville, OH: Sunflower Press, LLC, 2023), pp. 49-50.
[ii] Fresonke, p. 157.
[iii] Lance Wubbles, ed., Charles Surgeon on Prayer: A 30-day Devotional Treasure (Lynnwood, WA: Emerald Books, 1998), Day 6.
[iv] Cherie Fresonke, Go in Peace Leader’s Manual (Seal Beach, CA: Sunflower Press, LLC, 2012), p. 70.
