Resist And He Will Flee
Life Is Spiritual
Resist and he will flee. Who exactly, you may ask?
Well, let’s start at the beginning.
If you didn’t know it before, you do now. And I know it’s quite direct, but it’s necessary. So there is no apology for my directness (sorry!), but there is this clear statement. Whether you like it, yes or no; and whether you know or understand it, yes or no, life is spiritual. But what does that mean?
Each human being is a spirit being at their core. Every person is in essence a spirit, with a soul, who lives in a body. This truth becomes most evident in our physical world when someone we know or someone we love passes away. That essence of life that provided that sparkle in their eyes leaves. What is left behind, their body, we bury or cremate. Their body becomes like an empty house when the real essence of the person, their spirit, leaves…and then lives on.
This gives rises to another maybe shocking reality, that all people, past, present, and those still to be born, will live forever. Spirits don’t die, they don’t cease to exist. The question then becomes where do all these people go? Where will you go when your spirit leaves your body and you leave this earth?
Only Two Kingdoms
Laying it out as truth, we live in a physical world which is governed by a superseding spiritual world. There are people who know all about this and some those who have trained themselves to utilise it adversely. Additionally, there is a massive subset of people have no idea, and are completely in the dark when it comes to understanding that our physical world, and therefore their personal world, is governed by what happens in the spirit realm.
Life or Death
The Bible is clear that there are two kingdoms at odds with each other, fundamentally at war, in the spirit realm; the kingdom of life and the kingdom of death. The kingdom of God and the kingdom of satan. For clarity, these kingdoms are not equal in power or in any other way, but both kingdoms are looking to obtain the souls of men.
These kingdoms are in direct opposition to each other, and just as light is opposed to darkness, each kingdom has a different ulterior motive for mankind. Each of us must make a choice and decide which of the two kingdoms we will side with. Reader beware, abstaining from making an active choice, is a default choice for the kingdom of darkness. I encourage you to choose life:
I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live;
Deuteronomy 30:19 NKJV
The Lord Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever. He is one with the Father, and the Father’s commandments have not changed. This same option, as presented to the children of Israel in Moses’ day, is now presented to you and me:
Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today, and forever.
Hebrews 13:8 NKJV
Set before us all is one of two ways only: life or death, and you make the choice which road you will take. We are advised and encouraged to choose life. My encouragement is that you to search out the way, to find the truth, and to obtain the life.
Jesus said to him, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.
John 14:6 NKJV
Resist And He Will Flee
All believers (those who accept and live by the Gospel) are part of the kingdom of God, and are therefore fully equipped to withstand and overcome the strategies and vices of the kingdom of darkness. The Bible is clear that the kingdom of darkness is already defeated. The expected end to the kingdom of darkness is already documented. The kingdom of God is already victorious.
10 The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.
11 Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them.
12 And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books.
13 The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works.
14 Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
15 And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.Revelation 20:10–15 NKJV
Resist And Overcome
The Bible is also clear that the kingdom of darkness is constantly trying to push forward regardless, with its main aim focussed against those of the kingdom of light. On the converse side, us believers have a responsibility in this war to overcome all darkness, to obtain territory and thereby advance the kingdom of God. This first starts with us on an individual level, and we have to learn how to resist anything coming towards us from the kingdom of darkness.
8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.
9 Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.
10 But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you.1 Peter 5:8–10 NKJV
7 Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.
8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.James 4:7–8 NKJV
Resist By Definition
The word “resist” is the Greek word “anthistemi” and it means;
To set one’s self against
To withstand
To oppose
To set against
The most effective way to resist is to know your position in the kingdom of God. To know that you know what the eternal blood of Jesus has accomplished, to come to know the Lord Jesus personally and believe in the power of His Name. Resist, and he will flee. He must flee!
And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.
Revelation 12:11 NKJV
Remain Watchful
To effectively resist satan and the powers of darkness, you must know the word of God. Just like the soldiers in an army have to train, to be prepared, and remain watchful and ready for any incoming battle, so the believer must train and remain watchful. The Bible is clear that are told that the weapons we use in this spiritual battle are not cluster bombs and AK-47s. Spiritual battles require spiritual weapons:
4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds,
5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,
6 and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.2 Corinthians 10:4–6 NKJV
The enemy is already defeated and he knows it. Christ has already triumphed over Him and obtained victory at the cross, when He died, was buried, and rose from the dead. You just have to enforce this victory and remind the enemy of his place when he aims to rise against you. Remind him of his place against any tactic he uses against your life, against your health, against your family relationships, against your future prospects, against your community, against your country and against the world at large. We’ve already been granted everything we need to overcome. Just need to believe it and employ it.
11 In Him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ,
12 buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead.
13 And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses,
14 having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.
15 Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.Colossians 2:11–15 NKJV
Stand
Standing your ground goes hand in hand with resisting. Once you’ve done everything you know to do according to the word of God, our next stance is to stand. Stand unmovable. Stand without wavering. Stand, because we know, without a shadow of a doubt, that we have the victory. Regardless of the things sent our way to dissuade us and cause us to falter, but stand strong and watch and see the victory come your way because you do not stand alone.
You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.
1 John 4:4 NKJV
10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.
11 Put on the whole armour of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
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.
13 Therefore take up the whole armour of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness,
15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.
17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God;
18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saintsEphesians 6:10–18 NKJV
