Devoted to the Propagation and Defense of New Testament Christianity
VOLUME 20
July 18, 1968
NUMBER 11, PAGE 9b-10

How To Resist The Devil

Larry Ray Hafley

We are commanded to resist the Devil as we endeavor to cleave to that which is good and live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world. Before the great Judge we will all one day answer how well we have denied our adversary. Have we been his servant, or have we ascribed to the Lamb of God blessings and honor? These are questions with which we shall all be confronted. The answer will determine our soul's eternal destiny.

Unfortunately, the Devil is not an obvious bogey man'. He is, rather, the cunning, crafty prince of this world, transformed into an angel of light, worshipped in material pleasures, and reverenced in physical gratification. No maiden was ever more enticing to the eyes of man than the "gentle" father of lies whose fate has been sealed with his disciples in an unquenchable, fiery agony. The Tempter has the look of a soft, cuddly puppy, but the reward of a maniac mad dog.

How, then, can we avoid this camouflaged craftsman of deceit so that he will flee from us? Each one of us must strip himself of himself, always remembering that without Him we can do nothing, and it is He which said, "My grace is sufficient for thee." In the long ago an apparently helpless and seemingly foolish shepherd boy went forth to meet an awesome giant without the battle array of man. A Mammoth Philistine was felled and an army fled before the onslaught of one boy, one sling, one stone, and the hand of God. To ward off Satan's flaming darts, we must put on our Lord's strength through His word and in prayer cast off the cumbersome armor of self and the world. As sure as we lean on any of our own strengths, or trust in our own hearts, just that certain is our downfall to occur, though the temptation be only as strong as the wind from a powder puff.

Christians are encouraged to be good soldiers. Military exhortations are common from brother Paul. We must be preparing for battle even when the enemy is beyond the horizon. No successful warrior ever attacked and then asked for his shield and sword. A winning fight must be preceded by tedious toil. Suppose Joseph had waited until Pharaoh's wife pulled herself to him to pray for God's resisting grace? Could he have denied his desires, being alone? Joseph, the man, cognizant of his passions, had a fortress of godly virtue built to sustain in time of peril. The lesson was written for our admonition that we should cling to the everlasting Arm when the seas are calm so that He will be there when the waves rage.

"Kill it before it spreads!" The old axiom applies itself perfectly to our next suggestion on how to resist the Devil. When the ugly root of temptation sends its first bud to the surface, calmly, but with all the force and fervor the heel of your foot can muster, stamp it out! Do not wait for it to stem, strengthen, seed, and sow others. Only with immediate action against the slightest sign of temptation are you guaranteed complete victory. It must be eradicated before it becomes a multi-headed dragon. The great Chicago fire that licked up homes like match sticks nearly a century ago was once so small that a bucket of water would stifled it, yet in a short time it began to devout possessions in crackling gulps of flame. Destroy temptation before it becomes irresistible.

In competitive sports, as in war, weak spots art sought and probed with the hope of opening that small hole in the dam. This technique is a favorite of the Devil. Oh, he delights in raking over the sore that won't heal! What a delicacy to his fiendish appetite when he finds one vulnerable avenue in the armor of a Christian! Strong drink has no appeal to you, but your tongue may be a rampaging razor; you have no desire to curse, but a filthy joke is hard to dismiss — we all have our weak spots where special defenses must be always alert. If you are humble, mild, "slow to speak, slow to wrath" Satan may not tempt you so strongly with pride and anger, but he will spy and pry until he beholds a tender area. What is it? Failure to study or self pity? Never fear, the Devil will find it and you need to patch it before he does.

Yes, but what about our strengths? Many a castle has been brought to calamity through neglect of an "impenetrable" front. The Titanic was unsinkable so why take lifeboats? Man 0' War was unbeatable, but he was beaten. The deadly silence of a volcano that has lain dormant for centuries is often times shattered by a gargantuan grunt of molten lava. The belched liquid spews forth to squelch all life in its wake. Such is the folly of regarding some sins as impossible to commit because they lack appeal. Satan is urging you to think that you cannot be tempted by a certain evil because in this way he lessens your fear of it. The meek man is thus denied his reward because of a proud heart, and the saint is overwhelmed by vain self-righteousness.

There was once a man who successfully resisted the Devil. He was tempted in every imaginable desire, but through strength in "it is written" he caused the Devil to depart though for only a season. Now, we are called to resist the Devil as he did, and we're promised that, if we will resist, Satan will flee. Then in some age when the sun, moon, and stars have been extinguished, angels will minister to us before the throne of an everlasting morning.