“Put on God’s whole armor (the armor of a heavy-armed soldier which God supplies], that you may be able successfully to stand up against all the strategies and the deceits of the devil.” (Ephesians 6:11)
The Greek word for “stand” is Steko, which means to persevere. Persevere means to persist in an idea, task, or purpose despite obstacles.
In order to stand against the strategies and deception of the enemy (satan), you must submit (obey) the Word of God. The Word of God says in James 4:7, “Submit to God and resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” When you submit to God, you automatically resist the devil. It’s like walking in a room of darkness and then turning on the light – the minute you turn on the light, all of the darkness disappears.
Know the devices that satan uses to steal, kill, and destroy you. Some of his devices are as follows:
* Lure you into disobeying God’s Word. For example, in (Ephesians 5:11) it says “what fellowship hath darkness with light. Therefore, you should not develop friendly relationships; companionship with the ungodly (unbelievers of Christ) because they will influence you to do things that are wrong in the sight of God, such as gossiping, lying, and stealing.
* Cause you to lust after the flesh – which causes you to disobey God. For example, you know that fornication is sin, but you allow a man to seduce you and influence you to commit fornication.
* Cause you to invite the enemy into your life. (For example, seeking advice from a nonbeliever. In Psalm 1:1, it says blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly [following their advice, there plans and purposes] nor stands [submissive and inactive] in the path where sinners walk, nor sits down [to relax and rest] where the scornful [and the mockers] gather. When you follow the advice of the unbeleiver, you are following advice that is not based on the Word of God (truth) and is therefore not founded on wisdom. When you don’t exercise wisdom in your life, you are basing your thoughts and actions on foolishness.
(Ephesians 5:8-11) says “For once you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord; walk as children of Light. For the fruit of the Light or the Spirit consists in every form of kindly goodness, uprightness of heart, and trueness of life. And try to learn what is pleasing to the Lord [let your lives be constant proofs of what is most acceptable to Him].”
(I John 1:5) says “. . . God is Light, and there is no darkness in Him at all [no, not in any way].”
As a Christian, you are an Ambassador for Jesus Christ. Therefore, you must represent Jesus Christ in your thoughts, words, and actions. This can only be achieved by the Holy Spirit, leading and guiding you to obey God’s Word.
The Holy Spirit is the spirit of Truth, and will lead and guide you unto all truth.
“But when He, the Spirit of Truth comes, He will guide you into all the Truth (the whole, full Truth). For He will not speak His own message; but He will tell whatever He hears [from the Father; He will give the message that has been given to Him], and He will announce and declare to you the things that are to come [that will happen in the future].” (John 16:13)
“And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:32)
In order to stand against the devil, you must grow spiritually, which requires reading, studying, and meditating on the Word of God. You will have to make time to do this, and as you do, you will grow in knowledge and understanding of the Word of God, and develop a closer relationship with Jesus Christ.
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