RESIST THE OPPOSER

And the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your power; only do not lay a hand on his person.” So, Satan went out from the presence of the Lord. Job 1:12

REFERENCE
JOB 1:1-22

Reading through job’s sufferings you get to understand that the devil is the author of evil; he ravished Job’s properties and the lives of his children, he ran roughshod in their lives by using natural instruments like wind and fire to wreak havoc in their lives. Also, he used human instruments to do his dirty work – the Sabeans and Chaldeans attacked Job’s servants on different occasions and made off with his livestock.

If the devil can do that in Job’s life then it is safe to say that he is the one who incites wars between nations, causes environmental disasters, sicknesses, marital problems, untimely deaths, etc. Even though Job didn’t know the cause of his misfortunes, he still did not blame God for them. That is an important lesson to take from his story. When trouble knocks on your door, don’t start heaping blames on God; He is not the culprit, the devil is – he is the opposer who stands in the way to impede your progress. But, God has not left you as a weakling for the devil to toy with; He has made a way of escape for you from the devil’s schemes and wickedness.

James 4:7 reveals that when you resist the devil, he will flee from you. It also reveals that the way to resist the devil is to submit to God; and submitting to God means submitting to His Word. Thus, whatever the devil throws at you, you have to resist it with the Word of God. If it is sickness in your body, resist it with the Word that talks about your healing. If it is strife in your marriage, resist it with the Word that speaks about maintaining peace at all times. If it is an attack that forms a stronghold in your mind, cast it down by renewing your mind with the Word. Even if he brings a myriad of problems at the same time so that they become a mountain of problems, speak to that mountain and pull it down with the appropriate Word.

You are the child of the greatest champion who triumphed over all principalities and powers and disgraced them publicly; so, you have the traits of a champion. If only Job had stood up and resisted the devil after the first mishap, he might not have suffered as he did. So, don’t fold your arms and watch the devil run roughshod in your life, unleash the champion in you and resist the opposer.

SCRIPTURE PHOTO

ADDITIONAL STUDY
Ephesians 6:10-18, Colossians 2:11-15, & I Peter 5:8-9

TO DO

Reflect upon areas of your life where the devil has been opposing you, locate the appropriate Word in scriptures for those areas, and resist him steadfastly with the Word.