His Limited Power & His Demon Forces

The moment you became a Christian, a spiritual war began.

While it is true that your eternal destiny changes, you pass from darkness to light, you find new purpose and meaning in life, and heaven "rejoices" once you accept Jesus Christ into your heart and life, something else takes place. A a spiritual war begins. As someone has said, "Conversion [makes] our hearts a battlefield."

The believer may be known by his inward warfare as much as by his inward peace. Many Christians do not understand this dynamic of the Christian life. They think that they are set free from the power and ensuing vices that sin brings. They are free to just "go their way" and do whatever they want to do. Yet, we are not set free to merely enjoy ourselves. We are set free to do battle and engage in the fight, to overcome in our own lives, and to become channels by which others are set free.

This battle is not between flesh and blood. It is a spiritual battle with a very real Devil.

Martin Luther described this battle well in the hymn, "A Mighty Fortress Is Our God":

"For still our ancient foe, doth seek to work us woe; his craft and power are great, and armed with cruel hate, on earth is not his equal."

The Devil's Limited Power

We should never underestimate the Devil. He is a sly and skillful foe, with many years of experience in dealing with humankind. Yet, he does have some serious limitations—especially in the life of the believer.

In the Old Testament book of Job, we get an "inside look" at how the Devil operates:

"One Day the angels came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came with them. The LORD said to Satan, 'Where have you come from?'
Satan answered the LORD, 'From roaming through the earth and going back and forth in it.'
Then the Lord said to Satan, 'Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil."
'Does Job fear for nothing?' Satan replied. 'Have you not put a hedge around him an his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread through the land'" (Job 1:6-9).

This passage gives us some clear insights into Satan's power and limitations.

A. Even after his fall, Satan still has access to the throne of God (v.6).

Though Satan lost his once high-ranking position, he still can personally see God.

B. In spite of his power and wicked agenda, Satan has to seek God's permission before he does anything to the child of God because of the "hedge of protection" God has put around his children (v.10).

While God did allow Satan to test Job through various tragedies (death of servants, stolen goods, deadly storms, loss of children, and sickness), God gave Satan this restriction: "On the man himself, do not lay a finger" (Job 1:12b).

The Devil's demon forces must also receive God's permission to do certain things. In Mark 5:1-20, when Jesus cast out a group of demons named "Legion," they asked Jesus for permission to enter a herd of pigs.

In another interesting incident, we read that Satan specifically asked to test the disciple Simon Peter by name. Jesus told Peter, "Simon, Satan has asked excessively that you be taken out of the care and protection of God that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you..." (Luke 22:31). What an encouragement to know that Jesus intercedes for us during our times of testing. Thankfully, God also knows our breaking point, and he will never give us more than we can handle (1 Corinthians 10:13).

C. The Devil Is Not God's Equal.

In the message, "Who Is God," we noted that God had several divine attributes: He is omnipotent (all-powerful); He is omniscient (all-knowing); and He is omnipresent (present everywhere). Satan possesses none of these attributes.

1. Satan is not omnipotent.

He has great power—more than any man and most angels—but he is not anywhere near the equal of our God. As mentioned, he must seek God's permission before he can even do certain things.

2. Satan is not omniscient.

He has a powerful intellect and knows many things from experience (far more than people), but only God is all-knowing.

3. He is not omnipresent.

Satan is an individual personality, so he can be in only one place at a time (as seen in Job 1:7 & 12b). So when we say that the Devil is personally tempting us, more than likely it is probably his power working through his well-organized network of demon powers.

The Devil's Demon Forces

Read Ephesians 6:10-13. When Paul writes "We do not wrestle against flesh and blood...," he is describing a life and death, mortal hand-to-hand combat.

Before coming to Christ, Satan wanted to stop you dead in your tracks!

Once you heard the message of salvation, Satan wanted to "take away the Word that was sown in [your] heart"
(Mark 4:15, emphasis added).

If he was unsuccessful in these attempts, he will now try to entrap you in some kind of sin.

Though Satan is limited in power, he does have a well-organized network of demon powers doing his bidding. Remember, when Satan lost his position in heaven, he took one-third of the angels with him (Revelation 12:4). Numerous Scripture passages refer to Satan and his minions:

"Beelzebub, the prince of demons..." (Matthew 12:24).

"The Devil and his angels..." (Matthew 25:41).

"The Dragon...and his angels..." (Revelation 12:7,9).

Paul also refers to them as the "rulers, authorities and powers of this dark world" (Ephesians 6:12).

The purpose of demons seems to be two-fold:

1) They seek to hinder the purposes of God.
2) They seek to extend the power of Satan.

D. The Devil & His Demons Cannot Control the Christian

As I pointed out earlier, Satan and his demons can hassle the believer—yet only with God's permission. Scripture cites several examples of personal attacks by these dark powers. In one case, Satan kept Paul from going to a certain city
(1 Thessalonians 2:18).

Paul also mentioned his own personal struggles brought about by demons and allowed by God: "To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But He said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me" (2 Corinthians 12:7-9).

Though it is true that we can be oppressed by Satan and his demons, we cannot be controlled by or possessed by them. Every move of the enemy must come by permission through the protective hedge of Jesus. The nonbeliever, on the other hand, is a sitting duck for full-blown demon possession.

A Word of Caution...

Some in the Church have the mistaken idea that Christians can be possessed by demons, so they have "deliverance services" where these alleged spirits are cast out of people. Yet, nowhere in Scripture do we find people dedicating services to the casting out of demons. Peter and John did not have a deliverance ministry—they had a gospel ministry! True, the Apostles cast out demons when needed, but that was never their focus. The only exorcists we read of in Scripture failed miserably (Acts 19:13-16).

In reality, what is often called a demon is actually our flesh, which we are to "die" to, not to "cast out" (see Romans 8:13; 1 Peter 2:24). Jesus is not in a "time share" program with Satan:

·Paul asks, "What agreement does Christ have with Belial [or Satan]?" (2 Corinthians 6:15).

·Scripture tells us that "the wicked one does not touch" anyone who is "born of God" [a believer] (1 John 5:18).

·James tells us, "Resist the devil and he will flee from you" (James 4:7).

How to Stand Strong through the Devil's Attacks

1 . Be strong in the Lord (Ephesians 6:10).

This passage in Ephesians literally means, "Strengthen yourselves in the Lord." The first thing we must realize is that in our own strength, we are no match for the Devil. He is a powerful spiritual being that we must not try to engage on our own.

Satan recognizes that God is your power-base. Therefore, his chief aim is to get between your soul and God. He tries to separate man's heart from God and inspire man's confidence in himself instead.

Remember God's Love for You

When you are being tested, you should remember the words of Jesus, "My Father . . . is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them [the believers] out of My Father's hand" (John 10:29, emphasis added). And Paul reminds us that absolutely nothing can separate us from the love of God (Romans 8:38-39).

Remember Christ's Victory Over Satan at the Cross

The devil does not want you to remember that he was soundly defeated at the cross: "For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil"
(1 John 3:8). Jesus broke Satan's stranglehold on humanity when He died on the cross (see Colossians 2:14 ; John 12:31,32).

Therefore, we are not fighting to obtain victory.
We are resting in the victory He has obtained!

This is the Lord's battle, not our own. We are simply individual soldiers in a vast army who are to obey the directions given to us by the "Captain of our salvation."

King Jehoshaphat of the Old Testament recognized this when greatly out numbered by his enemy. He prayed, "O our God, will You not judge them? For we have no power against us; nor do we know what do to, but our eyes are upon You" (2 Chronicles 20:12). God then answered Jehoshaphat's prayer through a prophet, saying, "The battle is not yours, but God's" (2 Chronicles 20:15).

2. Resist the Devil (James 4:7).

We should keep as much distance between us and the Devil as possible. We do this by avoiding things that will drag us down spiritually. Disobedience and persistent waywardness provide the enemy grounds from which he can attack and influence the Christian. This is why Scripture reminds us, "Do not give the Devil a foothold" (Ephesians 4 :27) .

You will never win this spiritual battle in your own strength. You will only be successful when you draw your strength from the "power base," God Himself. There you will find the strength and stamina to "stand against the wiles of the devil" (Ephesians 6:11).

Part III