Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. (1 Peter 5:8-9)

The Devil Can Be Beaten

Fear can only be measured by the amount of courage we lack to stand against something bigger than ourselves. The devil is a powerful and consuming adversary that stops at nothing to devour his prey. When the prey stops praying, fear takes hold, and the soul is lost. Satan convinces the heart there is no hope, no answers, and no power to resist him. That is a lie. It should not surprise the people of God when the devil lies, as he is the father of all lies. The truth lies in the eternal fact that when the people of God are alert and watching out for the great enemy, he can be beaten – and badly.

There is little doubt Satan is like a hungry and devouring lion. He cares not whom he consumes, and his greatest delicacy is the soul of God’s people. Prowling like a lion, ready to pounce with a roar that brings fear into his victim, the devil uses his wiles and deceits to destroy faith, hope, and trust. The devil can be beaten when the heart stands firm against him with strong faith. Everyone suffers under the hand of the devil. From the moment he first spoke to Eve in Eden until the final day when Jesus Christ returns with the heavenly hosts of angels, Satan will find ways to destroy righteous hearts. God wants His people to know Satan is defeated. He will be defeated in judgment when the Lord casts the devil into a lake of fire, which is the second death. Hell was prepared for the devil and his angels – and he knows it. Before that time, he will make every effort to take as many people with him as possible – and he is doing an incredible job. Most people fall prey to his wiles because they do not know Satan is defeated and can be beaten.

Faith assures the heart that God is greater than Satan. The Father does not make idle promises. He has said He will not allow His people to be tempted beyond their ability to resist. There is a hedge placed around the family of God to protect them. When the little foxes of doubt and despair come into the heart, the hedge of protection is compromised. Satan begins to whittle away at the heart. The Christian must be sober and stay alert with vigilance. The devil is walking about. Stand firm against him and resist him. He can be beaten. Standing steadfast in the faith of Jesus Christ will protect the heart from the devil’s wiles.

When the roaring lion of Satan’s breath blows its evil deceit in your face, stand firm and look the devil in the eye and tell him he is beaten. Shake your righteous fist in his face and tell him to go away – and he will – he has no choice. He can be resisted. Satan can be beaten. The devil is not greater than the spirit of faith residing in the heart of God’s righteous people. He will chip away at our lives, seeking to destroy us, but there is no condemnation in Christ Jesus. Satan plants seeds of doubt in our minds that must be destroyed. Jesus did not die to offer a weak promise of hope but a courageous faith of trust, knowing that I am a child of God and Satan will not have his way with me. Get away from me, Satan. You are beaten. You are defeated. You are crushed. It is not I that lives, but Christ Jesus that lives in me.