Resist Lies

One of my favorite stories is about the two men working on a construction project. When they stop for lunch, one of them opens his lunch box to find a baloney

sandwich.  He begins to complain about how tired he is of baloney.  His friend tells him to ask his wife to prepare him something different.  His answer is, “I’m not married.”

The moral of this story seems to be that much of the baloney in our lives is our own doing! It may be our own laziness and lack of assertiveness in using our authority that brings on many of our problems.

It seems that a major struggle in our lives is the fact that we don’t act assertively enough.  Especially when it comes to resisting the devil. We need to be more agressive in our resistance!!!  My friend Jim Finn always said, “A lie unresisted becomes the truth you live by.”

YOU ALREADY HAVE POWER OVER THE DEVIL

We don’t need to pray for power over the devil, because he has been stripped of his power. Jesus said, “All power has been given to Me”. How much does that leave the devil?

“And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.” -Matthew‬ ‭28‬:‭18‬ ‭NKJV

Let me make it plain. The devil doesn’t function  through power because he has none.  The devil functions through deception. So we don’t need to pray for power over the devil, instead we need to pray for light, so deception will be exposed.

JESUS DECLARED THE DEVIL IS NOTHING BUT A LIAR

“Why do you not understand My speech? Because you are not able to listen to My word. You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When hespeaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.” John‬ ‭8‬:‭43‬-‭44‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

RESISTANCE MAKES YOU STRONG

If you’ve ever joined a gym, they charge you money, but all they sell you is resistance. They offer you a variety of machines that involve pushing, pulling and lifting. I like to say that you can’t get strong watching someone exercize! All so driving by the gym won’t do you any good. Although we agree with this truth, we can dangerously believe it but not act on it. In our Christian walk, we become stronger by exercizing our authority and resisting lies.

“No weapon formed against you shall prosper, And every tongue which rises against you in judgment You shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, And their righteousness is from Me,” Says the Lord.”  Isaiah‬ ‭54‬:‭17‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

WE MUST EXERCISE OUR AUTHORITY BY RESISTING EVERY LIE!!

“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.” -I Peter‬ ‭5‬:‭8‬-‭9‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Resist the devil! “Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.” -James‬ ‭4‬:‭7‬-‭8‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

THE WORD TELLS US TO PULL DOWN, CAST DOWN, AND BRING DOWN

“For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.” -II Corinthians‬ ‭10‬:‭3‬-‭6‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

We have to intentionally and aggressively confront the strongholds and speculations of the enemy. We can’t be casual about this.

JESUS GAVE US HIS AUTHORITY

“And He said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you. Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven.”” -Luke‬ ‭10‬:‭18‬-‭20‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

THE DEVIL HAS BEEN DISARMED!!

And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.” -Colossians‬ ‭2‬:‭13‬-‭15‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

FAR ABOVE!

“...which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come.” -Ephesians‬ ‭1‬:‭20‬-‭21‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF THE ARMOR—ABOVE ALL!

“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints—” -Ephesians‬ ‭6‬:‭10‬-‭18‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

I think it is so noteworthy and extremely significant that Paul says “Above all taking the shield of faith.”  Out of all the pieces of the armor, this is the most important.

This is where most people fail and act too passively. We must boldly and aggressively take up the shield of faith and deal with the doubts, the darts and the lies of the enemy. It is so easy to be lazy about this, and thus let the devil accuse and torment us.  Again, “above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.”   The word, quench, means to extinguish and put our the fire of those darts.

DON’T BE ROBBED!

Over the years, I have been privileged to see many people healed of various afflictions. However, I have probably been lax in advising people to stand their ground after a healing. On some occasions, a person who has been healed by the power of the Holy Spirit will experience a pain or a symptom that they had before. The mistakenly believe that the healing didn’t last. However, the devil deceitfully tries to bring back a false symptom. That’s why is is so important to stand your ground a rebuke any time of symptom that would try to appear.

THE DEVIL TRIES TO HINDER, BUT HE FAILS!

"For I will not dare to speak of any of those things which Christ has not accomplished through me, in word and deed, to make the Gentiles obedient— in mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God, so that from Jerusalem and round about to Illyricum I have fully preached the gospel of Christ. And so I have made it my aim to preach the gospel, not where Christ was named, lest I should build on another man’s foundation, but as it is written: “To whom He was not announced, they shall see; And those who have not heard shall understand.””For this reason I also have been much hindered from coming to you." -Romans‬ ‭15‬:‭18-22  ‭NKJV‬‬

“For we wanted to come to you—certainly I, Paul, did, again and again—but Satan blocked our way.” 1 Thessalonians‬ ‭2‬:‭18‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Remember it is not people who oppose you! It is spritual powers taking advantage of the weakness in their flesh working to distract, discourage, and defeat you. Stand firm in what God has revealed to you when faced with opposition!

"For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places." -Ephesians 6:12