#2089 0208 15P

            Our choice to resist is an effective weapon against the devil.  The choice; James 4:7 “Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”  The sequence is—humble ourselves before God; resist the temptation in His strength; then the devil leaves.  If our peace is being disturbed in any way, we can resist and insist on having our peace restored—the devil has to flee.

            All trouble, discouragement, depression, oppression, and strife originates from the devil.  If we resist him in faith, we are promised God’s peace.  When Satan is thrown in the bottomless pit, the millennial reign of Christ begins.  Immediately there is peace—sickness, struggles, and strife disappear.

            Even the plant and animal kingdom are at peace.  Isaiah 11:7 “The cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.”  When Satan is bound, even wild animals are docile like a harmless lamb.

            Our personal life enjoys peace when the devil flees.  We can experience an inner peace with no hindrance to our prayers, because it is Satan who blocks the answers.  Everything can be changed by just a few words—Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.  We can receive healing; have our peace restored; and our finances supplied.

            Not everyone knows that one word changes everything—resist.  If we are oppressed physically—resist the devil; if money is short—resist Satan; if there is strife in our family—resist the devil and he leaves the house.  We must choose and use our opportunity to resist.

            Governments are supposed to protect the rights of its citizens—but an individual can forfeit that protection by their free-will choice.  Someone may ask for a donation—saying they need food; their children are hungry; or they have to get a bus home.  If we willingly give them ten dollars, no one in the entire government could get it back—we said Yes to the person who wanted the money. 

            If we said No to that person and they took it from us, every police officer in the entire city is on our side to get the money back.  The huge difference is—we resisted when the person wanted to take something from us.  If we resist the devil, he cannot take anything from us.  If we willingly surrender our Atonement rights, he can rob us of everything. 

            In order to successfully resist the devil, we must know what belongs to us, and what rights we have, so we can claim them in faith.  If we gave our consent and allowed Satan to rob us yesterday, but realize we made a mistake and refuse to have his oppression today, he will have to give back what he had taken.

            Without our consent, the devil cannot rob us spiritually, physically, financially, concerning the peace in our home, and he cannot take away our protection—he can no longer keep those things, the moment we resist, say No, and refuse to give him permission.

            If the owner of a property issues an eviction notice to a tenant that they must vacate within thirty days, the laws of this commonwealth say that the person must move out of the house within that time.  The owner can say Yes, the person may stay longer; or he can say No, they must leave.  The owner can tie the hands of the government; or he can have the backing of the government—it is his choice to resist or relent.

            It is the same in divine matters—we have certain rights and privileges under the Gospel and the Atonement Blood of Christ—and the devil has no right to enter our home or stay on our property without our consent.  It is our choice to resist and say No.

            Constitutional law states that nothing can be taken from us unless we waive our rights and consent to it being taken.  So the devil cannot rob us of our Blood-purchased rights, unless we give him our consent.  The moment we turn away from the power of Satan, and turn to the power of God, the devil must flee; and he cannot come back without our consent.

            It is our Blood-bought right to have health, healing, protection, and every provision—they are God-given rights.  The devil constantly comes and asks for these rights—he can approach as an angel of light 2 Corinthians 11:14—but when that happens, it is our choice to resist or relent.

            Our peace was purchased by the Blood of Christ—Satan has no right to take it from us—no right to torment us spiritually, physically, financially, in the home, at work, or anywhere else—he must leave when we resist in faith.

            Hebrews 2:14 “Since then the children referred to are all alike sharers in perishable human nature, [Jesus] Himself also, in the same way, took on Him a share of it, in order that through death He might render powerless him who had authority over death, that is, the Devil, 15 and might set at liberty all those who through fear of death had been subject to lifelong slavery.”

            The devil is powerless to disturb our peace when we choose to resist and refuse to allow him to take that peace from us.  Satan is not able to torment us or to afflict our body without our consent—he has been paralyzed, so he cannot do anything to us or take anything from us.

            To successfully resist the devil, we must make a final decision to go through trusting God without compromise—if we will draw near to God, He will draw near to us and help us to resist.  James 4:8 “Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you.  Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.”

            Another example is a king who resisted the devil.  1 Kings 20:1 “Ben-Hadad the king of Syria gathered all his host together: and there were thirty and two kings with him, and horses, and chariots: and he went up and besieged Samaria, and warred against it.”  It was a huge military force of thirty-two heads of governments, but they could not touch Israel without their consent; and Satan cannot touch us, or enter our home, without our consent.

            King Ben-Hadad sends this message to King Ahab of Israel 1 Kings 20:3 “‘Your silver and gold are mine, and the best of your wives and children are mine.’”  King Ben-Hadad demands that they take their money and their loved ones.  The devil says the same to us—your health and your loved ones are mine; and your money is mine.  All too often we answer as 4 “The king of Israel answered, ‘Just as you say, my lord the king.  I and all I have are yours.’”

            It is foolish to surrender rights to a paralyzed enemy.  The king of Israel was in no spiritual condition to know or to claim his rights.  1 Kings 20:5-6 “The messengers came again and said, “This is what Ben-Hadad says: ‘I sent to demand your silver and gold, your wives and your children.  6 But about this time tomorrow I am going to send my officials to search your palace and the houses of your officials.  They will seize everything you value and carry it away.’”

            The old saying: If you give the devil an inch; he’ll take a mile, applies here.  It pays to resist the devil the moment he appears.  1 Kings 20:7-8 “So the king of Israel called all the elders of the land, and said, ‘Notice, please, and see how this man seeks trouble, for he sent to me for my wives, my children, my silver, and my gold; and I did not deny him.’  8 And all the elders and all the people said to him, ‘Do not listen or consent.’”

            In like manner, we should not listen to, nor consent to, anything Satan suggests to us, or tries to put on us.  The moment we are oppressed; short of finances; lacking peace, or are troubled in anyway, we are to refuse in the Name of Jesus; we are to resist the devil in faith, and the Bible says he will flee from us.

            We are to resist and insist on our deliverance; we should “not listen or consent;” we are not to surrender one thing to the devil, but to claim our victory in faith and in Christ.  Until we give him our consent, the devil must flee.

            1 Kings 20:9 “Therefore he said to the messengers of Ben-Hadad, ‘Tell my lord the king, ‘All that you sent for to your servant the first time I will do, but this thing I cannot do.’’”  He did not have to consent the first time, but at least he now resists the demands, and refuses to give up his rights.  “Do not listen or consent—[so] the messengers departed and brought back word to him.”

            King Ben-Hadad did not like to hear that and said 1 Kings 20:10 “May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if enough dust remains in Samaria to give each of my men a handful.”  The king of Israel gave a memorable reply 1 Kings 20:11, “Tell him, ‘Let not the one who puts on his armor boast like the one who takes it off.’”  God would have the last word on who wins this battle.

            1 Kings 20:12-13 “Ben-Hadad heard this message while he and the kings were drinking in their tents, and he ordered his men: ‘Prepare to attack.’ So they prepared to attack the city.  13 Meanwhile a prophet came to Ahab king of Israel and announced, ‘This is what the LORD says: ‘Do you see this vast army? I will give it into your hand today, and then you will know that I am the LORD.’’”

            The king made the choice to resist the enemy—he withdrew his consent.  God had to be true to His Word, when the king made that choice to resist.  If we will choose to resist the devil and insist on our deliverance over the devil’s power, God will always be true to His Word and grant us the victory—Malachi 3:6 “I am the LORD, I change not.”

            When Satan comes back with old sins, self-plans, and wrong attitudes of the past—we must resist and insist that he flee—we are to say No, we will not have that oppression; we will not consent to the illness; we will not surrender our Blood-bought rights; and we will not allow Satan to rob us.

            What God said to the king that day, He will say to us this day; 1 Kings 20:13 “Hast thou seen all this great multitude? Behold, I will deliver it into thine hand this day; and thou shalt know that I am the LORD.”  The key to victory is to James 4:7 “Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”