The Power Satan Fears Most

     Man's basic desire down through history has been to try and make his "toys" and weapons bigger and better than before.  This is shown in the old cartoons and alien movies that all show an attempt to come up with a superior weapon that can defeat a bigger and/or technologically advanced enemy.  Desert Storm gave Americans a feeling of invincibility because of our bigger and better war machines.

     But in our spiritual war with Satan, we seem to have no ability or concern to try and defeat the enemy. Our most powerful weapon against him is rarely used.  What’s worse, most of us don’t even know we have it at our disposal. Some are too scared to know about it. It's sad to see so many people defeated by money problems, job stress, lack of biblical knowledge, fighting with other Christians, fear of death, or physical and emotional health problems (a short list of the devil’s best weapons).  Satan has deceived so many into turning a blind eye to a superior power source that is right within reach.

     What is this weapon that Satan dreads?  The Spirit of God . . . living right inside every Christian (Romans 8: 9-11).  So, if God's spirit dwells inside us, and Satan can't stand against Him, shouldn’t our enemy have been beaten off a long time ago?

     The answer is “Yes”, so why has he been so successful? Because God's people haven't given enough time, study and practice to get a proper understanding of the person and work of the Holy Spirit.  And since our knowledge and perception of him is weak, so is our ability to stand against the devil.  We’ve wasted too much time trying to face a powerful enemy on our own. We’re no match for Satan without God’s Spirit and we will end up dead unless changes are made.

     Romans 8 has been called the Great Spirit chapter of the Bible.  These verses provide an invaluable resource for encouraging us to take advantage of this power that Satan fears the most (who is right at our fingertips).  Sin has weakened and defeated us. To recover and mature our strength, we must follow the Spirit instead of sin (3-8). The Spirit’s power was demonstrated by His raising Jesus from the dead (9-11, 23). Our being able to use the Spirit’s power effectively depends on our acting like Jesus and in obeying God’s (12-17). When we let the Spirit lead us, He will take care of everything for us (26, 27).  The final result, says Paul, is complete and total victory (31-39).

     Now I can understand why Satan is working so hard to keep us from learning about this powerful weapon.  If we all took advantage of it, he would be out of business.  Even the Apostle John tells us about this powerful ally: “The One who is in you (Holy Spirit) is greater than the one who is in the world (Satan)” (1 John 4:4).

     So how is your war against Satan/Sin going? Are you using the weapon God has given you – His Spirit that is living right inside you? If the worries and cares of this life have you feeling weak and defeated, then start learning how to use the weapon Satan fears the most. Tap into God’s strength through His Spirit and watch Satan flee (James 4:7).

Doug