The Power of the Devil - Ian Wilson

Although we sometimes view the Christian life as a playground, Ian Wilson reminded the young people of Listooder that is is really a battleground, a constant battle with the world, the flesh and the devil. It is the devil which occupied our attention as we met for the first meeting of February. A created being, the devil was a cherubim at the beginning, the anointed cherub and top angel in heaven, until pride came in (Ezekiel 28:17) Asking the question ‘Who is Sovereign?’, Ian reminded us that the devil’s power is limited to what God will allow him to do. In Job 1, the he approaches God to ask for permission to attack Job. Just as with us, he ultimately wants to destroy one thing in Job’s life, and that is his spiritual relationship with God. Then looking at the ‘Schemes of the Devil’, Ian shows, from Scripture, the character of the devil as a roaring, devouring lion (1 Peter 5:8), as a hindering force (1 Thessalonians 2:18), a provokation (1 Chronicles 21:1) and a constant temptation (Mark 1:13) to us in our walk with God. He wants to stop us from living for God, and shining bright for Him, growing day by day. Subsequently, if we as young believers are not living for God, the devil will probably leave us alone, because that’s what he wants all along. So how do we react to this powerful force, whose main desire is the destruction of Christians? The Reality: ‘be sober…’ (1 Peter 5:8) – We must take the threat seriously. The devil is not a cartoon character, nor a football mascot. The devil of the Bible is real and dangerous. We must, as Christians, be sober and serious. The Responsibility: ‘Submit yourselves also to God…’ (James 4:7) – To stand against the devil, we must first learn to submit to the will of God. Only then will we be ready to face the foe. The Resistance: ‘Resist the devil and he will flee…’ (James 4:7) – Once we have submitted our lives to God, He has promised that the devil will flee from us, if we simply stand against him. Don’t give in. The devil has been defeated, and if we resist him in the power of God, He WILL flee. The Reliance: ‘Resist stedfast in the faith’ (1 Peter 5:9) – Faith is to rely upon the Lord, standing only in the power of His might. When the devil attacks, we have a far greater one on whom we can call for help. However, the closer we are walking with the Lord, the easier it will be to call upon Him. Ian concluded by reminding us that a Christian cannot be guaranteed a life without conflict, but every believer can experience a life without defeat.