In His Strength

Just as police officers call for back-up when they sense that danger may be imminent, the first thing we must realize about spiritual battle is that in our own strength, we are no match for the devil.

I think a healthy respect of our adversary is in order for believers today. We don’t want to underestimate him, nor do we want to overestimate him. We want to accurately assess who he is and what his abilities are.

We need to recognize that he is powerful; we don’t want to try and take him in our own strength.

When I hear some preachers on television or the radio calling the devil silly little names, laughing at him, or making jokes about him, I remember what Jude 9 says: “Yet Michael the archangel, in contending with the devil, when he disputed about the body of Moses, dared not bring against him a reviling accusation, but said, ‘The Lord rebuke you!’ ”

Even the high-ranking Archangel Michael did not dare to condemn the devil with mockery. He simply said, “The Lord rebuke you!” There was a respect of the enemy.

The reason we need to “be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might” is because Satan wants to get us away from that. It is our power base. He wants to separate us from God, because the moment he gets us away from Him, we are open prey. Thus, the devil wants to put a wedge between God and us.

The only power that can effectively drive Satan out is the power of Jesus Christ. Be strong in the Lord. Stay close to Him. Don’t let anything come between you and God.