Should Christians Fear the Devil?

[00:00:00] Speaker A: Foreign. [00:00:06] Speaker B: We've been in a season on all things related to the spiritual realm. So we're diving into today's question, which is should Christians fear the devil? [00:00:16] Speaker A: It's a great question. If you ask most Christians, they're going to have some kind of fear, right? Like, if you go to bed and you knew the devil was in your closet, you'd probably have a hard time sleeping if he was under your bed. You know, let me just break through kind of all the emotional chaos of this. In the end, answer is very simply, you do not need to fear the Devil. You should respect the devil's intelligence, his wisdom, his shrewdness, his craftiness. We've said this in previous episodes, but he has been watching humanity for millennia, learning what gets us and what doesn't. You should probably be concerned for unusual demonic attack. If you are, number one. I want to say this in the most innocent way possible. Naive. You might be new to scripture. You might not have ever really studied demonic tactics. The Screwtape Letters is a great book to start with, just to kind of get inside of the strategic mind of the demonic realm. C.S. lewis did an incredible job describing that. So all of us are naive to a degree, which is why we need to be in a spiritual community to kind of COVID our weaknesses. But the other is willful sin. So if you are going to participate in willful sin, then you should expect that that will be exploited by demonic activity. It's not that you need to be afraid, but you should be expectant that it is going to be used against you. So I personally don't want my sin used against me. I want to confess it. I want to repent of it. I want to take it before the Lord. But big picture, you don't have to be afraid that he is going to physically hurt you. This idea that he's going to attack you. The people he actually physically attacks in scripture were fake Christians. You see this in the Book of Acts. These people try to cast out demons in Jesus name. And he's like, jesus, I know, but like, who are you guys? You know? And so you don't have to worry, worry about that. I think if there is a physical demonic attack, well, we need to put it in the right theological bucket. And if there is a physical demonic attack, Jesus has temporarily permitted it. Paul says that he was given a messenger of Satan. He asked the Lord a thorn in his side. I think it was probably physical, could have been a person, but there was something there, and he's like, Jesus. This is clearly demonic. Will you take it away from me? And Jesus said, no, my grace is sufficient for you. So if there is a physical ailment that is demonic in origin, just know that. That it has been given permission by Jesus to do that, as uncomfortable as that might be for you in your theology. [00:02:57] Speaker B: Like a job situation? [00:02:59] Speaker A: Absolutely, like a job situation. But that's not something you need to be afraid of, because I love this. Greater is he who is in you than he who's in the world. Right. So I want to read a couple scriptures. I think what these do is they kind of put Satan and the demonic in their rightful place. But what's really important is that these scriptures are only relevant if you have personally trusted in Christ, if you have believed in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus for your sins in your place. Because the moment you do that, you receive the Holy Spirit of Christ who permanently dwells inside of you. Which is why we can say greater is he who's in you than he who's in the world. But if you have never trusted in Christ, I cannot say that about you. So these scriptures only apply to believers. [00:03:45] Speaker B: That's a very important qualifier. [00:03:47] Speaker A: Very important. Okay, so here's James 4, 7. Submit yourselves, therefore, to God. Resist the devil. And what does he have to do? [00:03:56] Speaker B: He will flee from you. [00:03:58] Speaker A: He will flee from you. And so for a believer, you submit yourself to God. Okay. You resist the devil. Most people think to themselves, I need to resist sexual temptation and flee the devil. No, it's flee sexual immorality and resist the devil. It's inverted. So he says, submit yourselves to God. If the devil were to come face to face with Pastor Ryan Chaney, Ryan would pick up his chin, pull back his shoulders, stand face to face, resist him. And there is something about the Holy Spirit in you, and you're standing firm or resisting him that makes him go, oh, and he runs away with his tail between his legs, his dragon tail petrified of you. I love the word fleeing because it's like he's running away scared. You know, we underestimate the spiritual power of a Christian who submitted to God and resisting the devil. Yeah. Like, it's a powerful thing. [00:04:47] Speaker B: Yep. [00:04:48] Speaker A: We have Ephesians 6, 11. Put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the devil again. The posture is standing against, standing firm, not fleeing. 1 Peter 5, 8, 9. Be sober minded, be watchful. Your adversary, the Devil, he prowls around like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour. And then, I love this. It's not run away it says, resist him firm in your faith. Colossians 2:15. He Jesus disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame by triumphing over them in Christ. So this idea that he has been disarmed. You have the spirit of Christ. You do not need to be afraid. If the Lord does temporarily allow some sort of physical, intellectual, emotional, mental attack on your life, you can know nothing got to you unless it went through Jesus. So it is there on purpose to form you, to shape you, to prepare you. It's okay. You're going to be fine. You can go to him like Paul did and say, would you take away this thorn? He may say yes, he may say no. He may say no for now, but yes later. Right? And that's okay. But you don't need to be afraid of it. You just need to understand your job is to stand firm. It is to resist, to be unafraid. And as you do that, then he is obligated to flee like a little puppy dog. [00:06:14] Speaker B: Thank you for the scriptures. I think that's super encouraging. And that helps us be equipped with the truth of God's word when we are in those situations and seasons of trial and hardship and maybe attack. [00:06:27] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:06:27] Speaker B: Thank you.