Lest Satan Take Advantage

The Apostle Paul tells us that we can know and overcome the schemes of the enemy. In his letter to the Corinthians, Paul explains that one way to overcome the devil is to forgive those who have offended you. harboring unforgiveness is a sin which opens an opportunity for the devil to enter into your life and begin his evil deeds.

Paul tells us that it is important to forgive those who have hurt us “Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices” (2 Corinthians 2:11). Notice the progression here. If you keep unforgiveness (a sin) in your heart, then Satan gets an advantage.

When you stay free from sin, the devil cannot penetrate your spiritual armor because Jesus Christ has delivered you from any power of the devil: “Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins” (Colossians 1:13-14). We are delivered from the power of the devil. The only power he has left in his feeble war with the saints of God is to use lies and temptations to try to deceive you.

The devil is the father of lies. He actually creates them (John 8:33). He uses lies to deceive and tempt you, and to step-by-step — very subtly — take you farther away from the reality of Jesus Christ:

But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. (2 Corinthians 11:3)

Notice carefully the spiritual truths here. Satan is subtle: He knows that he cannot get the saints of God to start sinning with murder and adultery, so he breaks them gently, luring them into a life of evil step-by-step. First, may be a “small” lie. Then another. He takes you on a subtle progression of evil so that you barely notice the pollution these sins are causing in your spirit.

Our devotions in March centered on your mind. We learned that the mind is the main battle field. That’s where the devil attacks, and that’s where he gets his power. The devil is a spiritual parasite that feeds off your mind. He has no power except the power you give to him by accepting his invitations to sin by believing his lies and deceptions. Don’t let him take advantage of you!