R.A. Torrey Quote - 4 keys of Resisting the Devil Effectively

“When the devil sees a man or woman who really believes in prayer, who knows how to pray, and who really does pray, and, above all, when he sees a whole church on its face before God in prayer, he trembles as much as he ever did, for he knows that his day in that church or community is at an end.”

– R.A. Torrey

Devotional: 4 keys of Resisting the Devil Effectively

Let’s face it, we live in a fallen world and a key element of living in this world is temptation. We’re always faced with temptation. The devil is never lazy when it comes to sending temptation our way. Ultimately, he wants to deny us our place in heaven. So how do we resist the devil effectively? Here are the four keys to successfully resist God’s enemy.

Have a Relationship with God

This may seem pretty straight forward and stating the obvious but I need to put this out there because we might think we have a relationship with God, but in the final analysis we really don’t. Analyze your definition of your relationship with Jesus. Be honest with yourself. Is it a real relationship? When you tap into Christs’ power you can do everything and one of these is to resist the devil effectively. Crucial to all this is a true walk with God.

Know your Bible

Did you know when Jesus was fasting in the desert, the devil tried to tempt him three times and with each temptation Jesus countered with a verse from the Bible. The Bible isn’t just a good looking book on a shelf. It’s not just an item that you bring to church with you. It’s meant to be read. Know your Bible. Know the verses that will help strengthen your relationship with God and by extension strengthen your resistance to the devil. When you come across temptation, think about a Bible verse.

Understand the Devil’s Lies

If you know your Bible well enough, you know that the devil became the devil because of pride. That’s what explains his selfishness. If you know how he works and you really let yourself die in relationship to God, you sap all the devil’s strength because he can only tempt you base on how he can appeal to your selfishness. Rob him of that and you rob him of his power.

Trust that God has the Best in Mind for You

The book of Job is a very difficult book to read. He’s a godly man who obviously knows God but all these terrible things happen to him. Well, as long as you get the whole point of Job, which is to trust in God no matter what, and to trust in him regardless of the fact that all these unexplainable things are happening, then you are in a good place. The devil will always try to hit you in a way that you’re grasping for an explanation. As long as you remember to trust in God and base your life on that trust, you will effectively resist the devil.

Conclusion

You cannot resist the devil in your own strength. It’s just not possible. Keep the tips above in mind so you can be victorious in your efforts to resist the devil’s temptations.