I conclude this periodical on the third enemy – the devil. This heading of course largely includes demons, evil spirits, etc commonly referred together as spiritual wickedness in high places.
Unbelief in the existence of demonic influence is largely unscriptural since the Word – our basis of standard, is replete with descriptions of various contacts with demons and their influence. The New Testament gives us the glorious understanding of the works of these beings of old. In the Old Testament all that happened to men was viewed as coming directly from God but in the New Testament this is better clarified as we are made to understand that every good and perfect gift comes from the father of light with whom is neither variableness nor shadow of turning.
For you that is born again, your relationship with the devil has been clearly defined from the word. Once you were held tightly by his grip and were led wherever he suggested. Scripture says once we were as sheep gone astray. Again we are reminded that we walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air – the spirit now at work in the children of disobedience among whom we all had our conversation in times past fulfilling the desires of our flesh and our mind and were children of wrath just as the others Eph 2:1 – 3.We were weak to save ourselves from this enemy for we were held in bondage by Him.
But now in Christ Jesus we have been delivered from the powers of darkness and have been translated into the kingdom of his dear Son – Col 1:13. Notice the wordtranslated signifying that there is now a change of position. You and I have crossed enemy lines. No longer are we in the place where we can be influenced directly wherein we were held.
Hebrews 2 and verse 14 describes this wonderfully: Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by His death he might destroy him who holds the power of death – that is, the devil – and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.
Now that the victory has been obtained for us in Christ Jesus, the only way to bask in the reality of this victory is by maintaining our ground of conviction. Ephesians chapter 6 defines this using a word – “stand”. This word ‘stand’ largely means to make this your place of abode, your dwelling place. The battle is not by fist fighting the devil or jostling for corrupted things He stole. The battle now is simply by maintaining your ground of conviction in all that Christ Has done for us. 1st Peter 5: 9 – Resist him (i.e. the devil), standing firm in the faith…
In conclusion, walk circumspectly not as fools but as wise redeeming the time for the days are truly evil. Don’t waste energy. There is a format and a predetermined way. Walk in this now and always.
A common strategy to walking in the victory Christ has obtained for us is simply maintaining our ground of conviction. The deed on the cross cannot be changed. You are a victor. Walk in this reality now and always
– Dr bolaji akanni
