OVERCOMING THE
DEVIL

"We are not
ignorant of his devices." (2Cor.2:11)

1. Where did the
devil come from?

A. God
created the devil:

Pro.16:4  The Lord hath made all
things...even the wicked

Isa.45:7   I form the light, &
darkness...& create evil: I the Lord do all these things

Ezk.28:14,15           Anointed
cherub...from the day thou wast created

Jn.1:3      All things
were made by Him (Jesus)

Col.1:16  By Him (Jesus) were all things
created

B. The devil's fall
through pride:

Isa.14:12-15           Thou
hast said...I will be like the most High

Ezk.28:13-17           Thine
heart wast lifted up because of thy beauty

1Tim.3:6 Lest being lifted up with pride he fall
into the (same) condemnation of (judgement as) the devil

2. The devil is
under God's control & restrictions:

A. Satan could only
afflict Job as God permitted:

Job
1:6-12              All
he hath is in thy power; only on him put not...hand

Job
2:1-7                He
is in thine hand; but save his life

B. God rules
over the entire world:

Dan.4:17 The most High ruleth in the kingdom of men,
& giveth it to whomsoever He will

Dan.4:34,35            He
doeth according to His will...& none can stay His hand, or say unto
Him, What doest Thou?

Psa.24:1  The earth is the Lord's (See also
Acts 17:24)

Psa.89:11                The
heavens are Thine, the earth also is Thine

Job
41:11                Whatsoever
is under the whole heaven is Mine

C. But, within
limitations, He allows the devil to rule it:

Jer.27:5   I (God) have made the earth...&
have given it to whom it seemed meet (appropriate) unto Me

Lk.4:5,6   All the kingdoms of the world...all
this power & the glory of them...is delivered unto me (Satan)

Jn.12:31  The prince of this world (See also
Jn.14:30; 16:11.)

2Cor.4:4  The god of this world

Eph.2:2   Prince of the power of the air

D. The devil rules
over the fallen angels:

(See
Mat.12:24; Lk.11:15; Rev.12:3,4,7-9.)

3. Victory
over the devil:

A. God's
power is much greater than the devil's:

1Jn.4:4    Greater is He (Jesus)
that is in you than he (the devil) that is in the world

Lk.10:17  The devils are subject unto us
through Thy name

Lk.10:19  I give unto you power..over all
the power of the enemy: & nothing shall...hurt you

Phi.2:9-11               At
the name of Jesus every knee should bow

Jam.2:19 Thou believest that there is one God; the devils
also believe, & tremble

(See
also Zech.3:2; Jude 9.)

B. Jesus defeated
the devil:

1Jn.3:8    The Son of God was
manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil

Heb.2:14 Through death He (destroyed) him that had the
power of death, that is, the devil

Col.2:15  Spoiling principalities &
powers...triumphing over them

Lk.10:18  I saw Satan fall as lightning from Heaven

C. Jesus'
power to exorcise (cast out) demons:

Mat.8:16 He cast out the (devils) with His Word

Mat.9:32,33            When
the devil was cast out, the dumb spake

Mat.12:22               One
possessed with a devil...& (Jesus) healed him

Mat.12:28               I
cast out devils by the Spirit of God

Mk.1:34,39             He
cast out many devils; & suffered not (did not allow) the devils to speak

Lk.4:33-36              With
authority & power He commandeth unclean spirits

Lk.9:42    Jesus rebuked the unclean
spirit, & healed the child

Lk.8:27-33              [Jesus
rebuked Legion; the devils went into the herd of swine] (See also Mk.5:1-15 )

Acts
10:38             Jesus...(healed)
all that were oppressed of the devil

(See
also Mk.1:23-17; 7:25-30; 9:17-27.)

D. Jesus gave His disciples
power over the devil:

Mat.10:1 He gave them (His disciples) power against
unclean spirits, to cast them out

Lk.9:1      He...gave them
power & authority over all devils

Acts
5:16               There
came [to the disciples] them which were vexed with unclean spirits: & they
were healed every one

Rom.16:20              The
God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet

(See
also Acts 8:6,7; 19:11,12; 26:17,18.)

E. Jesus gives all
believers power over the devil--including you:

Mk.16:17                These
signs shall follow them that believe; In My name shall they cast
out devils

Lk.9:49,50               We
saw one casting out devils in Thy name [It wasn't only the apostles who had
this power]

Jn.14:12  He that believeth on Me, the works I do
shall he do also

1Jn.2:14b                The
Word of God abideth in you & ye have overcome the wicked one

4. The spiritual
warfare:

A. Our war against
the devil:

2Cor.10:3-5            The
weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God

Eph.6:10,11            Be
strong...put on armour...stand against the devil

Eph.6:12,13            We
wrestle...against the rulers of darkness of this world, against spiritual
wickedness...withstand

(See
also 1Sam.16:23; Rev.12:7,17.)

B. Be on guard
against & resist & defy the devil:

1Pet.5:8  Be sober, be vigilant; because your
adversary the devil walketh about, seeking whom he may devour

1Pet.5:9  Resist (the devil) stedfast in the faith

Eph.4:27 Neither give place to the devil

Mat.4:10 Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou
shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only

Mk.8:33  Get thee behind [away from] me, Satan

C. Promises to
claim when fighting & overcoming the devil:

Isa.59:19b              When
the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a
standard against him

Mat.16:19               Whatsoever
thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound

Lk.10:19  I give unto you power...over all the
power of enemy

Rom.16:20              The
God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet

Jam.4:7   Resist the devil, & he
will flee from you

1Jn.2:14  Ye are strong, & the Word of God
abideth in you, & ye have overcome the wicked one

1Jn.4:4    Greater is He (Jesus) that is
in you, than he (the devil) that is in the world

D. Be prepared for battle
when confronting the devil:

Mat.12:29               How
can one enter into a strong man's house...except he first bind the
strong man?

Mk.9:29  This kind can come forth (only) by prayer
& fasting

Acts
19:13-17        [Seven
sons of Sceva attempted exorcism without being full of Jesus themselves, &
met disastrous results]

E. United prayer
for deliverance of the oppressed:

Mat.18:19,20          If
two of you shall agree...ask, it shall be done

Eccl.4:9-12             Two
are better than one

F. They must get
filled up with Jesus & Word once they're delivered; or they may end
up worse than they were at first:

Lk.11:24-26            Unclean
spirit, gone out of a man [returns to him, finds him empty, & re-enters
with 7 other spirits]

(See
also Mat.12:43-45a)

5. The devil's devices:

A. Don't be
ignorant of the devil's devices:

Gen.3:1a The serpent was more subtil than any
beast

2Cor.2:11                Lest
Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices

Eph.6:11 Stand against the wiles of the devil

B. The devil is a liar
& deceiver:

Gen.3:1b [Creates doubt of Word:] Yea, hath God
said?

Jn.8:44b  For he is a liar, and the father
of it

Acts
5:1-4              Satan
filled...heart to lie to the Holy Ghost

2Cor.11:3                As
serpent beguiled Eve...so your minds be corrupted

2Cor.11:13,14         Satan...transformed
into an angel of light (See also 2Thes.2:9-11)

1Jn.4:1,3 Beloved, believe not every spirit (See also
1Tim.4:1.)

Rev.12:9 The devil, Satan, which deceiveth the whole
world

C. The devil tries
to turn men from salvation:

Mk.4:15  When they have heard, Satan cometh
immediately, & taketh away the Word (See Mat.13:19; Lk.8:12.)

Acts
13:8,10          Elymas...child
of the devil (sought) to turn away the deputy from the faith

2Cor.4:4  The (devil) hath blinded the minds of
(unbelievers) lest light of the gospel...should shine unto them

D. "The
hinderer":

Zech.3:1 Satan standing at his right hand to resist him

1Thes.2:18             We
would have come...but Satan hindered us

E. Specific
"devices" to be on guard against:

Mat.16:21-23         [Leads
men to contradict & doubt truth. Ex. of Peter]

Jn.13:2    Devil, having put into the
heart of Judas...to betray

Acts
13:10             Child
of devil...not (ceasing) to pervert right ways

1Cor.14:33              For
God is not the author of confusion

Col.1:13  Who hath delivered us from the power of
darkness

2Tim.1:7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear

1Jn.3:10  [Hatred:] Children of devil...loveth not
his brother

6. Accuser &
tempter:

A. Satan tempts men
to sin:

(See
Gen.3:1-6; 1Chr.21:1-3,7,8; Mat.4:3-9; 1Cor.7:5; Lk.4:1-13)

B. The devil is the
accuser, like a prosecuting attorney:

Rev.12:10               The
accuser of our brethren...which accused them before our God day &
night

Job
1:6    The sons of God
came....before the Lord, & Satan came also [Note: "Satan" means
"accuser"]

C. Jesus is our
advocate, like a defense attorney:

1Jn.2:1    If any man sin, we have an advocate
with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous

Rom.8:34                Who
is he that condemneth? Christ...at the right hand of God, maketh intercession
for us

Heb.9:24 Christ is...entered...into Heaven, to appear in
the presence of God for us (See also 1Tim.2:5)

7. The devil is a
destroyer:

A. He causes
bondage, snares & oppression:

(See
Lk.8:29b; Acts 10:38; Rom.8:15; 1Tim.3:7; 2Tim.2:26 .)

B. Disease:

(See
Job 2:7; Lk.13:11,12,16; 2Cor.12:7 .)

C. And destruction:

(See
Jn.8:44a; Heb.2:14; 1Pet.5:8,9 .)

D. God sometimes
uses the devil to punish the disobedient:

(See
1Sam.16:14; 1Cor.5:5; 1Tim.1:20.)

E. Satan seeks to
subvert the saints:

Job
1:8-11              Doth
Job fear God for nought? Put forth Thine hand

Job
2:3-5                Put
forth Thine hand...& he will curse Thee

Lk.22:31  Satan hath desired to...sift thee as
wheat

8. Judgment of the
devil & his demons, & final end:

A. Some are bound,
awaiting judgement:

2Pet.2:4  Angels that sinned...into chains of
darkness

Jude
6     Reserved in
everlasting chains unto judgment

B. Apparently most
are still loose, their time not yet come:

Mat.8:28,29            Art
Thou come hither to torment us before the time?

C. Devil not yet
cast out of Heaven; has access to throne:

Job
1:6; 2:1            Sons
of God...before God, & Satan among them

Rev.12:10               Which
accused them before God day & night

Rev.12:7-9,
13,14   [The devil completely
cast out of Heaven at the beginning of the last 3-1/2 years, in the time of the
end]

D. Devil will be
bound 1,000 years in God's prison:

Rev.20:1-3,7,
10     [Satan bound
1,000 years, afterward released for a short time before being thrown into lake
of fire]

E. Devil & his
demons finally thrown into lake of fire:

Mat.25:41               Everlasting
fire prepared for devil & his angels

Rev.20:10               The
devil was cast into the lake of fire & brimstone

9. Your armour
& weaponry to defeat the devil:

A. Your spiritual
armour:

Eph.6:11,13            Put
on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of
the devil

Rom.13:12              Let
us cast off the works of darkness, & let us put on the armour of light

2Cor.6:7  The armour of righteousness on the right
hand & on the left

B. Your mighty
shield:

Eph.6:16 Take the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be
able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked

Psa.91:4  His truth shall be thy shield &
buckler

Psa.3:3    Thou, O Lord, art a shield
for me (See also Psa.28:7; 33:20; 115:9; 144:2; Pro.30:5.)

C. Your invincible
sword of the Spirit:

Eph.6:17 Take...the sword of the Spirit...the Word of
God

Heb.4:12 The Word of God is...quick (alive) &
powerful, & sharper than any two-edged sword

D. Your
breastplate:

Eph.6:14 Stand...having on the breastplate of
righteousness (See also Isa.59:17)

1Thes.5:8               Let
us...put on the breastplate of faith & love

E. Your
impenetrable helmet:

Eph.6:17 Take the helmet of salvation

1Thes.5:8               Let
us...put on for an helmet, the hope of salvation

10. Power, freedom
& deliverance from the devil's darkness:

A. God gives us
overcoming power:

Lk.10:19  I give you power over all the
power of the enemy

Eph.3:16 That He would grant you...to be strengthened
with might by His Spirit in the inner man

2Tim.1:7 God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but
of power, & of love, & of a sound mind

B. Freedom from the
devil's snares & bondage:

Psa.91:3  He shall deliver thee from the snare of
the fowler

Psa.124:7                Our
soul is escaped as a bird out of the snare of the fowlers: the snare is broken,
& we are escaped

Pro.14:27                Fear
of the Lord [helps] depart from snares of death

2Cor.3:17                Where
the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty

2Tim.2:25,26          Acknowledging
of the truth...that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil

C. Delivered into
God's glorious Kingdom of light:

Acts
26:18             Open
their eyes...turn them from darkness to light, from the power of Satan unto God

Col.1:12,13             Who
hath delivered us from the power of darkness... partakers of the inheritance of
the saints in light

D. The devil cannot
separate us from God:

Rom.8:38,39           Neither
angels, nor powers...nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us
from...Christ Jesus

1Pet.1:5  Who are kept by the power of God...unto
salvation

11. Our astonishing
angelic allies, the hosts of Heaven:

A. They outnumber
the devil's forces two to one:

2Ki.6:16,17             They
that be with us are more than they that be with them...mountain
was full of...chariots of fire

Rev.12:3,4              (Satan's)
tail drew the third part of the stars (angels)

(See
also Rev.5:11)

B. Their fantastic
flaming weapons:

Gen.3:24 Cherubims
& a flaming sword, which turned every way

2Ki.6:17  The mountain was full of horses &
chariots of fire round about Elisha

(See
also Num.22:23; 1Chr.21:16.)

C. They battle
against & defeat the devil:

Rev.12:7-9              Michael
& his angels fought against...the (devil) & his angels [& the
devil's forces were defeated]