I don’t totally disagree! However, the only way I can answer that question is to ask, “What do you mean when you say ‘fight the devil?’” The Bible tells us two things to do to make the devil flee from us: submit to God and resist the devil.
The word “submit” has a general concept of: voluntarily yielding which leads to agreeing. Trying to fight the devil without first being sure our beliefs and intentions are in agreement with God’s Word is useless. The second part of biblical warfare is to resist. This a word that can have a broad meaning but, in context, the fact that we have agreed or aligned ourselves with God means we have aligned ourselves in opposition to the devil, which is what it means to resist. Therefore, aligning with God’s Word is, in fact, resisting the devil without having to place any attention on him. In that moment he flees, i.e. runs away to find safety!
But nowhere does it tell us to go into combat against him. If we begin to fight him to win a victory we have not aligned ourselves with God and His truth. According to God’s Word that victory has already been won and we are already more than conquerors.
JOIN ME this week and discover how to be the kind of believer from whom Satan runs looking for a safe place.
Dr. Richards,
I believe one reason we have so much trouble with the world of evil, including the devil, fallen angels and demons is because we lack biblical knowledge of how to deal with them. The devil is a real spirit being (angel) and he is not everywhere present, all powerful or all knowing. Therefore, if he has personally taken an interest in you, he cannot be where I am, so my “fighting”, “rebuking” the devil has no effect and when his followers report back to him what I am doing they all have a great laugh because they know I don’t know what I am doing.
My contention for over 40 years is that the best thing I could do is “submit” myself to God and his word and when I do, resisting the devil/fallen angels/demons is the natural outcome. Unfortunately, for me as a pastor when I teach these things, believers don’t want to hear it. They want to “fight”. This is why in my humble opinion, very few believers ever win.
Thank you for your discussions on this and other topics.