PART 1 of 2
The words in this title evoke diverse responses from Christians from differing backgrounds. These responses are influenced by a person’s beliefs, convictions and spiritual maturity as well. While many believers shy away from this topic and consider it to be unnecessary, there are many others who are strongly convinced that this topic is a need of the hour, one to be addressed urgently, and one which simply cannot be neglected. The Word of God provides us with clarity on the reality of Satan (Gen 3, Matt 4:1-11, 2Cor 11:14, 2Cor 2:11, Eph 6:11-17, Mk 9:29, Lk 10:17-20, Jam 4:7). Jesus Himself warns us about this reality.
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy … – John 10:10
To experience the power and the victory from the Lord, one has to co-operate with Him in the various circumstances in life regardless of the inconveniences and struggles involved. Jesus Himself was intensely tempted by the devil. This was the case not only during the 40 days in the desert, but all through his life and when crucified on the Cross as well. No believer in Christ is exempt from the action of the enemy. All sincere followers of the Lord are called to partake in His mission which is stated in the bible verse below.
The Son of God was revealed for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil. – 1John 3:8
To partake in Jesus’ mission, an inner relationship with the Lord and a regular prayer life is essential. Sensitivity to the leading of the Holy Spirit has to be present in the heart of the disciple. An awareness of spiritual realities and a sincere desire to follow Jesus are also required. This awareness and desire should be followed by Spirit-led action and a lifestyle in obedience to God. Here is where Christian discipleship becomes a living reality. Whether we like it or not, it has to be acknowledged that Satan is real. In the pursuit of the holiness which one and all are called to (Heb 12:14), there is a spiritual battle which every believer has to fight. Satan has his way when a person yields to temptations and commits sin.
Apart from enticing one to sin, Satan causes lukewarmness in a person, lack of zeal, indifference and aversion to spiritual matters, a compromised prayer life, a lifestyle which opposes the imitation of Christ, an attitude of agnosticism, dependence on oneself or on others and not on God, security in the world, a lifestyle of attachments, lack of interest in reading the Bible, a hectic schedule which makes one too busy to pray, a ritualistic mindset and so on. The amount of damage Satan can cause to a soul is immense. Moreover, Satan uses a person’s past experiences, memory, unresolved conflicts and inner wounds to cause more trouble in the mind.
On a regular basis and especially at times of temptation, every believer is called to partake in ‘spiritual warfare’. This means that one has to consciously take action to ‘put to death the deeds of the body’ (Rom 8:13), to ‘crucify the desires of the flesh’ (Gal 5:24) and to willingly fight the battle with the divine aid given from above. Without doing this, a person unknowingly falls prey to the enemy and allows Satan to do his damaging work.
Discipline yourselves, keep alert.Like a roaring lion your adversary the devil prowls around, looking for someone to devour. – 1Peter 5:8
The Armor of God
It is foolishness for a soldier to enter into battle without his armor and protective gear. Apart from the attire being worn, he has to be mindful and alert at all times failing which he would perish. This example applies in the spiritual domain as well. It applies to every person who desires to follow Jesus and who really wants to live up to the title of ‘Christian’. The following Bible passage needs our urgent attention.
Put on the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For ourstruggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to withstand on that evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. Stand therefore, and fasten the belt of truth around your waist, and put on the breastplate of righteousness. As shoes for your feet put on whatever will make you ready to proclaim the gospel of peace. With all of these,take the shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. – Ephesians 6:11-17
The very next verse exhorts us to ‘pray in the Spirit at all times’ and to ‘keep alert’. Many a time, even the strongest and most sincere of disciples experience affliction and oppression caused by the enemy. Satan strategically tempts us in the areas of our weakness and in situations where a door has been opened to him. For example – In a game of football, if strategy is not strong and if there is a loophole in the defense, the opponents strike and win the game.
Similarly, we are all called to put up our guards and be sensitive to the occasions of sin, and diligently avoid them. We are all called to repent and renounce the times we have co-operated with Satan in the past. To put on the armor of God is to implement a ‘defense’ and to act in opposition to the advances of the evil forces in our lives.
A few Practical Steps
- Verbal Confession of faith & Asserting one’s identity in Christ
- Repentance and Renunciation
- Using the Holy Name of JESUS
- Getting into God’s Presence through Praise and Worship
- Using the Word of God (Bible) as a ‘Sword’
- Taking Authority as a child of God
- Prayer of Protection
1. Verbal Confession of faith & Asserting one’s identity in Christ
It is necessary to make simple statements which acknowledge one’s faith in Christ. This is a type of declaration and something which should be done privately especially in times of temptation or when emotions are low. It is a vocal confession of what one believes in the heart. If repeated with sincerity and conviction, the negative effects caused by evil forces lose their hold and the Holy Spirit brings about a positive change. Some examples of these statements are –
I am a child of God.
God has a plan for me.
I am empowered by the Holy Spirit (Lk 24:49).
Through my repentance and confession, I am cleansed by the Precious Blood of Jesus (Eph 1:7, 1Jn 1:7).
The Lord is my strong Tower where I take refuge (Prov 18:10).
The Lord is my Hiding Place (Ps 32:7).
My identity is in Christ and not in the world (Gal 2:20, Eph 2:10).
I am transformed by the renewing of my mind (Rom 12:2).
He who is in me is greater than He who is in the world (1Jn 4:4).
It is Jesus who sets me free from all bondage (Gal 5:1).
I walk by faith and not by sight (2Cor 5:7).
Though the mountains may depart and the hills could be removed (Isa 54:10), God’s steadfast love for me remains.
I am forgiven and accepted by the true and living God.
2. Repentance and Renunciation
The hallmark of a sincere Christian is ongoing repentance from the heart. If this is missing, Satan gets a foothold in the life of the person and influences future thoughts, reactions and behavior. Renunciation also is absolutely essential if one has to walk in victory and bear fruit. The Catechism of the Catholic Church states – “There is no holiness without renunciation and spiritual battle” (CCC 2015). Only in this way will progress be made in the spiritual life. Through this process, a Christian gets to truly experience the joy and peace of the Lord. A firm decision has to be made to renounce and break the connection with the misdeeds of the past which Satan uses to bring about negativity and oppression. The following are examples of statements which one can use in this situation.
“I renounce in Jesus’ name …”
… the times I co-operated with the powers of darkness.
… the times I yielded to temptations without trying to resist them.
… the times I opened a door to the enemy by partaking in unholy activity.
… all my sinful tendencies and inclinations.
… all my negative thoughts and their causes.
… the times I did not avoid the occasions of sin.
… all my excuses for not trying to be holy and obedient to the Lord.
A simple prayer of repentance is –
“I have sinned and I am sorry Lord. I repent. Forgive me for all my sins of commission, omission and submission. I make this prayer through Christ my Lord. Jesus, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner. Amen. ”
3. Using the Holy Name of JESUS
“There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among mortals by which we must be saved.” – Acts 4:12
Prayerful and respectful usage of the powerful name of JESUS never fails to yield spiritual benefits. A vocal declaration that Jesus is the Son of God, Lord of Lords and Redeemer brings about many benefits in spiritual warfare. Even demons confessed with conviction to Jesus – “You are the Son of God!” (Mk 3:11), “the Holy One of God” (Mk 1:24, Lk 4:33) and “Son of the Most High God” (Lk 8:28). After Jesus’ death, the exclamation of the centurion and others (Matt 27:34) was – “Truly this man was God’s Son!” It is necessary for disciples of the Lord to acknowledge the same. Jesus Himself gives us direction in this matter when he said, “In my name they will cast out demons …” (Mk 16:17).
Making a prayer to the Father and approaching Him ‘in the name of Jesus’ simply means to ask the Father to act because Jesus is the centre of the petitioner’s heart. In simple words, this implies that along with sincerity and conviction, the petitioner recalls and acknowledges what Jesus has achieved through His life, death and resurrection, and personally and humbly places himself / herself into this picture. Here is another set of sample prayers one can make in order to resist Satan.
“ Father, through the Precious Blood of Jesus, nullify the effects of – …”
… all the negative words spoken by me to others …. in Jesus’name
… all the negative words spoken by others to me …. in Jesus’name
… all the negative thoughts pulling me down …. in Jesus’name
… the strongholds of the enemy …. in Jesus’name
… the powers of darkness …. in Jesus’name
… the work of evil spirits in the various situations of my life …. in Jesus’name
… the root cause of all my sinfulness …. in Jesus’name
The following lines can be repeated several times or in whatever manner that is inspired by the Holy Spirit.
‘If Jesus sets me free, I am free indeed.” [Jn 8:36]
“Jesus, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner.” [‘The Jesus Prayer’ from Lk 18:38]
“Jesus I surrender myself to you, take care of everything.” [from the Novena of Surrender]
“Jesus, have mercy on me! Jesus heal me! Jesus save me! Jesus free me!” [from the Rosary of Liberation]
“Father God, wash me with the Precious Blood of Jesus, and fill me with your Holy Spirit.” [A simple prayer with reference to the Trinity]
To be continued. The remaining 4 points will be covered in Part 2 of this article.
This article was published in the magazine ‘The Tabor Kirana’ in 2025 and features as a chapter in the book – “The Inner Man’s Journey into the Deep” written by Vinay Silva, published by ATC Publishers.
