In Part 1, we established from the scriptures that Satan is the god of this age, how he got that authority, and how Jesus came to get the authority back and has now delivered it again to men who have been born on the earth who will come out of the darkness and embrace the light of God..

The New Testament is full of references to the devil and how to deal with him, because we now have the ability, through our salvation and submission to Jesus, to reject his temptations and his activities. Just as Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil, the church has the same commission. First we destroy the works of the devil in our own lives. Then we can preach the gospel, set people free, pray for the sick, and make disciples of the nations. We are to demonstrate the reality of the spiritual realm just as Jesus did. He even said we are to raise the dead. He said we would do greater works than He did. Many of His people today do not believe these things are even possible. They reject what He has said we could do.

Acts 10:38 says, “…how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, Who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.”

The devil can steal God’s word away from entering the hearts of men

To those who hear His word but do not believe, in Luke 8:12, Jesus tells us that “Those by the wayside are the ones who hear; then the devil comes and takes away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.” The devil is able to steal the word from us if we let him.

Even one of Jesus’s disciples who saw the miracles He did gave in to the thoughts of the devil. In John 6:70, Jesus said to His disciples, “Did I not choose you, the twelve, and one of you is a devil?”  John 13:2-4 “And supper being ended, the devil having already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray Him, Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come from God and was going to God, rose from supper and laid aside His garments, took a towel and girded Himself.”

In John 12:31, shortly before His death, Jesus proclaimed, “Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out.” This was a huge announcement, but I’m sure His disciples did not completely understand what it meant.

The New Testament tells us how to deal with the “god of this age”

Outside of the gospels and the examples of Jesus, the other New Testament writers have given us explicit instructions on how to deal with the devil, or the god of this age. Ephesians 4:27 tells us not to “give place to the devil.” This means we must reject his thoughts that come to us, tempting us to sin. Jesus did this in the wilderness when He was tempted of the devil. He showed us how to overcome the temptations. We use the word of God, which when spoken, becomes the sword of the spirit. This enables the born again believer to reject his lies.

Ephesians 6:11-12 tells us the true nature of our battle against the lies of the devil. We do not fight people. “Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.”

2 Timothy 2:26 – 3:1 says that, in humility, we are to correct people who are in opposition to the gospel, so “that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will.” The devil takes people captive by his lies. If we do what it says in James 4:7, we can have victory over the devil. “Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.”

1 Peter 5:8 says to be alert and watchful. We live in enemy territory “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.” This is reality. But we don’t have to be afraid. If we are believers, we have authority over the devil and all of his machinations.

Demons know the scriptures and that their time is limited on the earth

Demons know they have a limited time to work on the earth, as demonstrated in a conversation in Matthew 8:29 when Jesus confronted two demon possessed men. “And suddenly they cried out, saying, “What have we to do with You, Jesus, You Son of God? Have You come here to torment us before the time?”

Demons recognized Jesus as being from God. In the synagogue one day, a man with an unclean spirit challenged Jesus while He was teaching, saying, “Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God.” Luke 4:34 and Mark 1:24

The function of the devil is to kill, steal, and destroy in men’s lives, as John 10:10 states. “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.”

Men need to come to the light

Romans 1:21 explains what happens to those who do not acknowledge God. The devil has free rein to deceive and control them because they either do not know the truth, or have rejected it. “Because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.”

Let us pray for men’s hearts to change so that they may escape the snare of the enemy.