Overcoming the Strategy of the Enemy

And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time. Daniel 7:25 (KJV)

This passage speaks of the Antichrist who will rule in the tribulation period. We are not at that time yet, but it does show us something about the devil and his tactics. The way he tries to overcome believers is to wear them out. Some translations render this oppress instead of wear out, but most translations use the words wear out or wear down. The enemy tries to win by wearing us out so we no longer have the strength or will to fight against him. He oppresses and comes against the saint of God and strikes and strikes and strikes until the believer gives in and stops resisting him.

The devil is our adversary. There is nothing good in him. He has no honor or integrity. Although God has placed authority over the devil in the hands of believers, the devil will try to violate it every chance he gets. He doesn’t like to play by the rules. This means we have to stand firm and not let him get by with anything. We have to be on him continually- resisting and restraining him from operation. He knows we have the upper hand, which is why he tries to use the strategy of wearing us down in order to get us to let down our guard.

We must continually be on watch for his trciks and schemes. Pray in tongues as often as you can because it builds us up in our inner man. We have to be in the Bible daily, and spend time meditating on it so it really gets deep inside us. We need to be in the presence of God by worshipping Him and listening for His voice. These things will help us stay strrong so we can continue to resist the enemy.

So submit to [the authority of] God. Resist the devil [stand firm against him] and he will flee from you. James 4:7 (Amplified Bible, AMP)

The concept of standing against the enemy is twofold. First, we must submit to God, or place ourselves under His authority. By recognizing Jesus as our Lord and Savior and by obeying the Word of God, we are submitting to the Lord. Secondly, we resist the devil. To resist him means to exercise our authority over him, rejecting every lie and attack he tries to send our way. We do this by quoting the Word of God to counter everything he uses against us. Jesus did this when He was tempted in the wilderness. The Word is our weapon. Choose to believe what God says in His Word over what the enemy tries to tell you.

Then, it is a matter of outlasting the devil. We have the power of God and the strength of God to be able to stand and keep standing against the devil. As long as we stay prayed up and remain in the Word and in God’s presence, we can victoiously endure beyond the devil’s breaking point. And he will flee from us in defeat.