Satan’s desire to “steal, kill and destroy” (John 10:10) is not focused primarily on your finances or earthly status (although he’ll take whatever he can get), but against the relationship you have with God and others. Satan’s desire is to separate unbelievers from God by blinding people from the light of the gospel (2 Corinthians 4:4) and to distance and ultimately destroy the relationship believers have with their God. (Genesis 3:1) Satan also seeks to destroy our human relationships. He desires to discredit and malign believers through accusation (Revelation 12:10) and cause division within the body of Christ. (Matthew 12:25) He is out to obliterate every family, marriage and person on the earth.
So how exactly does Satan attempt to destroy our relationship with God and others? He does so by causing us to lose our love for the Lord and love for people. Satan lies to people about God’s faithfulness and character to discredit the Lord and turn hearts away from Him. He seeks to fool people into blaming God for his crafty ploys. He seeks to turn people against one another and cause division because he knows that “if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand.” (Mark 3:25)
The Apostle Paul taught the church in Ephesus that “we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in heavenly places.” (Ephesians 6:12) You see the battle is not against people, it is for people. Yet too often we find ourselves arguing with people instead of loving them unconditionally.
Jesus taught us to “love our enemies” and not to “resist an evil person” but to turn the other cheek. (Matthew 5:38-48) As wicked and deplorable a person’s actions can be, they are still loved by God, their soul has been paid for by the precious blood of Jesus and redemption is only a prayer away. (Romans 10:8-13). Therefore, every person is worthy of our love regardless of their beliefs, actions or attitudes because God sees them as lovable and redeemable by his grace. It takes wisdom and maturity on the part of a believer to know how to love an enemy (or anyone for that matter) in a way that is constructive and ultimately for their good, but a good start is learning how to walk in the characteristics of love and fruit of the Spirit found in the Word. (1 Corinthians 13:4-8, Galatians 5:22-23)
When we choose to fully love one another, we fulfill God’s law and give no room for the enemy to destroy us. Satan can come to destroy our relationships, but if we respond in love, we allow God access to bring about redemption and reconciliation where the enemy sought destruction and perdition. It is love that conquers all things in our life. (1 Corinthians 13:8) It is Christ’s love that keeps us inseparable from God and makes us “more than conquerors” in all of life’s circumstances. (Romans 8:37) And if we truly love God, we will obey him and avoid sin. (John 14:15 John 14:21
John 15:10; 1Jo 5:2-3; 2Jo 1:6)
When we have the love of God operating in our lives we have nothing to fear. We don’t have to fear Satan or his powers, the future or its worries because perfect love casts out all fear. (1 John 4:17) Contrarily, we can have all the right spiritual jargon down, know how to climb spiritual mountaintops and even bring about revival to nations, but if we lack love, we are nothing! (1 Corinthians 13:1-8) If you pray with power and authority to defeat Satan and his demons, but in the next moment curse your brother, do you truly have the victory? (1 John 4:20)
When you became a child of God by putting your faith in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, Satan lost his authority in your life. If you are a believer in Jesus Christ today, Satan has no legal rights over you. You can overcome him by your prayers and faith standing firm in your position in Christ. The way he gains access is no longer by your identity, it’s by your lack of godly character and immaturity. If you desire to root out every stronghold of Satan in your life, then first receive God's love afresh in your life through Jesus Christ our Savior, then seek to love God wholeheartedly, accept and love yourself for who God made you to be and love others undyingly with the love of God found in Christ.
Prayer: Father in heaven, I come to you now in Jesus name. I place my faith in Jesus Christ as my Savior and Redeemer. I submit to You God and resist the devil in Jesus' name. I put on the full armor of God. I ask now that you clothe me with humility and fill my life with your love. Help me to love others with the love of Christ. Give me the patience, kindness, self-control, gentleness, meekness and wisdom to love others effectively. In Jesus' name, Amen.
Helpful Scriptures:
Hatred stirs up strife, But love covers all sins. (Proverbs 10:12)
My little children, let's not love in word only, neither with the tongue only, but in deed and truth. (1 John 3:18)
Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and everyone that loves is born of God, and knows God. (1 John 4:7)
Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life. (Jude 1:21)
When Jesus was asked the greatest commandment in the law, he responded by saying, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” (Matthew 22:37-40)
Therefore God’s ultimate goal for the believer is to learn how to love Him and to love others. Even the Great Commission of going into all the world and making disciples is in itself an expression of the greatest commandments to love God and love our neighbors. (Matthew 28:19-20)
So, if our ultimate goal as followers of Christ is to love God and others, what do you suppose satan (the antichrist) is most adamant to fight against? He’s in complete opposition to our love!
Much has been written on the topic of spiritual warfare in the past two decades. It’s a hot topic in Christian circles, especially among Evangelicals and even more so among Charismatic believers. We have been educated on how to bind and resist the devil, to put on the full armor of God in prayer, to plead the blood of Jesus and to walk in the authority we possess as children of God redeemed by Christ.
