How Can I Resist Evil?

Every one of us has either experienced evil, witnessed evil, or heard of the evil that exists in the world. The question is, why? Ephesians 6:11-12 states that there is a spiritual being who in active rebellion against God and this spiritual being has the leadership of many demons like himself. "For our struggle is not against the flesh and blood, but against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms."

The very first words of the Bible,"In the beginning...", tell of the creation story; yet there is more 'behind-the-scenes' details to the story. There is a spiritual battle of our souls. A God of love longing to bring us back into His arms and the devil doing everything to keep us from running to God.

So why should we believe that the devil exists?

The most reasonable answer is the world itself. Take a look around. We are in constant battle between good and evil. The desire to serve others vs the desire and abuse of power; being filled with joy vs emotions of anger and hurt; forgiveness vs grudges; happiness and self-control vs the loss of mental control.

While we cannot necessarily see the spiritual world, the Bible does have clear evidence of the existence of evil and of the devil throughout both the Old and New Testament. Many of the authors of the Bible urge us to protect our minds and hearts from being overtaken by the 'dark side' - often in very subtle yet powerful ways. Some of us admitted that it is actually easier to link evil with the devil than good with God. When we experience good things in life, we often assume that we deserved it, rather than believing that God deeply cares about us.

Nicky did warn us that it is dangerous to disbelieve in the devil because when unaware, it becomes difficult to protect ourselves against the evil tactics. On the other hand, it is extremely dangerous to have an unhealthy interest in the devil. There are millions of people attempting to yield the evil powers through voodoo rituals, weegie boards, and Satanic cults, which easily overtake one's physical, mental, and emotional states.

So what are the devil's tactics?

Doubt:
From day one, Satan has used doubt in an attempt to give us permission to walk away from God. He caused Adam and Eve to doubt God's promises and the same is true today: he makes us think we are mising out, but inall reality, we miss out when we aren't following God.

Accusation:
I am sure that we have all experienced the emotions of guilt over something we know we should not have done. But Satan also likes to make us feel guilty even prior to an inappropriate thought or action. Satan will often plant a tempting thought in our minds and then accuse us for thinking it. However, it is important to know that temptation is different from sin. Temptation is from the devil and it only becomes a sin when we adopt the thought as our own and act upon it.

Temptations should not bring us fear, shame or guilt at all. In fact, James tell us to "consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds because the testing of your faith produces perserverance. Let perserverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete" (James 1:2-4). When you are faced with a temptation, rather than giving in, consider it to be a challenge that you can overcome and grow from.

What's our position?

Satan has been defeated by the cross and resurrection of Jesus ... but he is not yet destroyed (until Jesus returns). As Nicky said, it is like we are living between D-Day and V-Day. While the victory isn't official, Jesus is already victorious and all those who love and follow Him, share in the victory. Jesus also gave His disciples authority "to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you." With Jesus, there is no reason to live in fear.

How do we defend ourselves?


"Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes..." (Ephesians 6:11-17).



1. Belt of Truth - being grounded in truth will help us to counter Satan's lies (v. 13)

2. Breastplate of Righteousness - keeping your relationships right will protect the heart against guilt and condemnation (v. 14)

3. Boots of the Gospel of Peace - being involved in serve and being ready to speak of Christ (v. 15)

4. Shield of Faith - trusting God in difficult times...always. (v. 16)

5. Helmet of Salvation - win the battle of the mind to protect the mind against doubt and accusation (v. 17)
6. Sword of the Spirit - know your Bible...it's the only offensive piece of armor (v. 17)

Alpha Challenge:

1. Pray this week that you are able to guard your heart and mind against the devil's tactics. Pray that you can fight back - not with weapons of this world, but with good. Let's overcome evil with good.

2. Begin to act on what you have learned. Take one piece of armor and apply it throughout the day, or use it as a weekly focus.

How Does God Guide Us?

One of the most amazing truths is that God will guide anyone who is willing to follow. You don't need to be a problem-free person. Abraham was old; Timothy was too young; Moses stuttered; Jonah ran from God; Job went bankrupt; Peter denied Christ. It does not matter what 'issue' you think you have, God has and still can use EVERYONE. 

As Nicky mentioned, God guides us in 5 different ways:

1. Commanding Scripture

As we discussed last week, the Bible in general is a manual for life; however, it does not necessarily provide us with specific guidance for each person. Through intentional reading and praying, God often does speak to us through His book. Remember last week when Nicky shared his story about the one verse that kept showing up everywhere? A friend called him with the verse, his wife talked to him with this verse, and even a billboard sign showcased the verse. Some of us are beginning to experience similar situations of commanding Scripture.

2. Compelling Spirit

With any relationship, the more we know someone, the more easily we recognize their voice. The same is true of a relationship with Jesus: as as we get to know Jesus more intimately, we begin to recognize the voice of the Holy Spirit.

a) Prayer is, or at least should be, a two-way conversation. You pray about your requests and your concerns, but don't leave it at that. It's like expressing your symptoms to the doctor and then simply walking out the door without any advice or solutions. God is the ultimate doctor, so don't you want to hear what He has to say to you?

b) Desires: God gives us desires to do His good purpose. God's desires become our desires. We did discuss the different desires we have, and we each personally know that all our desires are not God-focused. The desires 'of the flesh', so to speak, are the ones we need to push away and ignore - not always an easy task!

c) Unusual Experiences: There are several instances where people experience visions, angels, and audible voices, and often times, when given by God, these are very specific guidances.

But no matter how we are compelled, we must always remember to test the 'voice'. We can know if it is God's voice when it aligns with the Bible, when it is loving, encouraging, and when it brings the peace of God. 

3. Common Sense

"Reflect on what I am saying, for the Lord will give you insight into all of this." - 2 Timothy 2:7. Whether in the day-to-day events or in the big decisions, God often guides us through our thoughts. Even in terms of our abilities, we each have gifts and talents that are unique to ourselves. It's through these simple ways that God also guides us. 

4. Counsel of Saints

In Burlington, and especially at Glad Tidings, we are surrounded by a community of Christians. Whether you are wondering who Jesus is and what Christianity is all about or you are a Christ-follower, there is a community of people (family, friends, church members) that are able to guide you. 

There is nothing wrong with seeking advice from people. In fact, this idea of advice from people is something that struck me. Over past years, I have been flipflopping in my view of who to go to for guidance. At first I always asked people and never even considered asking God; then I began to only ask God, and not people, for guidance since God is God and He knows best. But today, I realized that we can actually ask both God and people for advice - and that both are equally valid! Not that we can ask advice from simply anyone, but God has given us mature, trustworthy, Christ-focused Christians that are able to help provide guidance.

5. Circumstantial Signs

"In your heart you plan your course, but the Lord determines your steps." - Proverbs 16:9

If you commit your plans to God and trust His guidance, God WILL act by closing and opening doors in our life. But remember...BE PATIENT. God may make us wait for directions but His promises WILL happen.

Alpha Challenge:

1. Be open to God guiding you - push away those 'flesh' desires and listen to God.

2. Ask someone who is a trustworthy, mature Christian to mentor and guide you.