Suppose you had been house hunting in a development of new homes, and when you found an empty one you tried to get into it. If the house was full, occupied by people, you wouldn’t dare try to get in. That’s exactly what Satan does. He looks for vacuums. He looks for empty houses. They may be clean, but if God is not within you, having made you His temple, you can be sure the devil is going to occupy you. Be filled with the Spirit of God.
That’s the admonition and meaning of this parable of Lord in Luke 11:24-26 (from Illustrations of bible Truths Copyright © 1995, 1998 by AMG International, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.)
A man came to Charles Finney, the well-known evangelist, and said, “I don’t believe in the existence of a devil.” “Don’t you?” asked Finney. “Well, you resist him for a while, and you will believe in it.” That’s what the second commandment of James is: “Resist the devil, and he will flee from you (James 4:7b).
A godly life is characterized by its conflicts with sin. The place most frequented by Satan is where holiness dwells. (from Illustrations of bible Truths Copyright © 1995, 1998 by AMG International, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.) Satan is powerful and real but God is greater (1 John 4:4).
“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His might power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything to stand.” (Ephesians 6:10-14; NIV)
“Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.” (James 1:12; NIV) “If you love me, you will obey what I command.” John 14:15-16; NIV) Staying the course on the road God has set for us (Hebrews 12:1-3), under the empowerment of the Holy Spirit, knowing the Word will not return void, is the greatest hope for continued success against the attacks of Satan.
Daniel (Daniel 1:8; Job 2:10) and many others in the scriptures, including Paul, prove that what God told Joshua (Joshua 1:5-9) and what David instructed us to do (Psalm 1) is the greatest hope for victory.
