Resist the Devil

"Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world."

1 Peter 5:8-9

We have a very real enemy, the devil. He's not a red,monstrous-looking being with horns, a tail and a pitchfork in his hand, as he is often depicted in stories and cartoons. No, he is a spirit who "masquerades as an angel of light" (1 Corinthians 11:14). He once was the most beautiful of all God's angels (Ezekiel 28:17), but pride was literally his downfall. God cast him out of heaven and now he seeks to destroy God's work. He is a formidable enemy and Christians should be sober about his existence. But we need not be afraid of him.  Christ has given us an armor of protection and weapons to defeat the devil (Ephesians 6:10-18). We stand firm against him in our faith in God. Jesus used scripture against Satan in the wilderness and we are to do the same. The better we know God's word, the more natural it will be to use it against our adversary. And we pray. We pray for ourselves and for our fellow Christians around the world who are suffering for their faith in Christ. They are being persecuted daily. Take a moment to pray for them.