And the LORD said to Satan, “Behold, he is in your hand, but spare his life.”

  - Job 2.6

But the devil is not able to do anything against men or the things subject to men without God’s permission, as gospel truth maintains where it is recorded: If you cast us out, sent us into the herd of pigs. For if he could no longer remain contrary to the Lord’s command in those people from whom he was being expelled, so too he shows he could not have entered those pigs without God’s permission.

  - Liber de Ordine Creaturarum, Irish, 7th century

What seems to many as the encroaching darkness of our age in flight from God has begun to spark new speculations and fears about the devil and his demonic henchmen.

The devil and demons are real, to be sure. And they stalk about like roaring lions, seeking someone to devour, as Peter warned (1 Pet. 5.8).

But we have nothing to fear from the devil – as long as we understand and respect his wiles. We are engaged in a continuous spiritual warfare with him and his henchmen, but we have weapons adequate to preserve us through the fray (Eph. 6.10-20), and we know that the devil can do nothing to or against us that is outside the will and permission of God.

We also know that God does all things well and works all things together for our good, so even if we do find ourselves feeling “oppressed by demons” at times, it’s not a situation from which God is absent; rather, it’s probably something He has allowed to come our way in order to strengthen and bless us.

Think: Job. Jesus.

In fact, as Jesus explained, the devil is bound, on a chain, and can only roar and stalk to the limits of the Lord’s leash. Know and respect the length of that leash, and the devil will pose no threat to you.

So the way through every temptation of the devil, and the place to stand in the midst of every fear or trial, is thanksgiving and looking to the unseen realm where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.

Do not let the enemy dampen your spirits or darken your soul. The Lord allows him to touch you, to the extent that he ever does, so as to create a channel for the light of God’s love and hope to flood your life in a new way.

So when the trials of Job beset you, or when it seems you can get no rest from temptation, don’t for a moment let the devil think he has achieved some victory. Give thanks, look to Jesus, and press on rejoicing.

Watch what God will do.

Psalm 43.5 (Hyfrydol: “Jesus, What a Friend for Sinners”)
When my weary soul is troubled, when despair upon me falls,
Let my hope in You be doubled, let me on Your mercy call.
God, my help, my great salvation, I will praise You to Your face;
In Your care my soul I station; let me know Your glorious grace!

Lord, give me grace in the midst of my trials to keep looking to You!

Satan Bound
Satan’s great objective is to gain the throne of God. He is interested in us only to the extent that, through our failures, we give him hope he might yet attain his goal. In my book, Satan Bound, I let the arch-fiend tell his own story, and reveal his ways and wiles against folks like us. But Christ has bound the devil, and though he never gives up his quest for sovereignty, we have everything we need to keep him in his place. Order a copy of Satan Bound from our online store, and get to know the enemy of your soul a little better.

Pray for your pastor and shepherds, that God would keep them firm in the midst of temptation, and nurture them in a vision of the Kingdom that sees Christ increasing and the devil declining with every passing day.

Psalms to Pray for Today and Thursday
Today
Morning: Psalm 119.113-120; Psalm 45
Evening: Psalm 121

Thursday
Morning: Psalm 119.121-128; Psalm 46
Evening: Psalm 122

T. M. Moore, Principal
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Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.