James 4: 7
Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.
The name Satan strikes a negative vibe in the hearts of many Christians, and rightly so. Satan has caused so much havoc in people’s lives that the mention of his name is just bad news! There is nothing good to be desired of him because he is incapable of doing anything good. However, there is one character of Satan we could all learn from, and that is persistence! This is one of the most potent weapons he uses (against us) repeatedly.
Satan is persistent in his attacks – whether it’s on the mind, health, emotions, faith, etc. Even when you have resisted him severally, or he has failed frequently, he never backs down or gives up! It surprises me how he keeps mounting pressure on the same spot, never relenting in his efforts in an attempt to weaken his victim! Have you not experienced some of satan’s onslaughts to get you to sin, doubt, do something inappropriate, or wear down your health in any capacity? If you succeed in defeating him one way, he retreats briefly, repackages the attack, and then hits again on the spot, over and over again! He is hoping to wear you out so that you’ll give up the fight (or resistance)!
It is time we start resisting the devil using the same tricks! We must also be persistent in our resistance. We must be relentless in our efforts and never give up. If the devil thinks he can wear us out by his persistence, then we must let him know that two can play the game! Our resistance needs to go two notches higher! This means resisting Satan relentlessly, as many times as he comes, never backing down. As a matter of fact, resist him twice as many times as he attacks! The goal is to wear him out instead, and not the other way round.
Just in case you are wondering if it’s possible to wear the devil out, the Bible confirms it by saying, ‘and he will flee from you.’ The problem is that we do not put up a fight strong (and lasting) enough – Satan knows this, and that’s why he is persistent in his onslaughts, hoping you’ll get tired and give up. May this article infuse you with the spirit of persistence necessary to overcome the devil’s tricks.