Defeated Foe

   You know, the Bible says things about the devil (since the cross) such has "defeated", "stripped of his power made and open show of", "works destroyed".  Every time I hear someone, especially a preacher, seem not to understand that, I shudder a bit.  Jesus made it clear the devil's power is to lie.  In fact, He called him "father" of lies.  Jesus also called him the "father" of Pharisees, representative of religion.  The enemy has power, but he gets it by lying. Then, the next thing you know, some preaching is expounding on the power of the devil without exposing how the devil got that power. This sets in motion a familiar cycle of confusion that results in him being magnified beyond his measure.

   Since we don't know how the enemy got his power, we then usually don't know how to take it away from him, something that begins with knowing from the Word that he is a defeated foe.  This cycle of confusion also leaves people not knowing how to defeat him.  Just knowing the truth about him, even from the Word, is not enough.  The Bible says the power comes when we submit ourselves to God and action which causes the devil to "flee".  The Bible declares "greater is He" (the Holy Ghost) that lives in us than "he" (the devil) that lives in the world.  The Bible declares we have an authority (name of Jesus) to use that is above every other name.   Know from the Word the enemy and all his lying cohorts are defeated.  Take a big drink of the greater one and shout the name of Jesus.  It still causes demons to tremble.  It even did that before the death, resurrection and crowning of Jesus as Lord.  If it did it then, it most certainly does it now.