How Satan Attacks The Saints Pt 7:
Fighting Back with Fasting and Prayer
KJV 1
Peter 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil,
as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
This is the meaning of being “sober and vigilant” it’s being on alert
having a mindset of preparedness!
• The opposite of being vigilant is being passive & uncaring!
A passive mind is one that is empty, unprepared and indifferent to
spiritual things.
Passive people don’t fight they remain inactive; they don’t react to
anything Satan does and remain neutral. This is a mistake!
KJV 1
Peter 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil,
as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
NIV 1 Peter 5:9 Resist him, standing firm in the faith…!
Since it’s clear we have an enemy who seeks to destroy us it should also
be clear that we have to fight back in order to survive and thrive!
The apostle Peter says we are to resist Satan and his tactics!
Resist here means “to set one’s self against, to stand our ground and
withstand his attacks”!!
Peter says to resist him strong and firm with our faith!
With our “convictions and our beliefs”!!!
Standing against Satan is being on the opposite side of his thoughts,
ideas and actions.
KJV James
4:6b… God resisteth (opposes, fights against) the proud, but
giveth grace unto the humble.
But He gives grace (divine help, divine strength & divine ability) or
favor to the humble. (Ps 35:13 David humbles himself with fasting)
Since God resists the proud do you think Satan resists those who humble
themselves before God? Satan wants to fill us with pride!!!
KJV Zechariah
3:1 And he shewed me Joshua the high priest standing
before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to
resist him.
Satan was resisting this man of God who humbled himself to serve God
and the people of God!
Joshua was high priest in Jerusalem; the priesthood had dedicated their
lives to serve God in the temple.
Yet they had not completely honored God with their lives and Satan is
resisting Joshua—standing against him accusing him of having no right
nor ability to offer sacrifices to God for the people.
KJV Zechariah
3:2 And the LORD said unto Satan, The LORD rebuke
thee, O Satan; even the LORD that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee:
is not this a brand plucked out of the fire?
NIV Zechariah
3:3 Now Joshua was dressed in filthy clothes as he stood
before the angel.
4 The angel said to those who were standing before him, "Take off his
filthy clothes." Then he said to Joshua, "See, I have taken away your sin,
and I will put rich garments on you."
God gave grace to Joshua the high priest taking away his filthy garments
which were a symbol of sin and giving him new garments a symbol of
righteousness.
God resists the proud and gives divine assistance to the humble!
• Pride is nothing more than self-sufficiency and self-reliance!
Which God looks at as rebellion—the refusal to depend on God or
be subject to Him!
Resisting Satan, the devil is standing with God by standing against the
things God opposes e.g. KJV Proverbs 8:13 The fear of the LORD is to
hate evil: pride, and arrogancy and the evil way, and the froward mouth,
do I hate.
Having the proper respect and reverence for God means to hate:
Evil—evil has a broader meaning than sin! All sin is not necessarily
evil, but all evil is sin. A person might steal food to feed his family
which is a sin, but it is not evil!
Evil means to spoil, break in pieces and make worthless, evil deeds are
done to purposely harm others to benefit the evil doer.
Pride—self-sufficiency and self-reliance with no need for God!
Arrogancy—is different from pride! Arrogant people lift themselves
above others, they look down on everyone. (Self-exaltation)
Their attitude is not only do they not need anyone, but everyone needs
them!
The evil way—the path or lifestyle of evil doing, which is living life
constantly taking advantage of others.
Froward mouth—perverse lips, a person who speaks against God and
good constantly! This is more than a negative person they seek to
“turn” people way from what’s right! (Remember Job’s friends)
God says He hates all of these—meaning He desires no contact or
relationship with people who stand with Satan!
• It’s impossible to hate evil without loving good!
So the person who stands with God automatically stands against (resists)
the devil and all who stand with him.
KJV 1
Peter 5:5b …God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the
humble.
6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he
may exalt you in due time:
James 4:10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift
you up.
It’s very clear from scripture that the way up is down!
We humble ourselves through fasting and prayer in order to submit to
God! Why? Because the flesh our human nature doesn’t want to do the
will of God; it wants to please itself.
In Mark 9 there was a boy who would get possessed with a spirit of
destruction Mark 9:22!
The disciples could not cast it out and Jesus said this kind goes out only
through fasting and prayer!
Roughly (6) six months later they have a different testimony—the 70
Jesus sent out come back and tell Him that demons are subject to them
when they use His Name!