Christians spend too much time downplaying the Devil. I’m sure you are familiar with the old adage, “Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.” The typical response to hearing that is a smile and a knowing nod. Did you ever consider how ridiculous that statement is? Hell has no fury like a fallen human? Are we serious? It’s one more example of how flippant we can be when discussing things we should take with the utmost seriousness.
We’ve reduced the power of Satan to that of a byline or a joke. This is where it is typical for a writer to give the caveat of something like, “We have to be careful not to take this to extremes, or fall into legalism.” But you know what? I hate caveats. Truth is truth, and the fact it makes some uncomfortable is no reason to soften it. We need to treat the power of Satan and the power of God with the respect and trepidation both deserve.
When we are too cavalier regarding the capabilities of Satan, we show our ignorance and pride. God is far more powerful than Satan and will defeat him every time (Revelation 20:10). But us? In our own strength, we are no match for the devil (Ephesians 6:12). Whenever we experience any victory over Satan, the victory belongs to Jesus because it is His power working through us that conquers the wiles of the devil (James 4:7; 1 John 4:4). Such victories are 100% Jesus, and 0% us. Some in the Bible learned this the hard way and are examples for us to see the folly in battling Satan on our own (Acts 19:13-16).
Or how about the statement, “The Devil made me do it?” That’s often delivered with a wink and given as an excuse for our capitulation to sin. We are casual about things we should be serious about, and serious about things that have no eternal consequences. Perhaps we’re okay downplaying the Devil because we know that in the end, Christ wins (Romans 16:20; Revelation 12:10-11). But that’s no excuse for being ignorant about the power of demonic forces. That sort of carelessness will lull you into complacency, and there’s nothing the Devil loves more than a complacent Christian (2 Corinthians 11:3).
Complacency also keeps us from glorying in the holy power of God. When we take His power for granted, we lose our thankfulness and forget where we would be if not for Jesus. The power of God is why you can take another breath and why every bone and ligament in your body hold together (Colossians 1:17). We cannot comprehend His power, and yet we act as if we can do anything with our lives while ignoring Him (Job 38:4; Isaiah 40:25-26). How foolish we are! The power of Satan, on the other hand, is why we can’t be holy like God. Everything Satan touches or presents is corrupt and exists only to separate us from the Lord (John 10:10; 2 Corinthians 4:4).
Only Jesus ever lived a sinless life because only Jesus is strong enough to overcome the power of Satan (Hebrews 4:15; 1 Peter 2:22). The rest of us will live in constant defeat without the power of God. We cannot do this on our own and must never treat Satan as if he is no threat to us. The Devil can and will destroy your witness, your family, and your commitment to Christ. Only God’s power is to be honored, but we must remember Satan is also powerful and wants nothing more than our destruction (1 Peter 5:8). Don’t be careless with your words or thoughts about Satan. He is real, he is powerful, and he will destroy your life unless you are living every moment in the power of God (Ephesians 6:10-13).