Stop the thief (1) – Feast of light

The title “the thief” for the devil originated from John 10:10, where Jesus says:

John 10:10:
“The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” NKJV

Here, Jesus contrasts His mission of giving abundant life with the devil’s destructive agenda. As believers, it is essential to understand how to stop the devil from carrying out his “three-fold ministry” of stealing, killing, and destroying. Let’s explore how believers can resist the devil and his schemes from a biblical perspective:

Through the package of Redemption in Christ Jesus we have total (complete) deliverance or victory over the enemy

Colossians 1:13-14: “For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”

These verses teaches us that redemption and deliverance is directly tied to Christ. In Christ Jesus the activities of the enemy over your life has already been stopped.

Hebrews 2:14: “Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil.”

This verse underscores that Jesus’ death, and by extension His blood, destroys the devil’s power over death.

So If the enemy says, “he will bring untimely death to your life and destiny,” based on your knowledge of the redemption package you have in Christ Jesus; you can declare in faith Hebrews 2:14, and say Jesus by His death and resurrection has broken your power of death, so devil you cannot waste my life and destiny. I will not die untimely but live in Jesus.

Hence, we first stop the devil by becoming aware of the reality of our total deliverance over him and his schemes, which we as believers have through the redemptive work of God in Christ Jesus

What are some of the strategies available to the believer to stop the devils schemes?

1. Resisting the Devil through Faith and Submission to God

One of the key-ways believers can stop the devil is by submitting to God and resisting the devil:

James 4:7 (NKJV):
“Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.”

Submission to God: This means yielding ourselves to God’s authority, obeying His Word, and walking in alignment with His will. When we submit to God, we are placing ourselves under His protection and authority. His will becomes our will.
Even as a believer you will not be able to stop the thief, if you are not submitted to God.
Submitting ourselves to God means that we must be willing to give up everything for Him and to follow Him. Jesus tells us, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me” (Luke 9:23).
Three aspects to submitting to God as seen in Luke 9:23
Denying ourselves and following Him both must be done to submit to God. These are two of the three aspects involved in submitting ourselves to God.
The third aspect from Luke 9:23 is taking your cross daily. The cross is an instrument of death. And so when Jesus says that you must take up your cross daily, it was a metaphor to declare to us that you must die daily to the flesh.
Therefore, from Jesus statement, to be truly submitted to God these 3 aspects must be expressed in your life, first we must deny ourselves, secondly, we must take up our cross (which means; we must die to the flesh daily), and thirdly we must follow Him. With this in place, we can boldly exercise our believers authority and resist the devil and stop his activities in our lives and families.
If as a believer you are not fully submitted to God, how can you stop the devil. It is foolishness for a believer who knows, he is still drinking alcohol for instance and says he wants to cast out demons from someone that is oppressed. He will have a serious backlash (The story of the seven sons of Sceva is found in Acts 19:13-16. Their father was a Jewish chief priest; a prominent position in the Jewish priesthood. They tried to use the name of Jesus to cast out evil spirits, but the demon-possessed man overpowered them and gave them a beating. It’s a pretty intense lesson on the importance of genuine faith and authority in the spiritual realm. They were not in relationship to God. They were not submitted to God and yet wanted to stop the devil!
Resisting the devil: The Bible instructs believers to actively resist the devil. This resistance comes through faith, prayer, and standing firm in the truth of God’s Word.

1 peter 5:8-9a; “8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. 9 Resist him, steadfast in the faith,”

As believers we must refuse to give in to the devil by standing in your faith in God.

In resisting the devil you must understand that God has given you authority and power in Christ Jesus

As believers, we have been authority and power over the devil and all his works in Luke 10:19;

“Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.” NKJV

AMPC would say; “Behold! I have given you authority and power”

The word authority used in this verse is derived from the Greek word, “exousia”, meaning authority. It denotes the allowableness of doing something or the faculty or liberty to do it.

And the reason many believers cannot stop the devil is because they do not even realise or they have not yet come into the full consciousness that they have been given both the power and delegated authority to do so.

Let us consider some of the subtle differences between power authority to aid our understanding of who we are as believers in Christ Jesus

Power vs Authority:

Power is the raw ability to influence or control a situation or people. Authority, on the other hand, is the recognized and legitimate right to wield that power. Think of power as the sheer strength and capability to act, while authority is the official permission to use that power in a given context.

For example, a wrestler has the power to physically lift and throw people around, but only a police officer has the authority to enforce laws and maintain order.

Someone can have power without authority (like a hacker with technical skills but no legal right to access systems). You can liken the hacker to the devil, who has been stripped of his authority but has limited power in comparison to God, who has absolute power. Even though the devil is a rebel authority who acts in opposition to God’s will and word, he still, with his limited power, wreaks undeniable havoc in the world and in people’s lives.

From a biblical perspective, it’s clear that God, through Jesus, has decisively stripped the devil of his authority, even though he still retains a limited amount of power.

Stripping of Authority: Colossians 2:15 says, “And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.” This verse indicates that Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection were decisive in defeating the devil’s authority.
Limited Power: While the devil still has some power, it is not absolute. For instance, 1 Peter 5:8 warns believers to be sober and vigilant because the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. This shows the devil’s power is real but limited by the sovereignty of God.
God’s Absolute Power: Scripture repeatedly emphasizes God’s absolute power. In Matthew 28:18, Jesus says, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” This signifies the ultimate authority and power that belong to God alone.
Ultimate Victory: Revelation 20:10 prophesies that the devil will eventually be thrown into the lake of fire, emphasizing God’s final and absolute victory over evil.

These Bible verses above illustrate, while the devil may still act within certain limits, he is ultimately subject to God’s supreme authority and power. Having this understanding that we face a defeated enemy, stripped of his authority but with limited power, will help you and me enforce the victory we already have over the devil through Christ Jesus.

Authority gives you power: Hence, if you have legitimate authority, you inherently have the sanctioned power to act within your role. Therefore, as believers, we have legitimate or delegated authority through Christ Jesus. We have the right to wield God’s power in our lives and over every situation that is contrary to God’s will and word for our lives, families, cities, and nation.

Furthermore, it is possible for someone to have authority but yet fail to wield their power. Authority alone isn’t enough; it must be coupled with the willingness or ability to exercise it. A person might have authority but could lack confidence, decisiveness, or the necessary support to wield their power effectively.

Imagine a manager in a company who has the authority to make important decisions but hesitates due to fear of backlash or doubt. Despite holding the official title and responsibility, their inability to act undermines their effectiveness.

Authority provides the legitimate or authorised framework (for accessing and utilizing power), but personal attributes, situational factors, and external support determine whether that power gets applied.

It’s like having the keys to a car (you are the legitimate car owner or your dad has given you the right to drive the car) but you become too anxious to even drive it—authority gives you the potential, but it’s up to you to use it.

The problem of modern day believers:

Believers either don’t know that they have authority and power by God over the devil, and hence they run sacred when the devil comes attacking.
Or they know they have authority but do not know the frame-work that God has set for them to exercise that authority in order to release that power

God bless you. (Please look out for part-2 of this article)

Altar call: For anyone reading this article who is not saved and wants to be part of the family of God or you want to re-dedicate your life back to Jesus, please repeat this out loud. “Lord Jesus, I acknowledge that I have sinned against you. Lord Jesus forgive me of my sins. I repent of my sins. Lord Jesus come into my life and be my Lord now and forever in Jesus Name

Prayer:

Holy Spirit help me to come into the full experiential knowledge and reality of my authority in God through Christ, in Jesus Name
Holy Spirit help me be in total submission to God in all areas of my life, so that I can be effective in enforcing the victory that I have in Christ, in Jesus Name

Feast of Light Word Ministry