Don’t Be Defeated
Satan wants us to feel defeated. To do this he plants doubt in us about the goodness of God and about God’s ability.
Know that Satan is strong, BUT God is always stronger.
Luke 11: 21-22 (Living Bible)
“For when Satan, strong and fully armed, guards his palace, it is safe – until someone stronger (God) and better-armed attacks and overcomes him and strips him of his weapons and carries off his belongings.”
What weapons does Satan use to defeat us? The answer is: any of the things you feel when you grieve. Satan can use any of them against you.
Depression (Sadness spiraling down)
Exclusion of Others (Isolating ourselves; Aloneness)
Forgiveness (Lack of this)
Emptiness (Physical, Emotional, & Spiritual)
Anger
Terror (Fear) or Transfer of Blame (Usually to ourselves = Guilt)
No matter what Satan uses to possess you, God can defeat him.
Satan is … strong. God is … stronger.
Satan is … fully armed with all the things just mentioned above. God is … better-armed. He will overcome what Satan has.
Satan is … guardian of his house. God is … ultimately in charge.
If not a believer, Satan wants to keep you blinded. If a believer, he wants to plant doubt & mistrust.
God wants to give us back what Satan took.
We need to work on cleaning out of our lives the weapons Satan uses (DEFEAT) and also fill the emptiness with God and ultimately trust that God knows what He is doing.
The following quotes help clarify God’s ability to help us overcome defeat:
Beth Moore from “Jesus, the One and Only” p.151
“We were created by God to be inhabited by His Spirit. We were not created to be empty. The vacuum in every human life does not yearn to be fixed. It yearns to be filled. God can deliver us from (Satan)… , but if we don’t fill the void with God, we are susceptible to a relapse (Satan’s attack again).
2 Corinthians 4:8 (Living Translation)
“We are pressed on every side by troubles, but not crushed and broken. We are perplexed because we don’t know why things happen as they do, but we don’t give up and quit. We are hunted down, but God never abandons us. We get knocked down, but we get up again and keep going.”
What is it that Satan uses to defeat you? Is there more than one thing? Stay aware of Satan’s sneak attacks. Try to arm yourself with God’s weapons to fight back: pray, read the Bible, engage others to help, etc.