To “overcome” Satan is to “resist” his “fiery darts” (temptations to sin).  Sin “separates” the sinner from his God (Isa. 59:2), leaving him at the mercy of the devil who has “deceived the whole world” (Rev. 12:9) into ignoring the Truth about overcoming, resisting, fiery darts, sin and separation which are written in God’s Word.  In fact, according to Jesus Christ, the entire Word of God without exception is “Truth” (Jn. 17:17).  To all of these Truths Jesus is the “Amen” (“so be it”). The Apostle Paul proclaimed this in 2 Corinthians 1:20 where he wrote: “For all of the promises of God in Him (Christ) are yea (yes) and amen to the glory of God by (through) us.”   We can bring glory to God only through obedience to His Word.  We can obey His Word only by overcoming Satan’s temptations to rebel against It.  We can do this only by the power of the Holy Spirit within us.  We can have the Holy Spirit within us only as the result of true conversion.  Without true conversion there can be no salvation.  Throughout this process one Truth remains constant: SIN MUST END.

But we are told from pulpit and podium, from t.v. and radio, from newspapers, books and movies that we cannot resist temptation, that because of Adam’s sin transferal miracle we are born with sin in our spiritual dna which makes sin “natural” for us.  However, those in “the church” are assured, all is well because Jesus died so that they can sin, bring glory to Satan, and get away with it.  As a local pastor told his huge congregation, “Don’t even try to be holy (obey God), you will just make yourself sick.  After all, you are nothing but a society of sinners.”  I envisioned Satan clapping his hands with glee as his people swallowed the sweet bait his prophet had dangled before them.

Contrary to universal opinion, Satan does not have the power to make us sin.  Nor do we inherit a “sin gene” from Adam.  Read Sin is a Choice.  Use “Choice” as your key word.  It is Satan’s self-appointed job to ENTICE us to sin in the same way  he tried to entice Jesus to sin following His 40 day fast (Mat. 4:1-7).  Note that the “angel of light” (Satan) baited his hook with Scripture when tempting Jesus.  Quoting Scripture is an effective tool used by his “ministers of righteousness” (false prophets)–2 Cor. 11:13-15)–when tempting God seekers to disobey God’s Word.  His false prophets tempt God seekers to sin by twisting Scriptures, telling them that, though they must sin, all is well because “you shall not surely die.”  The ruse that worked with Adam and Eve still works today.

Satan knows and believes God’s Word.  He is in a rage because he knows from the Scriptures that his time is short (Rev. 12:12).  His angels (devils) also know God’s Word, believe it and tremble because they know their destiny (Jam. 2:19).  James tells us that believing what is written about God, Christ, salvation, etc. is not enough.  The devils believe every Word in the Bible.  This knowledge causes them to tremble.  Would that every salvation seeker had the same reaction to God’s Truth.  Truth is, the devils are wiser than those seekers who, rather than tremble, rejoice that they do not have to obey God.  Note what God says about trembling in Isaiah 66:1,2.  In verse one He notes that, though He made everything in the entire universe, they do not impress Him–He does not “look upon them” with admiration.  What does impress Him? “But to this MAN will I look (admire), EVEN TO HIM THAT IS POOR (HUMBLE) OF SPIRIT, HAS A CONTRITE (OBEDIENT) SPIRIT AND WHO TREMBLES AT MY WORD.   Read God’s Trembling Saints.  Use “Trembling” as your key word.  Notice what infuriates Satan and scares the devils–GOD’S WORD.  Why?  BECAUSE THEY KNOW IT AND BELIEVE IT.  Church people lag behind Satan and his fallen angels in that they (sinners saved by grace) know only the headlines in God’s Word and reject His fine print when it is shown to them.  However, such seekers are equal to Satan and his devils on one point–THEY BOTH REFUSE TO OBEY GOD’S WORD.  This is why both groups will be cast into the Lake of Fire.  If church people do not repent, reverse course, convert to the Lord, learn His Word, believe and obey it (Rev. 20:12-15; 21:8/ Mat. 25:41) they will burn to ashes and be walked upon by God’s people (Mal. 4:1-3).

As previously noted, Jesus is the “Amen”–the Guarantor–of the promises of God found in His Word.  But there is a caveat (condition) that one must meet in order to receive what He guaranteed.  ONE MUST OBEY HIS LAW WHICH PRODUCES SIN IF DISOBEYED (1 Jn. 2:6), AND CONVERSELY HOLINESS IF OBEYED.  Satan works to deceive people into believing that the “holy, just and good” Law (Rom. 7:12) was “nailed to the cross.”   This is where “overcoming” comes into play in the life of the seeker.  One must look for and “find” God’s “strait” (difficult) gate, “enter” it then “walk” (1 Jn. 2:6) His “narrow” (strict) path (Mat. 7:13,14) until the end of the seeker’s life in order to receive what God promised and Jesus guaranteed. (Mat. 10:22).  That “walk” is the walk of holiness as Paul explains in Romans 5:21 and 6:22.  Only those who walk in holiness (obey the Law) will inherit salvation.  To do this one must “resist” and thereby “overcome” Satan’s “fiery darts” (temptations).  Read The Two Laws of God.  Use “Laws” as your key word.

Satan can only ENTICE man to sin, which is his only agenda because he knows that sin separates man from God (Isa. 59:2) and causes his eternal death (Rom. 6:23) if continued.  Overcoming means to resist his temptations to the point of gaining “victory” over them and him.  Jesus said to those who believe and obey Him unto conversion, “Behold, I give you power (victory) over all the power of the enemy” (Satan)–Lk. 10:19.  Why does one need power over Satan?  Sinners saved by grace claim that “victory” means that the death penalty for sin does not apply to them.  This is a deadly deception.  Spiritual victory means that they have the power to rule over the devil through the Holy Spirit that is awarded the true convert.  Concerning “victory,” the difference between church “truth” and God’s Truth is the difference between life and death.  If victory is not necessary, why are we commanded to overcome Satan?  Why are we commanded to resist him.  Why try to overcome what cannot be overcome?  Why resist the irresistible?  Why did Paul write in Romans 4:7: “Resist the devil and he will flee from you.”  Note that WE must resist the devil and that he will flee from US.  “Resisting” in the spiritual context means to “overcome” the effects of his “fiery darts” (temptations).  Contrary to popular opinion, Jesus 1) does not resist and overcome Satan’s temptations for us, neither did He 2) die so that we could give in to temptation and get away with it.  Instead, He died so that WE can receive the Holy Spirit that provides spiritual power for US to “resist” the devil, “overcome” him and live in “victory” over him until the end of our lives or the end of the age.  Without the Holy Spirit resistance is futile, overcoming is impossible and victory is unattainable.

Recall Christ’s words to His disciples following His death and resurrection: “… go to Jerusalem and wait FOR THE PROMISE OF THE FATHER.”  And what was that promise? “… you WILL BE BAPTIZED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT ….”  (Acts 1:4,5).  He also promised them: “YOU WILL RECEIVE POWER WHEN THE HOLY SPIRIT COMES UPON YOU ….” (1:8).  Power for what?  Not to be able to sin and get away with it as we are told repeatedly by counterfeit Christians.  But to “resist the devil” and “overcome” him–to gain “victory” over him.  Which is exactly what Jesus said one must do in order to join Him in paradise: “To him that OVERCOMES I WILL GRANT TO SIT WITH ME ON MY THRONE, EVEN AS I OVERCAME AND HAVE SAT DOWN WITH MY FATHER ON HIS THRONE” (Rev. 3:21).  Whom did Jesus overcome?  Satan.  Note that God did not overcome Satan for Him.  The man Jesus had to resist and overcome Satan using the Holy
Spirit.  In the same way WE must use the Holy Spirit to resist and overcome Satan in order to join Christ in the Kingdom of God.  Notice that Jesus had to overcome him in order to join His Father on His throne.  The key is to victory is to be truly converted, at which time one receives the Holy Spirit which empowers one to resist and overcome Satan’s temptations.  Without the Holy Spirit living within, one cannot resist and overcome Satan.  Instead, one is overcome by him.

The whole of professing Christendom is unable to resist Satan because they have received a counterfeit conversion, which is believed to be “salvation.”  Not having been converted and not having received the Holy Spirit they must obey Satan.  In order to justify their continuous sins they use the false teaching of a Catholic priest named Augustine who came up with the Adam’s-sin-infused-into-all-people ruse.  Satan, through his false prophets, has deceived billions of unsuspecting God seekers into believing that sin is an unavoidable part of “Christian life.”  As one bastion of “the church” said, “God doesn’t like sin, but He won’t do anything about it.”  Anyone who doubts the power of Satan over his people should consider that statement.  Upon hearing it the entirety of professing Christianity would shout,  “Amen.”  L.J.