Sometimes Satan’s attacks are obvious. In the Old Testament the prophet Zechariah writes, ‘He showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right side to accuse him.’ Satan’s attack was clear – He was ready to accuse Joshua. But often he prefers to work in disguise, so he’ll frequently attack us through other people – especially those closest to us. The Bible tells us, 'The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas…to betray Jesus’ (John 13:2 NIV). Judas was one of Jesus’ close followers, but the enemy encouraged him to turn against his friend and betray Him. So how can we defend ourselves against his attacks? We need to use the living Word of God. When Jesus was tempted in the wilderness, Jesus quoted God’s Word to Satan three different times and defeated him. When Satan attacks our minds with temptation, condemnation, doubts, insecurity, and feelings of inadequacy, God’s Word is a shield he cannot break through. So we need to make sure we’re reading the Bible, and learning verses which we can use to deflect his attacks. Also, when Jesus finished battling the enemy, the Bible tells us that ‘the devil went away, and angels came and took care of Jesus’ (Matthew 4:11 NLT). It’s important to remember that we’re not alone. God surrounds us, sustains us, and protects us. We shouldn’t forget that God’s already overcome the enemy. And He tells us that we’re ‘more than conquerors’ (Romans 8:37 NIV). We’re conquerors, not victims. Satan might be trying to accuse us, frighten us, and stop us, but ultimately we have a mighty, loving, and good God ready to help us fight back. 

What Now?

Spend some time reading about Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness (you can find this in Matthew 4). Then pray that you would be able to stand up to Satan’s attacks.