I hate the devil! I hate his lies. I hate sin. I hate guilt. I hate death. I hate fear. I hate shame. I even hate…hate.

I wasn’t always like this. In fact, for most of my life I barely even believed the devil was real. I was just living my life and the devil was like the boogey man to me. It wasn’t until my life began to unravel just a bit that I began to suspect that I had a powerful enemy working against me, trying to steal my life. To take a quote from Kevin Spacey in “The Usual Suspects,” “The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn’t exist.”

The devil is real and he indeed exists in this world. The evil, sin, fear, hatred, depression, perversion and confusion that exist in this world are all from him. But Jesus tells to fear not because he has already overcome the world. Greater is he that is in us than he that is in the world.

I want to tell you about three ways God gives us victory over the devil.

1 – Although the devil is actively seeking to destroy each of us and devises all sorts of plots and plans against us, the word of God says if we put our trust in the lord that “No weapon formed against us shall prosper!” (Isaiah 54:17).If your marriage is under attack, stand on this word. If you or a loved one is gripped by alcohol or drug addiction, stand on this word. If you’ve been battling against lies in your mind and feel like you are going to lose this fight, God says he is a very present help in time of trouble. If you call on the name of the lord you shall be saved. The devil cannot curse what God has blessed! Someone out there needed that word. Stand on it.

2 – God has given believers power and authority over every devil and over all of his works. When a person is born again, we become children of God. We become kings and priests in this world and carry the name of our father. The name we carry gives us access to salvation and every promise of God. Once we know who our enemy is, we can walk with no fear, proclaiming victory in every battle. Remember to put your faith in Jesus and pray in his name!

3 – The final victory is just that…final! God has given us final victory over the devil by paying the penalty of our sin on the cross and rising again from the dead. His resurrection is his victory over sin and death. When we put our trust in Christ, his resurrection becomes our victory. Our sins are forgiven and everlasting life resides in us. God so loved the world he gave us his only son, Jesus, so we would have final victory and everlasting life. His love paid our debt. His love bore our sin. His love has defeated every lie and conquered death. His love has raised us up together with Christ and seated us in heavenly places. The devil is already defeated! He knows it, which is why he is so angry. We need to know it! My then 5-year-old son Ty said last year before our whole church, “God defeats the devil just by loving us!” I am convinced that nothing shall ever separate us from the love of God.

I do hate the devil, but I’m getting to the place now where he is becoming an afterthought all over again. The more I focus on the love and power of God the smaller the disruptions of the devil seem. The more I marvel at the light of Christ, darkness seems to flee.

Today Lord I call on your name and thank you for victory over the devil. I confess that you are my lord and savior and repent of every lie, sin and false deed. Today I know for sure that I need you and I accept your forgiveness and your offer of unconditional love through Christ. I pray that you will fill me with your spirit and make me a brand new creature. Thank you for showing me your will and your love.