1. Satan Cannot Make You Sin
The devil can lead us to the tree and put the fruit in our hand, but he cannot make you eat it. We are responsible for every sinful action we choose to engage. Many times, we choose to believe that it is Satan himself who is causing us to sin, resulting in feelings of hopelessness and shame. However, this is far from the truth. For every temptation we are handed, God provides an escape for us.
1 Corinthians 10:13 states that “No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.” Therefore, any sin we commit is our responsibility and under our control, meaning that there is unquestionable hope in any temptation pressed upon us.
2. Satan Cannot Hear Your Thoughts
One mistake many believers make unintentionally and rather frequently is to resist the devil through thinking rather than speaking. The devil did not create us; therefore, he isn’t omniscient and never will have the authority to hear our thoughts. If we want the devil to flee, we must verbally communicate it to him.
3. Satan Cannot Do Anything Without God’s Permission
This became quite clear to me when reading through the book of Matthew when Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. Satan cannot do anything without God’s permission. In the book of Job we can see God actually give Satan permission to pester Job. “The LORD said to Satan, ‘Very well, then, everything he has is in your power, but on the man himself do not lay a finger.’ Then Satan went out from the presence of the LORD” (Job 1:12).
God is confident in Job’s faith, which is why he puts him to the test, but he commands Satan to “not lay a finger” him. It has been made clear to us that Satan only comes to steal, kill, and destroy. A devil with such a mindset would result in complete and utter destruction if given autonomous power. Thus, we must remember that God will never allow Satan to tempt us with more than we can handle, and in every trial, we can be victorious!
4. Satan Cannot Control Your Eternity
Despite his every desire to strip you of your salvation received through choosing to follow Jesus, Satan is powerless. Even those who are sent to hell are done so by God’s own command, not that of the devil. When we put our faith in Jesus Christ, we are then making a covenant relationship with God that is cemented through the blood shed by Jesus Christ for our sins.
No other creature has been given authority to remove us from this promise, including Satan. He may lead you astray, attempt to harm you, or take away the things you cherish most in this world, but he cannot repeal your salvation.
5. Satan Cannot Overcome Your Free Will
Lastly, and most importantly, Satan cannot touch your free will. God gave us free will so that we may choose him out of true love. Without free will, our love for God is not real, it is simply programmed. Therefore, we have the power to choose between good and evil.
In every temptation there is a choice, and Satan can craft a multitude of ways to bring you into sin through that temptation, but ultimately, he is no match for our choice. The simple choice of saying no to Satan trumps all power that he has over you.
Take heed of what you have just read, friends. Satan is powerful, and he is the supreme leader of the rebellion against God through our sin. However, we mustn’t make him more than what he really is. Through Jesus Christ we are given authority to which Satan is no match. Satan has a very limited power that we can capitalize on in our journey to victory through Jesus Christ. Do not give into the lie that he can overcome you because he can’t.
