Satan is the adversary of God and a fallen angel who was cast out of heaven for his rebellion. Satan is a tempter and deceiver who seeks to lead us away from God and toward sin. What does the Word of God tell us about what we can do to defeat Satan and his influence in our lives?
Repentance: The Bible emphasizes the importance of repentance and turning away from sin as a way to resist Satan’s temptations and influence. It says “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (James 4:7). It also says “Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord” (Acts 3:19).
Prayer: The Word of God encourages us to pray with sincerity and from the heart. Jesus teaches his disciples how to pray, including the line “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil” (Matthew 6:9-13). It also says “And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people” (Ephesians 6:18).
Reading or listening to the Bible: The Bible contains many stories of people who faced trials and overcame them through faith in God, serving as examples for us to follow in our own lives. (2 Timothy 3:16-17; James 4:7) Moreover, Jesus himself resisted Satan’s temptations by quoting Scripture to him during his 40-day fast in the wilderness. (Matthew 4:1-11) In doing so, Jesus demonstrated the power of God’s Word in overcoming the devil’s schemes. Similarly, we can use the Bible to resist Satan’s attacks and overcome his temptations.
Sacraments: The Eucharist is the sacrament in which we receive the Body and Blood of Christ. Through this sacrament, we are united to Christ in a special way, and we receive the grace to live a life of love and service. The Eucharist strengthens us in our fight against temptation and helps us to remain faithful to Christ. (John 6:53-56; 1 Corinthians 10:16-17) Confession is also essential for resisting the attacks of Satan. Through confession, we receive the forgiveness of our sins and are reconciled to God. This grace helps us to defeat the temptation to sin and to live a life of purity and holiness. (James 5:16; 1 John 1:9)
Following Jesus’ example: Scriptures encourage us to follow Jesus’ example in living a holy life. It says “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin” (Hebrews 4:15). Jesus says “I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you” (John 13:15).
Furthermore, it is important to recognize the significance of community and collective effort in our spiritual journey. This may involve praying for one another (James 5:16), providing mutual support during difficult times (Galatians 6:2), and sharing our faith with others (Matthew 28:19-20).
Pierre-Alain Giffard
Director of Pastoral Work
Other articles on evangelization and parish revitalization:
- Bringing Love, Hope and Healing Through the Gospel
- Love: Our Fundamental Vocation
- Touched by the Master
- A Man, a Dog, and the Ultimate Love
- The essence of evangelization: Loving God and our neighbours
- Loving Our Enemies and Reconciling with Others
- A Powerful Prayer for Healing: You Are The LORD Who Heals Me
- Living a Life of Love: Mother Teresa’s Legacy
- Living a Life of Love: Lessons from the New Testament
- In The Shadows Of Darkness, A Powerful Force Is At Work
- 19 Pastoral Orientations for Parish Renewal and Growth
- The Missionary Renewal of Catechesis
- Characteristics of missionary parishes
- Powerful healing prayer attributed to St. Padre Pio
- We are called to share our faith with others
- Should we seek to grow the Church?
- Find a Need and Fill It – Revealing God’s Heart in the Community
- 15 Habits to Evangelize on a Daily Basis
- The Church’s Mission
- Three Barriers to Building An Invitational Culture In Your Parish
- The Relational Evangelizer
- Doing Church at Home
- The Blind Girl
- A Group of Frogs
- The Elephant Rope
- A Shared Faith is a Growing Faith
- In The Shoes Of The Unchurched
- Parish Evangelizing Cells
- Six Unique Features of Missional Parishes
- Steps Towards Becoming A Missional Parish
- What Is Evangelization, And How Should It Be Carried Out?
- Discussion And Self-Assessment Questions For Parish Evangelization
- A Missional Church Is A Church That Prays
- The Jesus Prayer: A Method To Pray At All Times
- What can help children raised Catholic continue practicing the faith as adults?
- An Example of a Missionary Parish: Phoenix First Assembly of God
- Satan’s Tactics
- Learning to Be a Missionary
- When we cry out to God, he answers
- Presence and Proclamation
- Saving those who are lost
- Saint-Nazaire Parish: The story of a missionary transformation
- Small Groups and Evangelization
- Evangelizing By Inviting People To Receive Jesus As Lord And Saviour
- You Will Receive Power…
- Have You Heard About the Law of Three Hearings and Seven Touches?
- Three Habits of a Fruitful Christian Life
