Day 13: Closing the Doors

We have looked at common forms of accusation and torment that the devil brings against people's minds. Now we need to recognise the door that Satan uses to get into our lives. There are various doors, but I am just going to suggest to you two of the commonest that I have seen many times in counselling sessions.

The first door that Satan uses is resentment and unforgiveness in ourselves, usually towards a person that is pretty close to us. It might be a parent, a husband or a wife, or a child, or a neighbour, or a minister in a church.

Then the other door that Satan frequently uses is rebellion, an attitude of rebellion towards God. Sometimes, also towards society or human authority. But in its essence, it is rebellion towards God, a refusal to submit to the righteous government of God.

The remedy, firstly, is to close the door. If the door is resentment and unforgiveness, then we have to forgive the person we resent. We have to lay down that resentment, that bitterness, that hatred. Listen to what Jesus says in the Lord's Prayer (Matthew 6:12):

"And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors." (NIV)

We have no right to ask God to forgive us beyond the measure in which we forgive others. That is the measure in which God will forgive us. Jesus comments on that (in Matthew 6:14-15):

"For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins." (NIV)

So if we want forgiveness from God, we have to forgive others. God has laid down that requirement and He will not alter it.

Remember, forgiveness is not an emotion, it's a decision. In a sense, it's tearing up the IOU somebody owes you. You've got the IOU in your hand but God has got in His hand a great many IOUs from you. God says, "You tear up your IOU, I'll tear up Mine." That's the first condition: to close the door, to forgive other people.

But if your problem is rebellion, and especially rebellion against God, then the way to close the door is to submit to God. Again, it's a decision of your will. Listen to what James says in chapter 4, verse 7:

"Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." (NIV)

You cannot resist the devil as long as you're resisting God, because God is the only one who can give you the faith and the strength and the grace that you need to resist the devil.

If the devil's tormenting you, the first thing you have to do, is to submit to God. Lay down your rebellion towards God. Say, "God, I submit to You. You are my creator. You are in command of the universe and I submit to Your righteous government, to Your dealings in my life, and I will do whatever You require of me."

Then you have the right to take the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, and to drive the devil out of your life, just as Jesus did when the devil came to Him. He answered him each time, "It is written…it is written…it is written…" (see Matthew 4:4,7,10). Jesus was submitted to God, therefore He could resist the devil.

If you submit to God as Jesus submitted to God, then you have the right to resist the devil. You have the right to say to those voices, "I will listen to you no more. Satan, get out of my life! I'm yielded to God, I belong to God, you have no claims over me! All the claims against me were settled by the death of Jesus on the cross. I now resist you and command you to go from me."