Speaking to Satan

Are we to speak to Satan? When he brings to our minds thoughts and temptations, should we talk to him about them … hold a conversation of sorts with the evil one. Or should we speak a rebuke to him as Jesus did during the three, no … four … recorded temptations in the wilderness? Would there have been a fifth or sixth had He not sent him away?

Notice the account given in Matthew 4:1-11 … Satan waits until Jesus is at His weakest point after having fasted for forty days before he tempts Him. But this is why Jesus was there … to be tempted of the devil. In the first two temptations, the only response Jesus had to them was to speak what was written in the Word of God. I don't know if Jesus was reminding the devil or telling him for the first time what it said.

The last temptation was a bolder attack than any which had been made before and was met with a decided rebuke. Why did Jesus respond this time with a rebuke? It was a proposition that the Son of God should fall down and worship the devil.

How did Satan tempt Him four times? 1.) Bread. 2.) Presumption … cast thyself down. 3.) Material kingdoms. 4.) Idolatry …worship me. This forth temptation was diabolical and as such Jesus did not treat it as the others; but with Divine authority, commanded him to leave; Jesus drove him away.

Okay … Jesus rebuked the devil; but what about us?

In the forth chapter of his book, James begins the chapter with these questions, (my translation) …

"What brings or causes discord, or quarrels and fighting among the Body of Christ? Isn't it true they come out of your sinful flesh because you are jealous, proud and haughty (showing arrogant superiority and disdain of others)?"

Then he follows up with this statement …

James 4:6-7 … "But He (the Lord) gives us more and more grace (power of the Holy Spirit, to meet this evil tendency and all others fully). That is why He says, God sets Himself against the proud and haughty, but gives grace [continually] to the lowly (those who are humble enough to receive it).
So be subject to God. Resist the devil [stand firm against him], and he will flee from you." (Amp.)

The key to resisting the devil is … being subjected to God. How do we do that? Humble yourself before God. He gives grace to the lowly, those who depend on God's strength … not their own … as they resist the devil and their own sinful desires of the flesh.

(The word … "resist" … means to stand against, oppose, withstand.) Just "stand firm against the devil" and he will flee.

Resist the devil … Satan cannot conquer you if you continue to resist. Strong as he is, God never permits Satan to conquer the believer who continues to resist him. Satan can not force the human will to do his bidding. Satan is to be looked upon as an enemy, and to be opposed as such; to be watched and guarded against with humility; because it's not about our strength … it's all about Jesus … His strength in us.

When the submitted believer stands against and resists the devil; not in his own strength, but in the strength of God, trusting in the grace of God and in the blood and name of Jesus … Satan knows not what to do with him … he does not like the power of prayer, nor the strength of faith; and from which he leaves … in fact the Word says he flees.

Notice James didn't say to rebuke the devil, did he? In fact he never even mentioned speaking to the devil. Could one of the reasons be that by speaking to him, you are giving the devil the acknowledgement he wants from you? Remember, his downfall was … "pride" … the very opposite of the "humility" that James said to resist him in.

I may be bending the meaning of this next verse a little, but I want you to consider how and why I use a direct application of this verse concerning what our words may end up doing … if we speak to the devil.

Ephesians 4:27 … "Neither give place to the devil." (A spot, a location, or place.)

The Amplified Bible reads … "Leave no [such] room or foothold for the devil [give no opportunity to him]."

I wonder if the only time we need to speak to the devil is to fulfill the words of Jesus when He said, "In my name they shall cast out devils." This is different then when the devil comes to tempt you. Refuse to acknowledge him … turn and resist.

I really don't know … but as for me; I do not and will not give the devil even the time of day. If and when he comes to me, I just turn my back to him and ignore him and walk away from his evil attempts and suggestions trying to get me to respond in the flesh and follow his bidding. I won't do it.

This is all I do and it works, but … honestly … it only works when I want it to. But it does work. Satan doesn't like being ignored, but he can't do anything about it because Jesus has already made him of no effect to those who are in Christ Jesus.

The word "resist" is used 9 times in the N.T. and means … to stand against.

The word "rebuke" is used 12 times in the N.T. and each time it is used, it is speaking of a man rebuking a man … not the devil … except one place in Jude.

Jude 1:9 … "Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee."

If Michael the archangel, on a mission from God, would not and did not rebuke the devil on his own, but instead said … "the Lord rebuke you" … I guess my question would be … Why then, do many believers do so on their own?

When you look at the past tense of this word rebuke … it becomes "rebuked" and as such is used 19 times in the N.T. When this word is used meaning … the disciples rebuked something or someone; it always refers to other people, not the devil. But when it states that Jesus rebuked something, it is usually referring to the spiritual powers of the devil.

Rebuke means … "to chastise with words." Do we have the right to chastise the devil? Aren’t we only instructed to resist him? You will have to decide for yourself if you want to chastise or rebuke him … I've found that he doesn’t listen to me.

In closing … I'm thinking of another man who was attacked by Satan himself … with full permission from God … remember Job? Allow me to ask this "what if" question. What if, in the middle of his testing Job would have "rebuked" the devil; would Satan have had to stop the attack and flee from Job? I would say … no.

Job didn't rebuke him and Satan didn't flee. I do know this much though … it is recorded that in all Job said, he sinned not against God by accusing or blaming Him for the conduct he received at the hand of God.

I believe God was in total control when Job was tested; and I believe God is still in control today when I am tested or tempted, no matter the reason behind it.

I believe from my own observation of life that I have come to the same conclusion that Solomon arrived at in the Book of Ecclesiastes when he said … "the fear of God is the whole duty of man" … and this should be what rules his walk on earth, not just the satisfying of his flesh.

If anything is brought into question, it should be this world we live in … not God.

I believe that God is the force behind all things in life as did Job.

I believe the Apostle Paul backs up this statement that I just made; because when he was speaking of God, Paul said in … Ephesians 1:11 "… according to the purpose of Him who worketh all things after the counsel of His own will …" meaning all things, even those things that I can't see any purpose for, good or bad … all things are subject to the government of God … no exceptions.

Why does God allow the devil to have access to your mind, thoughts and heart? I don't know for sure … but God has a purpose for it.

So, right or wrong … I just ignore the devil; I choose not to give him any place in my life; I turn my back to him and walk away … most of the time. I don't even speak a word of rebuke to him because Jesus has already taken care of that for me.

Am I tempted … of course I am … Satan knows my trouble spots. But I resist … but not in my own strength; I have none. It's all Jesus and His grace and mercy. Do I still sin? I'm sorry to say … I do. That's why I hide under the shadow of His cross … I need to.