Matthew was walking in the kitchen yesterday when our cat Osha, sleeping quietly on a chair, sprung up and swatted his sleeve as he walked past. Osha caught Matthew off guard; his claws snagged fabric and pricked flesh!
Osha has never tried anything like this with me or my son Tim because we take authority over Osha. But with my other two sons, it's a different story. They put up with the impishness of the cat, so Osha takes full advantage of it and torments them. Osha instinctually knows what he can get away with and what he can't with each person in the household.
Satan is the same way. If we take authority over him in the Name of Jesus, he flees. Satan knows what he can get away with and what he can't. He isn't going to waste his time immobilized, being forced to sit on the sidelines watching those whom he can't attack. However, if we let down our guard by drawing away from the things of God and allowing ourselves to be drawn to the things of this world, Satan will ambush us and try to capture us. (Poor Osha, I can't believe I am using him as an example of the devil.)
The Bible says that if we submit ourselves to God and resist the devil, the devil will flee from us. It isn't the other way around. Christians are not pictured in the Bible as fearfully fleeing from the devil, with him chasing at our heels.
"Submit yourselves, then, to God.
Resist the devil,
and he will flee from you."
James 4:7 (NIV)
At the powerful Name of Jesus every knee will bow. Therefore, we can take command over Satan at any time and intercept his tactics of harm. We can walk past him, but his claws won't be able to snag and hold us captive.
"At the Name of Jesus
every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth
and under the earth."
Philippians 2:10 (NIV)
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