Intro: Joshua and the Israelites entered into the promised land, fought and defeated the Canaanites. This is a symbol of victory over sin in the life of the Christian. Our sources of temptation are the world, the flesh, and the Devil. Last week we discussed how to have victory over the world, and over the flesh. Because time was short, we saved our third point for today. How can the Christian have victory over Satan?

I. This is a valid question.
If the Bible is true, then Satan is real.
His name "Satan" is found about 50 times in the Bible. The word "devil"
appears about 70 times.
Satan is the "father of lies." (John 8:44) Don't expect him to fight fair. His
motto is "Winning isn't the ONLY thing, it's EVERYTHING!"
He lied to Eve, and he will lie to you and everyone else, too.
Satan may appear as an angel of light. (2 Cor. 11:13-15)
The world will be convinced that Satan's ministers are good, and that
Christ's servants are intolerant bigots (Acts 22:20-22).
Satan is an agressive enemy. (I Peter 5:8) He never sleeps. His name means,
"adversary." He is stalking us like a lion. He is called "the accuser
of the brethren." His other names, Abaddon and Apolyon mean
"the destroyer."

II. So, How Can the Christian Gain Victory Over Satan?
A. We need to take God's armor and weapons (Ephesians 6:11-16).
Seven pieces of defensive and offensive weaponry are listed here:
Truth, righteousness, gospel, faith, salvation, Bible and prayer.
B. We must throw off materialism. (Luke 4:1-12)
Each of Christ's three temptations involved materialism...
C. We must memorize the Word of God. (Luke 4:1-12)
Jesus quoted it to Satan three times. YOU can memorize!
D. We must take a stand against him. (I Peter 5:9)
To "resist" is literally "to take a stand." Have you enlisted in the
war, are you taking the battle to the enemy? Or are you striving to
be an inconspicuous bystander? Don't be a draft dodger in this war.
E. We must patiently persevere. (I Peter 5:9)
Satan only leaves temporarily (Luke 4:13). This is not just a battle, but
a war that lasts until Jesus returns.

Conclusion: We may have victory over the world, the flesh and the devil. But we must put our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, and we must patiently persevere in a war that will last a lifetime.