許多年前，美國有一位喜劇演員腓力威爾森，每當他在鏡頭裡演出無知的樣子，就引來無數的笑聲，當他演出一些虛構的壞行為時，他總說：「這是魔鬼讓我如此做的」，他所表演的確實很好笑，但也僅如此而已，在現實的環境中，魔鬼並不能使我們做任何事。

        撒旦也是受造物，像我們人類和所有受造物一樣，它是屬於創造者的。魔鬼不能創造，但他卻能破壞摧毀；魔鬼不像上帝，它不是無所不知、無所不在、無所不能，只有上帝是無所不知、無所不在、無所不能（雖然祂也有自我限制的能力）。魔鬼也不能給人解答，因它不能明白上帝心中所想，也不能知道我們心中所想；魔鬼是被造的，所以只能在一個時間內在一個地方（雖然它擁有千萬墮落的天使供它驅使且散佈在人類中）。如果你選擇抵抗它，它對你就無能為力。魔鬼雖有試探人的能力，但雅各告訴我們，試探是自己的私慾引誘而來的（1：14）。

        撒旦的爭戰大過它的吞噬；它甚至不是一隻真正的獅子，它只是「像」一隻吼叫的獅子尋找可吞吃的人。魔鬼所有的能力都是虛偽的，真正的獅子是「猶大的獅子」──耶穌基督，我們的救主。

        撒旦對抗那些住在耶穌基督裡的人，它只能夾尾而逃！它從不浪費時間在那些能力完全居住主裡的人，它是一個懦夫，專門攻擊不蒙基督保守的靈魂，欺凌困擾他們。

        所以不要以為我們是撒旦的受害者，事實上它因吞吃不到我們而受害了，我們不是受害者，在基督裡我們是得勝者。

        親愛的上帝，您賜給我們足夠的能力，使我們順服您來抵抗魔鬼，它必因您而逃跑，感謝您，當我們親近您時，您應許必要親近我們，哈利路亞！奉主耶穌聖名，阿們！

English

        Years ago the American comedian Flip Wilson used to get lots of laughs when he would look innocently into the camera and explain some fictional bad behaviour by saying, "The devil made me do it!" If was funny, but that's all. In the real world, the devil can't make us do anything.

        Satan is a creature. Like you and me, and all creation, he is subject to the creative activity of a Creator. The Creator. The devil can't create; he can only distort and destroy. What's more, unlike God, the devil is not all-knowing, all-present, and all-powerful. Only God knows everything. Only God is everywhere. Only God has no limits on power (although He does have the power of self-limitation). That means the devil has unanswered questions (he can't "read" God's mind —nor can he read ours). As a creature he can be in only one place at one time (although he has thousands of fallen angels covering mankind). And he's powerless with you if you choose to resist him. Even his power to tempt mankind has been overstated — James tells us that temptation is a function of our "own evil desire" (1:14).

        Satan's war is bigger than his bite. He's not even a legitimate lion — he is "like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour". His strength lies in counterfeit. There's only one true Lion; the "Lion of Judah", Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour.

        When Satan encounters resistance from someone who has the indwelling Lion of Judah, he turns tail and flees! There are a lot of unprotected souls out there to harrass and bully. And bullies are cowards — they don't waste any time around those in whom real power and integrity dwell.

        So don't see yourself as a victim of Satan. If anything, he should be victimized by us. We're not victims. In Christ we're victors!

        Dear God, as much as You enable us, we submit to and resist the devil. Thank You that He flees. We draw near to . Thank you that right now you, according to the promise, draw near to us, too. Hallelujah!