"Leave no room or foothold for the devil—give no opportunity to him."
Ephesians 4:27 (AMP)
"Neither give place to the devil."
Ephesians 4:27 (KJV)
The objective of war is to defeat the enemy. How one goes about the process varies from strategy to strategy, from tactic to tactic. But one thing is evident: we are never to leave an unguarded or vulnerable place open for the enemy.
As Christian soldiers, our war is against the MIGHTY FOUR: Principalities, Powers, Rulers of darkness, and Wicked spirits in high places (Ephesians 6:12).
The Amplified Bible states:
"For we are not wrestling with flesh and blood—contending with only physical opponents—but against the despotism, against the powers, against the master spirits who are the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spirit forces of wickedness in the heavenly (supernatural) sphere."
The True Battleground
All wars that occur have their counterpart in the spiritual realm. Wars are started, fought, won, or lost because of the workings of the Big Four. If those in the military organizations around the world would read the Bible, they would discover that they are being used as dupes and puppets to act out the devil's desire to kill, steal, and destroy (John 10:10).
They would realize that God's way of fighting—through prayer and spiritual warfare—is how the real battles are won. They would understand that God’s wisdom is far greater than that of generals at the planning tables.
Yes, due to humanity's sinful, greedy, and rebellious nature, physical wars, with all their death and destruction, will continue until Jesus Christ ends the carnage. However, each person is accountable for their actions. It is far better to join the army that sheds no blood, fighting in the spirit to save souls, than to murder and destroy fellow human beings for the sake of nationalism, patriotism, or because they were "paid to."
Guarding Against the Enemy
It is foolish to see professing Christians loitering around without their armor or weapons. While they claim to be soldiers of the cross, in reality, they are prisoners of the devil—obeying his subtle (or sometimes not-so-subtle) commands.
We are never to leave a place for the devil, for he is always on a "search and destroy" mission. He probes our defenses, looking for that unguarded moment, the unoccupied post of duty, where he can penetrate and begin his covert work.
Our safety lies in filling ourselves with holy purposes and achievements dedicated to God. We must be so full of God's Spirit power that there is no room left for the enemy.
How foolish it would be for a military commander in a kill zone to fail to establish a defense perimeter around his occupied encampment! Yet, in the most deadly war of all, we often fail to keep our guard up, giving place to the enemy of our souls.
How many Christians do you know who are standing, watching, and guarding their territory for our Captain, Jesus Christ? We must hang our heads in shame for all the fraternizing Christians do with the enemy camp—the world, demons, and the flesh.
Giving Place to the Enemy
When we fail or delay in performing our duties, we give place to the devil. When we respond to God’s command by saying, "Allow me first to go and...", we leave an unguarded place for the enemy to enter.
Satan loves it when Christians procrastinate and delay in obeying God's commands, just as a soldier loves when his opponent hesitates in real war. The enemy often uses the strategy of “peace talks”—getting the other side to cease fire while covertly resupplying, building forces, and preparing a new attack.
In our vacant hours, our cease-fire moments, the enemy strengthens himself, waiting for our reluctance to take the offensive. Peace talks with the enemy are nothing but reinforcement for the devil’s side. The awful shape of today’s Church bears this out.
When we perform our duties halfheartedly, we offer the other half to the devil. He loves the halfhearted, compromising, and fun-loving professing Christians, for they offer little resistance in the war against sin.
Churches across America are full of halfhearted Christians, the compromising professing soldiers who are easy prey for the Big Four. These churches resemble Boy Scout clubs rather than Christian soldier training camps. Their pastors, like Scout Masters, are more concerned with social events and outings than raising up warriors for Christ.
Standing Against the Enemy
When we stop resisting the enemy’s attacks, we give them an easy victory and put the name of God to open shame. Have you ever met someone who has been overrun by demons and uncleanness—someone who once confessed Christ? Such a fall could have been prevented if they had filled their post of duty, contended for their faith, and given no place to the enemy (Ephesians 6:12).
The Big 4: Our Spiritual Enemies
- Principalities
- The Greek word for Principalities describes things in a series—magistrates, rulers, and leaders. A series of rulers or leaders speaks to their rank and organization. The English word "Principality" refers to the territory or jurisdiction under a prince's rule. Demons are assigned to various nations, states, and cities.
- Powers
- The Greek word for Powers is translated as "Authorities". These demons are set over territories and are given authority to carry out Satan’s orders.
- Rulers of the Darkness of This World
- The Greek word for World Rulers is translated as "Lords of the World" or "Princes of the Ages". This emphasizes the enemy's intention to control the world.
- Spiritual Wickedness in High Places
- The key word here is "Wickedness", which suggests that which is destructive and injurious in character.
Satan’s Strategy: Attacking the Mind
There are many ways Satan wages war against us, but his primary tactic is to begin where he struck Adam and Eve—in the mind. The mind is Satan’s battleground, where he strikes hardest using "imaginations, arguments, theories, reasonings, and every proud and lofty thing that sets itself against the true knowledge of God" (2 Corinthians 10:5).
The true knowledge of God is the knowledge that He is God and that His Word is true. If Satan can get Christians to focus on people and self instead of God and His Word, they become more receptive to his thoughts of fear, worry, self-pity, doubt, anger, and more, until they lose their connection with God.
Through these subtle attacks on our thought life, we become more vulnerable to sin, sickness, defeat, unhappiness, and other unpleasant spiritual forces. Satan’s primary objective is to bring us to a place of compromise with the world, the flesh, or himself, so we become weak and ineffectual in our battle against his kingdom.
Let us stay vigilant and give no place to the enemy.
