Some good friends of mine are retired global workers, returned from Southeast Asia. One of their stories with real staying power is the spiritual warfare they encountered in their ministry’s earlier days. One night the husband encountered a terrifying figure in his peripheral vision, as he looked out their bedroom window. The figure whispered, “Robert…”, in a low guttural voice. Knowing instinctively it was a demonic presence, Robert  exclaimed, “In Jesus’ name, get out!” The figure immediately disappeared. 

Robert’s story illustrates the power of Jesus’ name. Satan is a formidable foe who takes advantage of every opportunity to mislead us or derail our work, but we have the weapons to fight his interference. The book of James gives us instructions on how to mount our defense and claim the power of His name. In James 4:7, he declares that the devil will flee from us if we resist him. In the context of this verse, the term “resist” is a military term that encourages us to mount a defense again Satan’s attacks. What does our defense require? Submission to God, unwavering confidence in our Lord, steely resolve, and bold confrontation. 

My friend learned a valuable lesson from his experience. He took seriously what might otherwise have been dismissed as cultural superstition. “This was no game we were playing; this was war,” he says, “we couldn’t take it lightly.” He had encountered a real and present demonic threat meant to confuse and obstruct the Gospel message. It turns out the manifestation he witnessed was a common occurrence. The local people had even given it a name. His interaction with it resulted in a better understanding of the culture and helped his ability to convey the saving power of Jesus in an area where there were few believers. 

This story will come as no surprise to those of you serving on the field. You experience things that most will never see or believe. I want to encourage you today to remember that because of Jesus’ sacrificial death and resurrection from the grave, Satan is a defeated foe. Remember that there is power in His name.  

“James 4:7 tells us to submit to God and resist the devil. If we do that, Satan will flee from us. He has to. He cannot compete with God in the life of a submitted Christian—or anywhere, for that matter.” – Chip Ingram