Scripture unquestionably tells Christians what to do about the devil: Resist him.
“Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” -James 4:7
“Your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith.” -I Peter 5:8-9
Importantly, both passages place resistance to the devil in the context of humility, submission to God, and steadfast faith. Scripture does not give Christians any instruction to address Satan personally or pronounce our own rebukes against him.
Jude 1:8 condemns people who “defile the flesh, reject authority, and speak evil of dignitaries.” And then Jude gives us a striking example of an encounter with a “dignitary” in verse 9. When Michael the archangel disputed with the devil concerning the body of Moses, Scripture says, Michael did not dare bring a reviling accusation against the devil. Instead, he said: “The Lord rebuke you!” -Jude 1:9 (The devil was Jude’s example of a “dignitary.”)
That should stop us in our tracks. If Michael the archangel would not speak a rebuke against Satan in his own authority, neither should we.
Second Peter gives a similar warning. Peter condemns people “who are presumptuous and self-willed,” who “speak evil of dignitaries,” while angels, though greater in power and might, do not bring reviling accusations against dignitaries before the Lord. Peter goes on to describe those who “speak evil of the things they do not understand.” (II Peter 2:10-12)
There is an important lesson here: The spiritual realm is real, but much of it is unseen and unknown to us. We should therefore be extremely cautious about certain things, for example:
– confidently declaring that a particular person “has a demon,”
– addressing Satan as though he were personally standing before us, or
– attributing every hardship to demonic attack.
Certainly demonic influence and demonic activities are biblical realities. Scripture tells us to discern truth, submit humbly to God, stand firm in faith, put on the armor of God, and resist the devil.
Scripture does not encourage arrogance or spiritual presumption.
Job’s story reminds us that Satan operates only within boundaries established by God. Job had no idea that a heavenly conversation stood behind his suffering. Satan could only do what God permitted.
That raises an important question: What if we interpret every painful circumstance as something to “rebuke,” when God has permitted that trial for purposes we don’t yet understand?
Scripture shows us many purposes that God may accomplish through suffering: testing, discipline, perseverance, maturity, and faithfulness under trial. So before assuming that every painful circumstance must be rebuked away, perhaps the better question for ourselves is: How can I demonstrate faithfulness and gratitude to God even through this awful trial?
Consider also the difference between resisting and rebuking.
– To resist is to stand against, refuse to yield, and remain steadfast.
– To rebuke is to reprimand or pronounce condemnation.
Scripture repeatedly commands the Christian: Resist the devil.
And when Scripture allows us to see Michael the archangel confronting Satan himself, Michael does not say, “Devil, I rebuke you.” We need to discontinue use of that phrase.
We should not be arrogant with regard to powers that we barely understand. (II Peter 2:12). We need to stand humbly and firmly behind the One who understands them completely.
Submit to God. Resist the devil. Trust the Lord to do the rebuking!
