Do you ever have those days when it seems like everything is against you? When, despite how much you’ve planned or how hard you’ve tried, it feels like Satan is breathing down your neck? I certainly have.

I have yet to meet a Christian who would say they have never encountered the devil’s schemes. It’s during those times when it feels nothing is going right that the enemy is looking to weaken you to create a breech—an area of weakness—so he can launch his full-on attack.
1 Peter 5:8 says: “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.”

The word “seek” implies that he is looking. Satan is not omnipresent like God. He can’t be everywhere, so he needs to be select in whom he seeks to attack. And remember, John 10:10 tells us that Satan’s mission is to kill, steal and destroy.

But Jesus came so that we could have abundant life. We were never meant to fall prey to Satan’s destruction. This is not to say that he will not try.

But not everyone falls prey to his tactics. Why?

It is very clear in 1 Peter 5:8 that Satan is looking for something specific. He likes easy prey. There are four things that makes someone a suitable target for him:

1. A weakness in faith
2. Ignorance of the word of God
3. Isolation from others
4. A lack of maturity and fortitude to stand against his accusations

This is not to say that Satan does not attack those who are strong in their faith and have a rich prayer life. He certainly does, but more often than not, these attacks fall to nothing because these believers have developed a solid foundation. They don’t rely upon their circumstances to dictate how they feel and they know they can hold fast to the Word of God and His promises will come to pass.

If you really want to get Satan off your back follow these four steps:

1. Build your faith muscles in advance. No one can have faith for you. You must build your own.
2. Know the Word for yourself. “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ” (Romans 10:17). When you are immersed in the Word of God you develop unstoppable strength that gets Satan to leave you alone.
3. Cultivate fellowship with other believers. “And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near” (Hebrews 10:25). The thinking that you can worship God from home because God is with you wherever you are mentality makes you a lone sheep and easy prey for the devil.
4. Be willing to mature in your walk with God. Being saved happens instantly when you accept Jesus into your heart, but you are called to work hard to show the results of your salvation by obeying God with deep reverence and fear (Phil 2:12b). You didn’t mature in other areas of your life overnight, so persist in maturing in your faith.

When you submit to God through praying, studying His Word and following His ways, your faith grows in leaps and bounds. Faith pleases God (Hebrews 11:6) and scares off Satan (James 4:7).

Rejoice—victory is already yours!

By Kris Reece, Counselor, Coach, Speaker