I was reading a little booklet about how Satan is a defeated foe. The text said something like, “So why is Satan so powerful in the world today? Because Christians haven’t believed that he is powerless.”

I’m sorry, but this makes no logical sense. If you don’t believe he has no power then he has power? Just believe that he is already defeated, and then he will be defeated? That’s like the Catholic priest telling the parishoner, don’t believe your senses that this is wine and bread. I’m telling you it’s the body and blood of Christ.

So you see a giant hovering over you. He is dressed in full armor, and he carries a sword that you would have to use two hands to pick up. He hates you, and he hates your God.

Do you tell yourself he has already been beheaded? But you can see him right there!

Just close your eyes and repeat over and over, “He’s gone he’s gone he’s gone he’s gone.” But when you open your eyes he’s still there!

You cannot have joy in this circumstance. You cannot overcome your fear. You can’t even believe that what you’re saying is true! It’s impossible to believe one thing when your senses are telling you something else.

The fact of the matter is that your senses need to be alerted to the truth. Your eyes need to be opened.

Allow the Holy Spirit to take you right up to the giant and show you that he is nothing but a clever holographic image projected onto a nearly invisible screen. And look at the character running the projector. He’s even more powerless than the wizard of Oz.

Your first response might be, “Oh! Now I see!”

Your eyes have been opened. You understand. It wasn’t your belief that was able to change him from powerful to powerless. It was simply reality, and you saw it. Understanding. That makes it a whole lot easier to believe what’s true.

The devil’s only power is in the deadly game of smoke and mirrors. Distorting, blurring, deceiving, questioning, that’s what he’s all about.

You have the power through Jesus Christ—the resurrected Christ, who defeated him—to stand against him.

You can see, understand, know, that those manacles around your wrists that feel so heavy are only an illusion. You’ve allowed yourself to be hypnotized. When you awake, when you arise from the dead, when Christ gives you light, you won’t have to remind yourself to be joyful. The joy will spring out naturally. The gratitude for what Jesus Christ has done will flow, again and again, every time you remember the fact that He has overcome the enemy.

You can stand without fear against the enemy. You can cry out, like David did, “I will feed you to the vultures!”

Because your eyes are opened, and you see. You know that Jesus Christ, the All-Powerful one, has already defeated this foe.

[Note: This post has been slightly revised, according to some constructive criticism.]

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