The Devil Is Not As Powerful As You Think
Overestimating the Enemy
“How can we defeat the devil when we believe in his power more than we believe in the power of God, and in the authority Jesus has given us over him?”
Lately, I’ve come to realize that we tend to give the devil way too much credit. We talk about his power, his influence, and his schemes as if he’s some unstoppable force that controls everything around us. We overestimate him, believing he has more authority over our lives than he actually does.
We see him as this extremely powerful spiritual being who is in a constant battle with God. But God and the devil are not on the same level. They are nowhere near equal. The devil is a created being—limited, finite, and subject to the authority of the One who made him. God, on the other hand, is the Creator of all things—eternal, sovereign, and all-powerful.
The enemy has boundaries he cannot cross, power he cannot wield, and a future that has already been decided. He is a defeated foe. Scripture makes that clear: “He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world” (1 John 4:4).
The devil had a beginning, and he will have an end, but our God is the Beginning and the End. “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End” (Revelation 22:13).
God’s Power vs Satan’s Limitations
Satan operates within time; God exists outside of it. The enemy has limitations; God is the one who sets them. The devil’s power is temporary, but God’s power is eternal.
The enemy works through deception, fear, and lies, but God speaks truth, brings peace, and reigns in absolute authority.
Somehow, we’ve gotten used to fearing the devil’s power more than we should. We act like the enemy can control us, influence us, and make us do crazy things. But when it comes to the Holy Spirit, we hesitate.
We believe more in the effectiveness of generational curses, witchcraft, and spiritual strongholds than we do in the power of Jesus’ blood, the freedom of the cross, the truth of God’s Word, and the authority we have in His name.
The devil’s biggest weapon against a follower of Christ isn’t power—it’s deception and ignorance. He wins when we give him more credit than he deserves. He keeps us in fear when we forget that Jesus already defeated him and gave us power over him.
“No curse, no demon, no attack of the enemy can stand against the authority you have in the name of Jesus.”
We’re not called to live in fear—we’re called to live and walk in victory (1 Corinthians 15:57).
Freedom Comes Through Truth
The devil doesn’t need to bind you with chains—he only needs to convince you that you’re already defeated.
He only needs to persuade you that you’re trapped in a prison, when the door is already wide open. But Jesus said, “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed” (John 8:36). “Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom” (2 Corinthians 3:17).
“A slave who has been freed but does not believe it will still live as a slave.”
The enemy thrives on deception. His greatest weapon is falsehood. If he can convince you that you are weak, you will live in weakness. If he can make you doubt your freedom, you will live as though you are still bound.
But the truth stands unshaken: you have been set free. The prison cell is open. The chains are broken. The victory is already won.
You are not fighting for freedom; you are fighting from freedom. You are not fighting for victory; you are fighting from victory.
You Have Authority in Christ
“For you to defeat the devil, you first need to know who you are.”
Do we truly know who we are in Christ and understand the work of the cross?
God says, “My people perish for lack of knowledge” (Hosea 4:6). Jesus said, “You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:32).
The problem isn’t lack of power—it’s lack of understanding. The enemy thrives on ignorance. As long as we don’t recognize the authority we’ve been given, we won’t use it.
Even the most inexperienced Christian is more powerful than the devil—when they know who they are in Christ.
Jesus gave us power to trample the enemy, to resist him, and to walk in victory. “Behold, I have given you authority… over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you” (Luke 10:19).
If we don’t understand the authority we have, we suffer for it—not because God wants us to suffer, but because ignorance leaves us exposed.
Too often, we ask Jesus to chase the devil away instead of using the authority He gave us to command him ourselves.
Jesus said, “In My name, you will cast out demons” (Mark 16:17). He didn’t say, “Ask Me to do it for you.”
If a police officer watches chaos unfold and calls the chief to fix it, the chief would say, “I gave you authority—use it.” That’s how God feels when we beg Him to do what He empowered us to do.
“God won’t step in where we haven’t exercised our authority.”
Matthew 17:20 says, “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move,’ and it will move.” Not ask—say. We are called to resist the devil, not plead with God to do it for us (James 4:7).
Open Your Mouth and Speak in Faith
“Are you using the authority of your tongue, or are you keeping silent while the enemy runs wild in your life?”
The Bible says, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue” (Proverbs 18:21), and “Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven…” (Matthew 18:18).
God created the world by speaking, “Let there be light” (Genesis 1:3). He didn’t think the world into existence—He spoke it. And because we are made in His image, our words carry power too.
Imagine a king with full dominion over his kingdom, but he refuses to speak. Chaos reigns—not because he lacks power, but because he refuses to use it.
When Jesus was tempted, He didn’t just sit silently. He said, “It is written…” (Matthew 4:4), and the devil fled.
In Ezekiel 37, God didn’t tell the prophet to think about the dry bones—He told him to prophesy to them.
Faith is not just belief—it’s spoken belief. “I believed; therefore, I spoke” (2 Corinthians 4:13).
Jesus didn’t cast out demons in His thoughts—He spoke. He commanded. “You deaf and mute spirit… come out and never enter him again!” (Mark 9:25).
Even though God knows what we need, He still says, “Ask, and it will be given to you” (Matthew 7:7). Not “think about it,” but ask.
Imagine sitting at a restaurant with a full kitchen but never placing an order. The waiter can see your hunger, but unless you speak, nothing happens. That’s what some of us are doing in prayer.
Bartimaeus didn’t sit quietly hoping Jesus would notice him—he cried out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” (Mark 10:47). The ten lepers called out, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!” (Luke 17:13).
Everywhere Jesus went, people spoke to Him. He responded to their expressed faith—not their silent thoughts.
Stop letting things stay the same because you’re silent. Speak up. Use the authority God gave you. Declare His Word. Resist the enemy. And watch things shift in Jesus’ name.
Final Reminder: The devil is not as powerful as you think. You are not powerless. You are not defeated. If Christ is in you, the victory is already yours. Speak like it. Live like it. Stand in it.
Amen.
