Know your enemy! The friend of your enemy is your enemy; the enemy of your enemy is your friend! Life is a warfare.

James 4: 7-8 “Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.”

One can unintentionally create an alliance with the devil; our lifestyles can give place to the devil in our lives in so many ways. Who is the devil, what is he capable of doing to man, and where did he get his power from? The Bible does not keep us in the dark about who the devil is, and what he is capable of doing in the life of man. The devil was part of God’s Angels until he was expelled from heaven by God, and he was sent to the earth because of his pride. The Bible writes: “How are you fallen from heaven. O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, you who weakened the nations! For you have said in your heart ‘I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation on the farthest sides of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.’ You shall be brought down to Sheol, the lowest depths of the Pit” –                 Isaiah 14: 12-15.                                      The devil has so many names in the bible:  (1) prince of the power of the air – Ephesians 2:2 (2) prince of the world – John 2: 2 (3) sinner from the beginning – 1 John 3: 8 (4) serpent that causes the fall of man – Genesis 3:1 (5) Belial – 2 Corinthians 6: 15 (6) Abaddon and Apollyon – Rev. 9: 11 (7) tempter – Job 2:7;  1 Chronicles 21: 1. (7) Satan – Luke 10: 18. (8) Father of lies – John8: 44; 1 King 22: 22 (9) prince of the world – Matthew 13: 19; 2 Corinthians 4: 4. (10) Beelzebub – Matthew 12: 24 (11) Roaring lion – 1 Peter 5: 8; (12) Wolf – John 10: 12.                                                    The characteristics of the devil: (1) proud – 1 Tim 3: 6 (2) wicked- 1 John 2: 13 (3) subtle – Genesis 3:1; 2Corithians 11:3 (4) deceitful – 2 Corinthians 11: 14; Ephesians 6: 11 (5) cruel – Luke 8: 29; Luke 9: 39, 42; 1 Peter 5: 8.                                                                                                  Anyone that has any of the aforementioned characteristics of the devil has created alliance with the devil. The devil always acts in an injurious way; he is insidious and subtle; he is called the “Serpent” in the Bible at the beginning of his atrocities on earth; he sneaked into the Garden of Eden, where he deceived Eve to eat the “Forbidden fruit.” And Eve also convinced Adam, her husband, to eat it. And God had earlier warned the couple not to eat the fruit. This marks the beginning of God’s anger with man; the fruit is known as the “Forbidden Fruit.” The devil is perfect at deceiving man; he deceived Eve, and Adam made them to disobey God’s Command. Every Believer needs to be knowledgeable and be steadfast in God’s word in order to maintain a good relationship with God, and also to be able to resist the devil. Though the devil has power to do evil, he cannot use any of his powers without the consent of God– Job 2: 1-6. The devil’s atrocities are curtailed by God’s power. The devil is an enemy of God and man; it is the more reason why Peter’s epistle writes, “Be sober, and be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brothers in the world” 1 Peter 5: 8-9.

Disobedience to the word of God is an alliance with the devil. The consequences for anyone creating an alliance with the devil are usually too much for only the sinner to bear; in many cases in the Bible, the innocent generations of the person will bear it also. The story of Achan the son of Carmi in the Book of Joshua teaches Believers a lot of lessons. The Bible writes in Joshua 7: 1-2, “But the children of Israel committed a trespass regarding the accursed  things, for Achan the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took the accursed things; so the anger of the Lord burned against the children of Israel.” For this reason, the Lord was angry with Israel; they lost the war which ought to have been very easy for them to win. The Bible writes, “Therefore the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies, but turned their backs before their enemies, because they have become doomed to destruction.” The Bible states further that what the Lord said to them was, “Neither will be with you anymore, unless you destroy the accursed among you.” The alliance that Achan created with the devil by taking accursed things finished his generations – Joshua 7: 23-26. Therefore for a Believer to avoid an alliance with the devil, the Believer must have his mind surrendered to the Lord by regular meditation on God’s word, and to also have nothing to do with worldly things. The second epistle of Paul to the Corinthians writes, “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled” 2 Corinthians 10: 3-6.

Uncontrolled anger is an alliance with the devil. Cain was warned by God to overcome his evil intention and emotion, but he disobeyed. The devil usually magnifies every issue in a man’s mind, and even some that should be overlooked. By his devices he creates bitterness in the heart of man. And emotion can lead to irreversible decisions. The epistle of Paul to the Ephesians writes, “Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamour, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice” Ephesians 4: 31. The devil successfully took over the heart of Cain when he was angry with Abel, but Cain ignored God’s warning. God warned him of his impending doom before he was even yet to murder Abel. The Bible says, “So the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it.” Genesis 4: 1-10. Cain committed the first case of murder in the Bible because he ignored God’s warning. A Psalm of David writes, “Be angry and do not sin. Meditate within your heart on your bed, and be still” Psalm 4: 4. Believers should not permit any anger to last for too long in the mind. The epistle of Paul to the Ephesians writes, Ephesians 4: 26-27:  “Be angry, and do not sin” do not let the sun go down on your wrath, nor give place to the devil.” Whenever anger is allowed to stay for too long, an alliance is already created with the devil. The Book of Psalm writes, “Cease from anger, and forsake wrath; do not fret – it only causes harm” Psalm 37: 8.

Adultery and fornication are common ways that men and women create an alliance with the devil. The word of God says, “Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him, for the temple of God is holy, which temple you are” 1 Corinthians 3: 16-17. The Bible tells us about the story of David and Bathsheba in the Second Book of Samuel. David stayed at home at the time he was supposed to be at the warfront. The Bible writes in 2 Samuel 11: 1-2, “It happened in the spring of the year, at the time when kings go out to battle, that David sent Joab and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they destroyed the people of Ammon and besieged Rabbah. But David remained at Jerusalem.”  His tragedy starts with “Then it happened one evening that David arose from his bed and walked on the roof of the king’s house. And from the roof he saw a woman bathing, and the woman was very beautiful to behold.” The teaching of Jesus in Matthew 18: 9-10 teaches us about ‘the kingdom of heaven’, He says, “And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life with one eye rather than having to be cast into the everlasting fire”. David’s failure to cast away his eyes from Bathsheba landed him in trouble. The Bible writes, “Then David sent messengers and took her; and she came to him, and he lay with her, for she was cleansed from her impurity; and she returned to her house.” David incurred God’s judgment for his lack of integrity and disobedience to God’s commandment – 2 Samuel 11: 3-27; 12:1-24; Exodus 20: 13-14.

Joining any Occult group in whatever name; they are groups that do not give glory to Christ, and the Cross is nothing but an alliance with the devil. Believers are now easily lured into the devil’s net by joining a secret cult, some bearing Biblical names. The epistle of Paul to the Romans, Romans 12: 1-2, writes, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” Many are Believers who are members of Occult groups; many are gamblers, and many are Sorcerers under the pretence of doing so for the progress of their business. Many Believers are in Occult groups to secure political positions. The Bible writes, “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world – the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life – is not of the Father but us of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever” 1 John 2: 1-17. Whatever step or reason taken to fit into any worldly society is an alliance with the devil – “Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God” James 4:4.

Idolatry is an alliance with the devil; it could be a metal image, wood, clay, or mental. Aaron must have had an idol in his (mentality) brain already; otherwise, he wouldn’t be able to know what it requires to create one. It happened when he was lured into creating an Idol for the children of Israel at the time that Moses was delayed in coming back from the mountain. The Bible writes, “Now when the people saw that Moses delayed coming down from the mountain the people gathered together to Aaron, and said to him, “Come, make us gods that shall go before us; for us for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him” In response to their request Aaron said to them, Break off the golden earrings which are in the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me” Exodus 32: 1-2. Aaron’s response to the people’s request shows that Aaron himself has ideas about Idol creation in his mentality. The Bible warns Believers against idolatry; “Their sorrows shall be multiplied who hasten after another god; their drink offerings of blood I will not offer, nor take their names on my lips” Psalm 16: 4; Exodus 23: 13.

Unfaithfulness is an alliance with the devil; Ananias and Sapphira, his wife, were members of a Commonwealth group formed by the Believers, as the Bible writes.  It is written, “Now the multitude of those who believed were of one heart and one soul; neither did anyone say that any of the things he possessed was his own, but they had all things in common” Acts 4: 32. They all had a joint purse, which Ananias and Sapphira agreed to contribute, but they were unfaithful. The Bible writes, “But a certain man named Ananias, with his wife, sold a possession. And he kept back of the proceeds, his wife also being aware of it, and brought a certain part and laid it at the apostles’ feet.”  Paul’s epistle to the Galatians applies to the action taken by this couple; it writes, “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap” Galatians 6: 7. Ananias and Sapphira reaped what they sowed, because their unfaithful act was exposed. The Bible writes, “But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the price of the land for yourself?” The unfaithful act of the couple ended in tragedy: “Then Ananias, hearing these words, fell down and breathed his last. So great fear came upon all those who heard these things”. Sapphira was given a chance to tell the truth, but she failed to do so; she also slumped down and breathed her last – Acts 5: 1-10.

Betrayal and treachery are both alliances with the devil; Judas readily comes to mind in this issue. The Bible writes, “Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, “What are you willing to give if I deliver Him to you? And they counted out to him thirty pieces of silver. So from that time he sought opportunity to betray Him” Matthew 26: 14-17. Ahithophel is another person; he was a bosom friend of King David, a man he trusted so much, in whom he confides and accepts advice from. Ahithophel betrayed David when Absalom, the son of David overthrew his father from the throne. It is written, “Meanwhile Absalom and all the people, the men of Israel, came to Jerusalem; and Ahithophel was with him. Ahithophel is one of those who enjoys being at the corridor of power at all costs. Both Judas, who betrayed Jesus, and Ahithophel, who betrayed David, committed suicide to end their lives. The Bible writes, “Now when Ahithophel saw that his advice was not followed, he saddled a donkey, and arose and went home to his house, to his city. Then he put his household in order, and hanged himself, and died, and he was buried in his father’s tomb” 2 Samuel 17: 1-23.

Though the devil is very powerful, he can be resisted by every true Believer. You can resist the devil when you are armed with the word of God, you pray consistently, and you walk in the Spirit. The epistle of Paul to the Romans – Romans 8: 1: “There is therefore no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.” To understand the Spiritual prescription mentioned in the epistle to the Romans, Paul explains it further in his epistle to the Ephesians. He writes: “And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints” Ephesians 6: 13- 18). The devil failed when he tempted Jesus Christ; he failed because Jesus, being the Son of God, knows him, and He has the word of God to resist the devil. The devil also knows the Bible, but he will always adulterate God’s word to suit his agenda to convince the Believers who have little or no knowledge of God’s word. He believed that he could quote the Bible to convince Jesus, but he failed because Jesus is the Author of the word, and He also has the correct version of the word that the devil quoted to tempt Him – Matthew 4:1-11.

Thank you so much for taking your time to read this message and also for not deleting it straight away as some people do. Please read the Bible verses quoted for you to understand this message better. The Lord will bless you, and grant you the good desires of your heart. Stay blessed and stay joyful in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen!