Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. James 4:7 (NIV)
and do not give the devil a foothold. Ephesians 4:27 (NIV)
Greg Laurie tells the following story: “A bear hunter was walking through the forest one day when he finally found what he was looking for. He got his gun ready, lowered his sights, exhaled, and began to squeeze the trigger when the bear suddenly turned around and said, ‘Excuse me, but isn’t it better to talk than to shoot?’ The hunter, trying to recover from the shock of an animal talking to him, didn’t know what to say. ‘Can’t we negotiate the matter?’ the bear continued. ‘What is it that you’re looking for?’ ‘I’m looking for a fur coat,’ the hunter replied. ‘Ah!’ said the bear. ‘Well, I’m looking for a full stomach. Let’s have a discussion about it, and perhaps we can reach a compromise.’ ‘All right then,’ said the hunter, and the two disappeared into the forest. A while later, the bear came out of the forest alone. Apparently, the negotiations were successful, and everyone got what they wanted. The bear got a full stomach, and the hunter got a fur coat.”
It is the same way when we seek to do deals with the Devil. We give him a footing in our lives and if we give him an inch he will seek to take a life. One little glance, one little sip, one little slip of the lip, one little morsel, one little lie and pretty soon our effective ministry dies. One of his greatest tools is compromise. Those who seek to deal with the Devil are soon destroyed. He is an adversary that prowls like a roaring lion seeking our demise. If he cannot keep us from being saved, he will seek to keep us from being used. Beware. Resist him through the power of the Holy Spirit for flesh and blood will fail you.
Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings. 1 Peter 5:8-9 (NIV)
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Ephesians 6:10-13 (NIV)