We face a tension in the Christian life that can feel like a contradiction until we see it through the wider lens of Scripture. On one hand, the Bible declares complete victory over Satan through the cross. On the other hand, it calls us to resist the devil, wrestle against spiritual forces, and stand firm. These are not opposites. They are two sides of the same glorious truth. Today we look at how we can live fully in the victory Christ has already secured while still engaging in the real spiritual conflict we face every day.
Seated in Heavenly Places
As it is written in Ephesians 2:6, “and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.”
We begin with this foundational reality. Jesus has utterly defeated Satan. The enemy is a vanquished foe. Colossians 2:15 tells us He disarmed principalities and powers and made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it. We have been placed in Christ’s victory procession. Thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ.
I believe this with all my heart. You and I already possess absolute victory over Satan. He is under our feet. There is nothing left to obtain. The price has been paid in full. The blood of Jesus was enough. This is not theory. This is our position right now. We are seated with Christ in heavenly places. No demon can touch our spirit. The old man is dead. We are new creations.
Walking Out What God Has Declared
As it is written in Ephesians 4:1, “I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called.”
Our seated position with Christ leads to a daily walk on earth. We do not sit passively and do nothing. We walk worthy of the One who has called us. God has declared us worthy in Christ, and now we live out that worthiness day by day. This is our relationship to the world around us as we move through ordinary life in Lyon or anywhere else the Lord has placed us.
Walking worthy means renewing our minds, obeying the Word, and allowing the Holy Spirit to shape our thoughts, words, and actions. It is practical. It is moment by moment. We do not strive in our own strength. We walk in the power of the Spirit who lives within us.
Standing Against the Enemy
As it is written in Ephesians 6:13, “Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.”
Here we come to the standing relationship. Our relationship to Satan is one of standing. We stand fast in the Lord. We stand against the wiles of the devil. The Bible does not tell us to fight for victory. It tells us to stand in the victory we already have.
Watchman Nee captured this beautifully in his little book Sit, Walk, Stand. The first three chapters of Ephesians shout “Sit!” We are seated in Christ. Chapters four and five say “Walk!” Live out what God has done in you. Then chapter six declares “Stand!” Stand against the enemy. Having done all, stand.
This order is vital. Many in the church have reversed it. They teach that if we fight hard enough, pray long enough, and chase enough demons, we will finally get victory. That turns us into our own saviors. It puts the burden on us to obtain what Christ has already obtained. I used to think that way. I carried books like Pigs in the Parlor and looked for devils behind every struggle. That path leads to exhaustion and distortion.
The truth is far better. Satan is not trying to defeat us. He is trying to con us out of the victory we already possess. He comes the same way he came to Adam and Eve and to Jesus in the wilderness. He whispers, “Has God said?” He plants thoughts, imaginations, and arguments that contradict the Word of God. Our job is not to obtain victory. Our job is to refuse to be moved from it.
The Weapons of Our Warfare
As it is written in 2 Corinthians 10:4-5, “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.”
Spiritual warfare is primarily a battle in the mind. It is pulling down imaginations and thoughts that rise up against what God has said. When the enemy whispers doubt, fear, condemnation, or lies about our identity, we answer exactly as Jesus did: “It is written.”
It is written that I am seated with Christ.
It is written that the old man is crucified.
It is written that greater is He who is in me.
It is written that I am more than a conqueror.
This is how we resist. We resist steadfastly in the faith. We submit to God first, then resist, and the devil will flee. We do not wrestle in our own strength. Our weapons are not formulas or rituals. They are truth, faith, the Word of God, and the blood of the Lamb. We overcome by the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony.
Living in the Tension Every Day
We hold both realities together. We are fully victorious in Christ, and we still live in a world where the world, the flesh, and the devil try to pull us away from that reality. The fight is real, but the victory is already ours. Satan is real. He destroys lives. Yet he is a defeated enemy with no legal right over the child of God.
I encourage you to settle this in your heart. You do not fight to get victory. You stand in the victory Christ purchased with His blood. When thoughts come that contradict the Word, cast them down. Speak the Word. Stand firm. Refuse to be moved.
Tomorrow we will look more practically at how this works in daily life. For now, rest in the finished work. You are seated. Walk worthy. Stand strong.
Selah.
Scriptures for Study
Ephesians 2:4-6, Ephesians 4:1, Ephesians 6:10-18, 2 Corinthians 2:14, 2 Corinthians 10:3-5, Colossians 2:13-15, James 4:7, 1 Peter 5:8-9, Romans 6:6-11, Romans 8:37, 1 John 4:4, 1 John 5:4, Revelation 12:11, Galatians 2:20, Hebrews 2:14-15, Luke 10:19, Matthew 28:18, 1 Corinthians 15:57, Romans 16:20
10 Questions for Reflection
- Am I living more from a place of trying to get victory or standing in victory already won?
- In what areas is the enemy tempting me to doubt what God has said about me?
- How consistently do I answer lies with “It is written”?
- Where have I reversed the order of sit, walk, and stand in my thinking?
- What strongholds of thought or imagination need to be pulled down in my mind today?
- How does knowing I am seated in heavenly places change the way I face daily pressures?
- In what practical ways can I walk worthy of my calling this week?
- When was the last time I submitted to God first before trying to resist the devil?
- Which truth from God’s Word do I most need to stand on right now?
- How can I help another believer understand they already have victory in Christ?
