By Scripture is clear: the devil was defeated at the cross (Colossians 2:14–15).
There, Jesus canceled the charges against us, stripped Satan of his weapons (law and death) and publicly shamed him in a triumphal procession. (A Roman victory parade where a captured enemy was disarmed, exposed and marched through the streets to show he was no longer a threat.)
So if the devil was defeated back then, why does the New Testament still encourage us to resist him today?
Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. —1 Peter 5:8
Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. —Ephesians 6:11
Because while the devil is defeated, he’s not yet destroyed.
Think of him like a captured enemy—stripped of authority, but still shouting lies from the sidelines.
That’s Satan’s only remaining tactic: deception.
He can’t enforce punishment, control your spirit or change your standing with God. But he can lie … about Jesus, about God’s character and about your identity.
The New Testament’s warnings aren’t about fighting a powerful foe. They’re about staying vigilant against persuasive slander aimed to consume your peace, joy and confidence.
The antidote? Truth. Both Peter and Paul say, “Stand firm in your faith.”
In other words, remember what the blood of Jesus accomplished. The devil can question it, but he can’t undo it.
So yes, resist him. Not because he’s strong, but because his lies are sneaky. And you have the truth that shuts him up.
The defeat of the devil is just one of the ways the cross changed everything. Want to know the others? I unpack them all in my series, The Turning Point: 4 Ways Jesus’ Death and Resurrection Changed Everything. Get all 5 MP3s today for your donation of any amount.