Top 7 Bible Verses To Ward Off The Devil

“Shut the door, keep out the devil,” is the opening line for the Katinas 2007 Christian music hit “Shut De Do,” and it is great way to start a discussion on how to ward off the devil. The premise to the song is that the devil should not even be allowed to enter a life at all, as “he is an evil charmer.” Jesus also gave us the example of what to do to hold off Satan, as he was personally tempted just like we are. When Satan came against him in the desert, Jesus spoke the word of God back to him. The same is true for us today. If the enemy comes against us, we need to combat him with Scriptures, with an obedient and submissive life, keeping our minds focused on the Lord, and associating mostly with others who are likeminded in Christ. Here are my top seven Bible verses to ward off the devil.

Luke 4:8 “And Jesus answered him, ‘It is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve.'”

This verse is one of my top seven, because it is Jesus countering the devil’s attacks after his 40 days of fasting in the desert with the word of God. Unlike his predecessor, Adam, Jesus uses God’s word to combat Satan’s temptations, and he resists the offer of gaining all the kingdoms of the world and their glory by declaring God’s truth about worship. This truth encompasses a lifestyle of worship, not just a time to sing during a Sunday worship service. All Christians need to embrace a 24-hour-a-day focus on the Lord, so that nothing entices us away from our Savior. Jesus lived a life of obedience and submission to his Father in all things, and he encourages us to do the same. Even though the enemy tried three times to tempt Jesus to sin, the Lord used God’s word each time to rebuff the attacks, and eventually the devil left him alone.

Ephesians 4:26 “Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger…”

The apostle Paul also teaches us an important lesson on how to ward off the devil in this verse as well as in the whole passage found in Ephesians 4. He explains that when we become Christians, a transformation should occur, as we put off our old ways of thinking, and we begin walking after God in righteousness and holiness. Anger, stealing, bitterness, slander and other types of sin all give opportunity for the devil to attack us. So Paul explains that instead of letting the sun go down on our anger, we should be kind and forgiving towards one another at all times. In other words, don’t let the day end and the next day start with anger, because the Jewish day started at sunset. As Christians we should seek to build each other up, and this will shut the door to the devil’s plans to harm us.

Ephesians 6:11 “Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.”

Another way to defeat the enemy is stated clearly in this verse. We must put on the spiritual armor that God has given us in order to withstand the schemes of the devil. This special armor includes the helmet of Salvation, the breastplate of Righteousness, the belt of Truth, the shoes of the Gospel of Peace, the sword of the Spirit, and the shield of Faith. The apostle Paul goes on to explain that we are not fighting flesh and blood, but rather our warfare is against rulers and authorities and spiritual forces of evil. But with these weapons at hand and by putting them into practice, we can ward off the devil.

Philippians 4:8 “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”

An important way of warding off the enemy is by focusing our thoughts on things that are true and holy, like it says in this verse. In our new covenant with God, it is no longer just about our actions, but now our thought patterns are also important. Satan often attacks us through our thoughts, so when we keep those pure then he cannot get a foothold. Hanging out with good friends and family that uphold godly characteristics and attitudes is also important in defeating the devil’s schemes.

2 Timothy 2:26 “…and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will.”

All of us that follow Jesus are called to a higher standard of living and thought patterns. So the enemy is always trying to lie, kill and destroy us by whatever means he can. If he can tempt us in some way, or lead us into sin, he will do just that. In this passage, the apostle Paul is reminding young Timothy how a Christian leader should be by writing, “And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth… (2 Timothy 2:24-25). When we do things God’s way, then we can escape the devil’s snares and ward him off.

James 4:7 “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”

This is one of the most famous passages on fighting off the devil, because it clearly states that what we must do is submit ourselves totally to God and resist the devil. When we obey the Lord, and follow his will, then the devil will flee from us. We need to develop our character to be more Christ-like as well, and this will empower us in our attempts to defeat Satan’s attacks. This is exactly what Jesus did in the desert, as he resisted the devil’s temptations until he departed from him.

I Peter 5:8 “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.”

The apostle Peter also has some powerful thoughts to share on this topic. His advice is that we should always be attentive and watchful to the wiles of the enemy. Satan is like a roaring lion seeking to devour us, so we must be alert and sober-minded at all times. This means that we cannot let down our guard, but rather we need to stay away from anything that might alter our mind or attitude. This could include drugs or alcohol, but most certainly it pertains to faulty thought patterns. Peter points out that the devil is our adversary not a friend. Whenever we are tempted to disobey God, we need to realize that it is a trap to hurt or even destroy us.

CONCLUSION:

As Christians we need to follow the example set by Jesus, and shut the door on any traps or attempts to ensnare us by the enemy. He only wants our destruction. Fortunately, the Lord wants to protect us and bless us, so he has given us the tools we need to combat the devil’s schemes. Living a life of obedience and godly character will truly help us in waging war against the enemy. Speaking and praying Scriptures in order to rebuke Satan is also an example that Jesus gave, and I believe that it is a powerful way to ward off the devil as well. Lastly, keeping our minds pure and associating with others that are likeminded will also help us live lives that are honoring to God.

A good book to check out: 7 Biblical Signs Of The End Times

Written by Karla Hawkins

God has been good to me over the years, and I have much for which to be grateful to Him. First of all, I feel blessed to be the pastor’s wife of a thriving church in northern Michigan and the mother of four amazing grown children. It is also very rewarding to be a Christian author, editor and translator for the Kingdom of God. Some of my favorite pastimes include supporting my children’s contemporary Christian band ONLY9AM, singing on the worship team at church, traveling, and connecting with family and friends via social media. When I am not working, I love spending time with my family and especially with my precious three-year-old grandson.