Do you know how to win against any spiritual attack? Be prepared in advance with this tried-and-true strategy—The Persistence Strategy.
The game of chicken.
Two drivers drive directly toward each other. One must swerve or both will crash. The one who swerves first is called the “chicken” or the loser of the game.
First, let’s note that this game is both foolish and deadly. But it does serve as an illustration of how the enemy views his attempts to steal, kill and destroy everything good in our lives. He plows right toward us and is determined to out-persist us and force us to swerve out of his way.
But…what he’s hoping you don’t know is that if you persist in your faith long enough, refusing to swerve, you’ll wear him down, and he’ll have to turn tail and run (James 4:7).
Today, we’re sharing something special taught by our own Pastor George Pearsons—The Persistence Strategy. If you have your game plan ready in advance, you won’t scramble and try to gather up some last-minute faith in a pinch. Here’s how to use the persistence strategy and win against any spiritual attack.
1. Defend Against ‘The Pileup Technique’
Professional football players don’t just work out, practice and think of new plays. They study their opponents. A lot.
One way they do this is by watching film of opposing teams’ previous games. They study the plays, the tendencies of various players, the repeated strategies used. In doing so, they’re breaking down what techniques are used and can plan to defeat them accordingly.
The Persistence Strategy is the same. The devil’s “film reel” is small and loops on repeat from one generation to the next. In fact, if we look in the Bible, his strategies play out right before us. That’s why “we are not ignorant of his devices,” (2 Corinthians 2:11).
One strategy? The pileup technique.
You’ve likely experienced it yourself. One spiritual attack after another and after another until you’re so worn down, your resolve to fight has weakened. Think about it. What has the devil been constantly saying to you? Constantly doing to you? His constant persistence is designed to get you to give up the good fight of faith.
But…when you’re aware of his strategy, you can defend against the pileup technique. You’ve seen the film—you know it’s coming. But you’re ready for him with your own strategy—PERSISTENT FAITH. That’s a nonstop, steady, relentless hold onto the Word of God and His promises—until all resistance is broken and the desired result is attained.
The persistence strategy follows the instructions of 1 Peter 5: 8-9, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith” (NKJV).
(For more strategies, learn The 7 Habits of Strong Christians HERE.)
2. Persist Against Goliath and Delilah
Do you have a Goliath or Delilah in your life? You know—a situation that continues to taunt you and yell the circumstances at you over and over.
We’ve all had them at one time or another, and the persistence strategy is the way to break through them and on to victory. That’s what happened when Goliath was taunting Israel. He went on and on until he wore down Israel’s resistance.
“Goliath stood and shouted a taunt across to the Israelites…. ‘I defy the armies of Israel today! Send me a man who will fight me!’ When Saul and the Israelites heard this, they were terrified and deeply shaken” (1 Samuel 17:8-11).
The giant did this for 40 days! Every morning. Every evening. On and on. He persisted in wearing down his enemy.
The same is true of Delilah. She “pressed [Samson] daily with her words and urged him, so that his soul was vexed unto death” (Judges 16:16, KJV). Her persistence wore down Samson’s resistance.
The devil works the same way today. He’ll continue hurling spiritual attacks your way, hoping to wear you all the way down. The only way to win is to persist back against every Goliath and Delilah he sends your way. Don’t allow yourself to get worn down or throw in the towel of faith. As long as he persists in his attacks against you, you’ve got to persist in your faith one step further.
3. Take a Cue from the Persistent Widow
While the devil’s tactic is persistent pressure on us through spiritual attacks, we fight back the same way—with PERSISTENT FAITH. Our persistence in faith is designed to wear down the devil’s resistance until he gives up. That’s where we can take a cue from the persistent widow.
Luke 18 tells us about a widow who kept coming to a judge for justice against her adversary. At first, he ignored her. But she wouldn’t let up. She was PERSISTENT in her pursuit of what she wanted. That persistence paid off! Verse 5 shows what happens when we persist. The judge finally said, “This woman is driving me crazy. …she is wearing me out by her constant requests” (NLT). Her persistence wore down his resistance.
Jesus used this illustration to instruct his disciples “always to pray and not to turn coward (faint, lose heart, and give up)” (Luke 18:1, AMPC). He wants us to do the same.
Let’s look at the widow’s strategy—The Persistence Strategy:
- She would not take no for an answer.
- She was relentless and insistent.
- She did not stop until she got what she wanted.
- She refused to give up.
When the devil fights you and tries to keep you from obtaining your blessing, take a cue from the persistent widow. Don’t give up until you get what you’re after—no matter how much taunting and yelling your adversary puts forth.
(Find other helpful strategies and learn about The Vehicle That Will Drive Your Faith to the Finish Line HERE.)
4. Persist Like David
Think about David and Goliath. What was the difference between David and all the brave, experienced warriors in Israel’s armies who were frightened of Goliath?
David never let Goliath’s threats penetrate his heart and mind. He took them for what they were—a lot of talk. David kept his mind on the things of God—the way his God had delivered him so many times before—and it outweighed the persistence of his enemy.
That’s why his bold response was, “You come to me with sword, spear, and javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies—the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. Today the Lord will conquer you, and I will kill you and cut off your head” (1 Samuel 17:45-46).
David knew how to use the Persistence Strategy. Here’s how he did it.
- Goliath came daily with words, but David came back at Goliath with words.
- David had persistent faith in God to deliver him. He did not doubt.
- David never shrank back.
We must do the same when we face our adversary. We have to persist like David in the midst of even the most pressing spiritual attacks. We do this when we…
- Keep on speaking words of faith (find A Confession for Persistent, Enemy-Defeating Faith HERE)
- Keep on believing God’s Word by faith
- Keep on receiving by faith
- Keep on pressing by faith.
Our persistence in God’s Word will wear down the devil’s resistance if we don’t faint.
5. Persist Like Jesus
David wasn’t the only one who demonstrated how to resist the devil. Jesus also showed us how to resist the devil’s persistence and win against any spiritual attack.
The Greek word for resist means “to stand in opposition.” According to Rick Renner, “It is a word that demonstrates the attitude of one who is fiercely opposed to something and therefore determines that he will do everything within his power to resist it, to stand against it and to defy its opposition.”
That’s exactly what Jesus did when the devil persisted against Him in the wilderness. The devil tempted Jesus to turn a stone to bread, to worship him in exchange for authority, and to throw Himself off the temple to see if God would save Him (Luke 4:1-13). He was relentless!
But Jesus was more so. He persisted in responding quickly with the Word of God. He never stopped to consider whether the devil might be right. He resisted and resisted until the devil finally gave up and left.
When you put The Persistence Strategy to work in your life, you’ll be ready to stand your ground as long as it takes and win against any spiritual attack. You won’t give up when one adversity after another piles up. You can have the victory every time—if you don’t give up—don’t swerve before the devil does—and persist in your faith!
Related Article:
5 Reasons Why Faith Specialists Will See Manifest Power in 2020
© 1997 – 2024 Eagle Mountain International Church Inc. Aka Kenneth Copeland Ministries. All Rights Reserved.
