He will win who knows when to fight and when not to fight. -Sun Tzu, The Art of War
He that fights and runs away, may turn and fight another day; but he that is in battle slain, will never rise to fight again. -Tacitus
There is much wisdom in the Tacitus quote, and much truth in Sun Tzu’s strategy, and it seems they are offering similar advice. But what do these battle strategies have to do with a follower of Jesus Christ and how might they apply to you and me? Aren’t these two men talking about physical warfare and confrontation? Since I’m no longer the brawler I used to be, what does this have to do with me? The truth is, war has been declared on Christians, whether we want it or not, and woe is he who does not join the battle. We have a foe, and he plays for keeps. Paul describes the battle thus:
“Put on the full armor of God, that you may be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this spiritual darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.” Ephesians 6:11-12
So, now that I’ve established that we are in a war with Satan and his demons, a battle that we did not choose, but one we cannot avoid, which strategy should you choose to win? Resist the devil or flee? Should I stay or should I go now? Yes. Both strategies are effective, but wisdom leads to choosing the right one at the right time.
The scripture from Ephesians cited above tells us to stand firm. James gives us this advice, “Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” (James 4:7) Peter, who once ran away himself when Jesus was arrested, instructs us thus, “Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world.” (1 Peter 5:8-9)
When I think of these words of resistance, I automatically think of Jesus and his direct confrontation with Satan in the desert (from Matthew 4). Jesus stood firm, aided by scripture, resisted every temptation that was thrown at him, and said to the Accuser, “Begone, Satan!” and the “devil left him.”
Or I think of Elijah, who orchestrated a showdown between himself and the 250 prophets of Baal, between his God and their god. “And when all the people saw the power of God, they fell on their faces; and they said, ‘The Lord, He is God; the Lord, He is God.'” And Elijah seized the prophets of Baal “and Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon, and slew them there.” (1 Kings 18) Would that I too stand firm and resist when the time comes.
But what if I can’t resist? What if I’m too weak? After all, engaging in battle when I’m not ready would be foolish. I’m reminded of the seven sons of Sceva, from the book of Acts, who were trying to cast out evil spirits “by Jesus whom Paul preaches.” These men were not prepared for the battle, and the demon said to them, “I recognize Jesus, and I know about Paul, but who are you?” Ouch! “And the man, in whom was the evil spirit, leaped on them and subdued all of them and overpowered them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.” (Acts 19:16) These men would have been better off choosing strategy number two, recognized what they were up against, and fled! Or as Dirty Harry put it in Magnum Force, “Man’s got to know his limitations.” Do you know your limitations?
Which leads to the second strategy. If you can’t resist, run for the hills.
Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians, “Flee immorality. Every other sin that a man commits is outside the body, but the immoral man sins against his own body.” (1 Corinthians 6:18) He wrote in 2 Timothy, “Now flee from youthful lusts, and pursue righteousness, faith love and peace, with those who call on the Lord with a pure heart.” (2 Timothy 2:22).
The writer of Proverbs wrote, “Do not enter the path of the wicked, and do not proceed in the way of evil men. Avoid it, do not pass by it; turn away from it and pass on.” (Proverbs 4:14-15)
Sometimes the best strategy when facing Satan and his temptations is to find a way of escape and flee. But what if I don’t see a way out? God has provided that as well. Paul wrote this, “No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, that you may be able to endure it.” (1 Corinthians 10:13)
The perfect example of this strategy in action is from the book of Genesis, when Joseph was faced with sexual temptation from Potiphar’s wife. While in Egypt, Potiphar, an Egyptian officer of Pharaoh, put Joseph in charge of his house and everything he owned. Soon, Joseph was approached by Potiphar’s wife, who had intentions to sleep with Joseph. One day, when Joseph was left alone in the house with Potiphar’s wife, she came onto him once again. Here is the crucial encounter, “And she caught him by his garment, saying, ‘Lie with me!’ And he left his garment in her hand and fled, and went outside.”
Joseph saw the way of escape provided by the Lord and took it. Do you look for the way of escape God provides for you? The truth is, we sin because we want to, but Joseph had made up his mind early on that he wouldn’t sin against God or his master. When the way of escape presented itself, Joseph was already on the lookout for it. Are you?
But how do we know which strategy to follow? Do we flee temptation or resist the devil? I’ll refer back to the Dirty Harry quote, “Man’s got to know his limitations.” Do you know your weaknesses? If you don’t, Satan does. Here’s another quote from Sun Tzu, from The Art of War, that seems appropriate here:
“If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.”
You need to know your enemy, Satan, and his many schemes and deceits. And you need to know yourself, with all of your vulnerabilities. Search God’s word and find out about your enemy and how he operates. Search God’s word and find out about yourself. Ask for wisdom and discernment, to know what to do when Satan and his temptations come. Learn to hate sin and make up your mind beforehand to resist or flee. Either way, Satan is defeated.
If you enjoyed this piece, you might also enjoy my book, Pondering God.
Pondering God 