The Christian's Strength to Resist the Devil

"Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world." - 1 Peter 5:8-9

My soul, thou knowest, and hast long known, from the many wounds given thee by Satan, what a cruel, insidious, and powerful enemy thou hast to contend with; and thou too truly knowest, also, how sadly unequal thou art in thyself to resist his wiles. He is a prince of the power of the air: he is by nature, a spirit, and therefore invisible; thou seest not his approaches; he is a tremendous foe, full of envy, malignity, subtilty, craft, and design: and what renders him yet more formidable is, that in the corruptions and unbelief of thy fallen nature, he hath but too many confederates in thine own heart, to aid him in his diabolical designs. Where then is thy strength to resist him? It cannot be in thyself, nor in thy best exertions. The devil would laugh at these, and all would be but as feathers to the breath of his temptations. Hear what the apostle saith: "Whom resist stedfast in the faith." See here, where thy strength is. Faith in Jesus is the only, and it is an infallible defence against all the fiery darts of the wicked. There is nothing that Satan dreads, but the blood of the cross. There is nothing that conquers him, but faith in Jesus's blood. Tell him of the blood which cleanseth from all sin, and he will flee from thee. This was the sole power by which the holy armies in heaven cast down the accuser which accused them before our God, day and night: "they overcame by the blood of the Lamb," Revelation 12:9-11, and the same will give thee the victory now. Faith in the blood of the cross, is the grace by which we have access to God. It is by faith the soul looks to Jesus; by faith the soul is kept stedfastly resting on Jesus; by faith the devil is stedfastly resisted, in taking confidence in the full and complete redemption that Jesus accomplished on the cross. Look then, my soul, for ever to the cross, and while thy faith honours Jesus, Jesus will honour thee; and this will be the standard which the Spirit of Jehovah will lift up, when at any time the enemy cometh in like a flood; Isaiah 59:19. Oh! the triumphs of the cross! "They overcame by the blood of the Lamb."

- Robert Hawker, The Poor Man's Morning and Evening Portions, October 18, Evening

 

From the OP:

"Where then is thy strength to resist him? It cannot be in thyself, nor in thy best exertions. The devil would laugh at these, and all would be but as feathers to the breath of his temptations. Hear what the apostle saith: "Whom resist stedfast in the faith." See here, where thy strength is. Faith in Jesus is the only, and it is an infallible defence against all the fiery darts of the wicked. There is nothing that Satan dreads, but the blood of the cross."