Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. - James 4:7
In the Old Covenant, the Lord will cause the enemy to flee (Deut 28:7). In the New, the Lord has put in us the power to do so.
The word 'resist' is not a weak English word that means 'refrain' or 'to keep something at bay'.
In the Greek, it actually means 'to take a complete stand against, i.e. a 180 degree, contrary position.'
It means 'to establish one's position publicly by conspicuously holding one's ground.'
It means 'to forcefully declare one's personal conviction (on Christ's possession)'.
In a nutshell, to resist is to oppose fully. It requires us to take offense at the enemy.
Behold, I have given you the authority to trample upon serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you. - Luke 10:19
Resisting the enemy is NOT about letting him attack you, and you refraining (blocking) the attack. It's about you OPPOSING him fully and forcefully, and declaring who you are and what you have in Christ.
You are driving him in the opposite direction, so that he flees. He's prowling around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. If we don't drive him and oppose him, he will devour us.
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