Faith is a force, but it’s also forceful. Every child of God must come to recognize that our adversary, the devil, is not a gentleman. According to John 10:10, his agenda is clear. He is bent on killing, stealing and destroying any good thing in our lives. Now, the finished work of the cross sealed his defeat and broke his power over us to harm us, but he is a criminal by nature and will continue to take what he wants until he is stopped by those who use their authority to stand up to him. That would be us! That’s why the Bible tells us to be vigilant and aware of his nature and tactics and to stand our ground in faith, in the authority Jesus has given us (1 Peter 5:8-9). It instructs us to withstand the devil; to be firm in faith against his onset—rooted, established, strong, immovable, and determined! The truth is this, what you do not confront you can never conquer. Matthew 11:12 says, “And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.”. We must be people who possess violent faith! Not a slither of hope in the storms of life, but a violent force that empowers us to rise above every challenge, declare the will of the Lord, and enforce the devil’s defeat. It’s time to lay hold of all God has promised you and entrusted you to do for His kingdom – fight the good fight of faith and let the devil suffer the violent force of its power.