Today, the 14th of December, 2025, was another blessed day at the Government Chapel, where the congregation gathered to worship His Majesty, the Owner and Creator of heaven and earth. The service was glorious, as songs of praise were rendered, including “The power belongs to You” and “Heaven and earth, the power belongs to You,” among many other powerful songs of praise.

The resident pastor, Pastor Oluwatobi Oke, mounted the pulpit and led the congregation in a powerful prayer session, calling on God Almighty to arise from His excellent throne and intervene in our lives. He led the congregation in singing “No power like the power of Jesus,” declaring that there is no name like the name of our Father and Lord Jesus Christ, a name that is above every other name both in heaven and on earth.

He began his sermon with the title *RESISTING THE DEVIL*” He started by explaining who the devil is, stating that the devil cannot be everywhere at the same time, unlike God Almighty, who is omnipresent. He explained that the devil operates by planting his seeds and agents to represent him wherever he goes, and they continue his works after he has left. In contrast, God Almighty is everywhere at all times.

He emphasised the importance of believers taking cognisance of the devil and referenced James 4:7. He explained that believers can not resist or cause the devil to flee without first submitting to the will of God. Without the covering and authority of God Almighty, the devil cannot flee from us. Therefore, the first and most important step is total submission to God Almighty. Otherwise, it becomes dangerous.

He further explained that without being under the authority of God Almighty, one can not exercise divine authority. It is God’s authority that empowers believers with His power. When we submit first, we are then able to stand against the devil, and the devil will flee. Submission is what brings resistance, and resistance causes the devil to flee. No matter how prayerful a person may be, if there is no submission to the authority of God, the devil will neither resist nor flee.

He explained that submission is not about what we do but about who we are and what we are engaged in. In fact, the more we submit to God Almighty, the more His will works in us. That is when the will of God stands firm in our lives and manifests through us.

For the will of God to fully manifest in our lives, two things are required: the wisdom of God and His will working within us. Without these, we are not walking in His ways. When these are in place, we are able to overcome the devil and his agents. Total submission is required to remain under God’s authority. He referenced Ephesians 4:27, which admonishes believers not to give place to the devil. The scripture teaches us to submit ourselves fully to God Almighty. He likened this to leadership, explaining that a leader could not submit himself to his subordinates, but the subordinates did. We need the wisdom of God to make things work and to build a better relationship with God Almighty.

He also stated that one major way to submit to God is by trusting in the Lord. One of the major challenges believers face is a lack of trust in God because without trust, submission is impossible. He referenced Proverbs 3:6, which commands believers to trust in the Lord with all their hearts and to acknowledge Him in all their ways, leaving nothing behind.

He gave the example of Lot in the Bible, who disobeyed God’s command despite being a man who loved God. He emphasised that believers must trust God regardless of the challenges they face. If what we need is to trust God Almighty, then it must be done with all our hearts. The key to resisting the devil is total submission. He further referenced 1 Peter 5:8, emphasising sobriety, watchfulness, and total submission. Faith is also essential in resisting the devil, which means having a strong identity in Christ Jesus.

He concluded by leading the congregation to pray for total submission to God and to Him alone. He prayed that God Almighty would grant all our prayers in the mighty name of Jesus. The entire congregation responded with a loud “Amen,” and the service came to an end, with the whole congregation graciously blessed.

*TOPE LIBERTY CARES*