Give No Place to the Devil

May Teaching Letter from Rick Renner

Dear Friends,

Merry Christmas and greetings in Jesus’ precious name! Christ came into this world “in the fullness of time” to redeem mankind from sin and to reconcile us to the Heavenly Father (Galatians 4:4,5). And what a great salvation it was and is that God wrought for us in Christ (see Hebrews 2:3-18)! Denise and I and our family wish you a warm and wonderful Christmas season and the best new year of your life in 2022.

Today I want to talk to you about opportunities and adversaries, but first I want to say thank you for being such a faithful partner with our ministry. As I told you in my letter last month, our ministry is bursting at the seams, and I am so humbled that God would use Denise and me, our family, and our team to minister to the many people who are reaching out to us every day.

Every soul is precious, and it is our heartfelt desire to convey that truth to every person God brings to us — that they are precious to Him and to us. And your gifts are so vital to our ability to touch every one of these treasured souls! So today I want to say a special thank you for all you do with us to take the trusted teaching of the Word of God to people in Russia and all over the world. From the depths of our hearts, Denise and I THANK YOU!

This month is the last month of the year — and I know you are probably preparing for Christmas and many different kinds of gatherings. But in addition to Christmas, it’s also almost 2022. As we come to the end of this year and to the beginning of a brand-new year, the Holy Spirit keeps telling me to “stay on track” with the assignments He has given us. I hear Him saying that even if we hit bumps along the way, everything will be all right if we’ll just stay on track and maintain our God-assigned territory — the many opportunities and assignments He has given us to inspire, strengthen, and equip believers with the sound teaching of the Bible.

But I’ve learned over the years that opportunities and adversaries usually go together — and today I want to encourage you to undergird yourself so that you can stay on track with what God has asked you to do this month and in the coming year.

Over the course of our ministry, we’ve had many great, effectual doors open to us to do the work of the Gospel. I’ll never forget when I received an opportunity to minister on television in the former Soviet Union. It was as if a great door had suddenly swung open to an entire vast territory — a door that had never before been opened for anyone else — and I knew I was experiencing something miraculous. By faith, Denise and I stepped through that door and began to preach the Word of God on television in this spiritually starved corner of the world.

Given the former socialist-communist campaigns against the Gospel in this particular region, this opportunity was as miraculous as the Jordan River dividing for Joshua and the children of Israel. But with this great open door also came a slew of adversaries, specifically dispatched by Satan to instill fear and doubt into my heart. The devil desperately wanted to prevent me from touching the lives of spiritually oppressed people, so he positioned evil people with insidious plans to try to block my view of what God had in store for our ministry.

I’m telling you that it was like the children of Israel looking at the Promised Land from the far side of the Jordan River. From that perspective, they saw only the fruitful land of blessing that lay before them. But once they entered the Promised Land, they had to fight giants of every kind before they could possess that land and enjoy the blessing. In much the same way, if Denise and I had taken our eyes off the Lord during that tumultuous period — or if we had focused only on the problems and forgotten about the fruit we were pursuing for God’s Kingdom — I’m sure we would have backpedaled to get out of the situation!

But we knew this was a God-given opportunity and worth the fight, so we fixed our gaze squarely on the Lord. Girded with the armor of God and the power of the Spirit, we pushed through every obstacle and possessed the ground that God called us to take. As a result, millions of souls began to hear the Gospel for the first time. We knew that only God could have opened this door!

In First Corinthians 16:9, the apostle Paul wrote about the strategic doors of opportunity that open for the Gospel and the adversaries that usually accompany them. He said, “For a great door and effectual is opened unto me, and there are many adversaries.” Notice that Paul used the words “great,” “door,” “effectual,” and “is opened” to describe the opportunity that had been set before him.

The word “great” in this verse is translated from the Greek word megale, which means gigantic. The word “door” is the Greek word thura, which typically refers to a door, but in this context, denotes a rare opportunity. The word “effectual” is the Greek word energes, and it depicts something that is powerful and ready to be set into motion. Finally, the phrase “is opened” is the Greek word anoigo, which describes something standing wide open. In other words, the door in question couldn’t be any more open! Thus, an alternate translation of Paul’s words in First Corinthians 16:9 could be rendered, “A gigantic, powerful opportunity is already set in motion and standing wide open….”

Paul continued by saying, “For a great door and effectual is opened unto me….” You see, Paul knew that the particular door he was referring to had never been opened to anyone else, and he stood in awe of the unprecedented opportunity. Walking through these kinds of doors is impossible without divine assistance, and Paul was fully aware of God’s role in the matter. That is why he specified that this door had been opened “unto me.”

Paul’s prayer request in First Corinthians 16:9 was not for a door to open because it had already opened. His prayer request was to receive God’s wisdom to deal with the numerous adversaries who were trying to come against him. Paul used the Greek word antikeimenoi to describe the vast number of “adversaries” that were sent to attack him. This Greek word describes something that was piled high and lying all around him. In other words, he was dealing with more than a few minor opponents. On the contrary, it felt like opposition was stacked high on every side!

I’ve learned that the enemy will try his best to keep you from stepping through the gigantic doors of opportunity God desires to open for you. Satan is afraid of what will happen when “his” territory is invaded by someone fully equipped with a full arsenal of spiritual weapons. So know this: God will open doors for you — but He needs you to make a determined decision that you will walk through them, no matter the opposition, with the help of His Spirit.

By opening the door, God has already done His part, which would have been impossible without His assistance. Now He beckons you to come, dressed in the whole armor of God and in the power of His Word — and proceed through that effectual door into new territory. It may look like enemies are everywhere, but it is simply a fact that the devil and his forces flee and collapse when they are subjected to a show of strong faith!

As I mentioned earlier, many great and effectual doors have been opened to us over the years to do the work of the Gospel. In each case, we knew these doors were unique to us and had never before been opened for anyone else. And just as Paul experienced opposition, there were plenty of enemies that came against us with each opportunity. But because we obeyed God, the devil was forced to move out of the way, and we walked right into the virgin territory that God had opened for our ministry.

Even if you think your situation looks threatening right now, I want to tell you that God is with you. He wants to supernaturally open new doors for you — doors that have never before been opened for you. He is not beckoning you to walk through these doors so you can fail. He is with you every step of the way, and He will empower you to defeat every foe and bring Him glory in that new territory that is yours to possess in Jesus’ name!

Your open door may be an opportunity to shine the light of God’s Word and God’s love to your family or friends during this holiday season. It may be a door that will open to you in the new year. Regardless of when it is or what it is, the same God who opens doors will empower you to walk through them — and then He’ll be right with you to give you the wisdom and strength needed to overcome any giant that tries to meet you on the other side.

I know this is not a typical December, “Christmas-style” letter, but this is what was on my heart to share with you today. I want you to always know that if we can join you in prayer, we would be delighted to do so. To be honest, we are praying for you anyway, but when we are alerted to know exactly “how” to pray, it increases our effectiveness as we pray for you. So if you have a special need, please either call or write to let us know how we can get in agreement with you for God to show Himself mighty to you according to Jeremiah 33:3, which says, “Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.”

And please pray for us as we continue marching forward by faith to push back darkness, to shine the light of God’s Word, and to take territory for the Kingdom of God. Together — as partners — we can make a difference in the lives of throngs of people who are crying out to God for help. They are waiting for God to respond to their prayers, and God wants to use us — you and us together — to bring them the answers they desperately need.

But before I close, I want to say we are specifically asking God to do something special for you this month and before the end of the year. I don’t know what it is, but that is what we are praying. We are asking God to do something special that will bless your life! And please, please pray for us as we continue pushing ahead to build our studio in Moscow, to finalize the purchase of our new headquarters in Tulsa, and to continue to minister effectually to every precious soul Jesus brings to us!

Merry Christmas!

We love you and thank God for you!

We are your brother and sister, friends, and partners in Jesus Christ,

Rick and Denise Renner
along with Paul, Philip, and Joel and their families|Dear Friends,

Greetings in Jesus’ wonderful name!

I am so thankful to be able to greet you today, and I am thankful that God has connected us for the advancement of His Kingdom. It is a great thing that God connects people, and I take it very seriously that God has brought us into your life and you into ours. For this reason, I want to express how thankful I am for you and for the role you play in this ministry as a partner. I never use the word “partner” lightly, for “partnership” is what we are doing together with God’s grace to see the trusted teaching of God’s Word go to the ends of the earth!

Just this week, I received a report from my team about where our various media outreaches are making an impact across the planet, and it is truly amazing to see how God is touching people all over the world. The statistics I saw, which represent precious people across the globe, left me amazed. Denise and I are thankful that God called and chose us, and we are thankful that He called and chose you to be a part of this as well. Together, we are a powerful team!

In this month’s letter, I want to write to you about something that has been on my heart lately. This week I am working on a new book about how sickness finds its way into people’s lives. As I’ve been writing, I’ve especially focused on Ephesians 4:27, which says, “Neither give place to the devil.” It is a relatively short verse, but there is so much to learn, and I believe it will be a blessing to you.

The term “place” originates from the Greek word topos, which signifies a distinct, defined geographical location. It evokes the sense of a territory, province, region, or zone and is the root of our modern English term topographical map. The implication is that the devil seeks to infiltrate every area and aspect of our lives — whether it be our finances, our marriage, our friendships, our career, our business ventures, or even our health. Whenever we disobey God’s instructions to us, we unwittingly create an “entry point” — a breach that allows the devil an opportunity to establish a stronghold. Therefore, Paul’s message is urgent and clear: “Neither give place to the devil.”

If you allow a “door” of your life ajar, even the slightest crack, the devil will slip through just as he maneuvered his way into the Garden of Eden at the dawn of time. That’s the very reason God commanded Adam in Genesis 2:15 to “keep” the Garden — a directive not just to maintain, but to vigilantly guard, to surround with care, and to protect. When God told Adam to “keep” the Garden, He was warning him to be wary, for the devil seeks a way in, and that is precisely why God tasked Adam to protect the Garden and to keep it secure. In the words of the New Testament, it was as though God was advising Adam, “Neither give place to the devil.”

The fact is, we are more than conquerors through Jesus Christ — so we don’t ever have to let the devil run all over us. First John 4:4 declares, “…Greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.” Yet Paul told us, “Neither give place to the devil.” Even though the greater one lives inside us, IF we give the enemy “place” by disobeying God’s instructions, he will find entrance into our lives through the “entry point” of disobedience and will attempt to wreak havoc as a result.

If the devil is looking for an “entry point” in our lives that could result in damaging circumstances and even in poor health — and if one of those entry points is disobedience  — then First Peter 5:8 is important for us to understand. The devil is looking for an “entry point” in our lives that could result in damaging circumstances, including poor health, and one of those entry points, as we’ve seen, is disobedience. In First Peter 5:8, Peter said, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.”

Peter began this verse by saying, “Be sober.” The word “sober” is interpreted from the Greek word nepho, which means to be sober and not drunk. It pictures one who is free from alcoholic intoxication; free from the deliriums, delusions, and hallucinations that may accompany drunkenness;  or free of silly thinking and hence able to have presence of mind and clear judgment.

This word depicts someone who is in control rather than being controlled by urges, impulses, whims, and fluctuating emotions. It means to have one’s wits about him; to be rational as opposed to irrational; or to be free from a drunken state in which one drops his guard and is more likely to give way to foolish behavior, unreasonable conversations, and detrimental decisions. Simply, the word “sober” in this verse means to be serious-minded.

To give you a clearer picture of this word nepho, I will share five key verses in the New Testament where this word is used.

But there’s more to learn here. Peter wrote, “Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind ….” In Roman times, before a race, a runner would “gird up the loins” by grabbing the loose, dangly ends of his skirt and tucking them under his loin belt. If a runner allowed his skirt to dangle while he was running, it could get caught in his legs and hinder his race. So a good runner would tuck those loose ends under his loin belt so his legs could move freely. Thus, this verse means, “Grab all the dangling ends and loose places of your life — your distractions and everything that would hinder your race — and get them out of the way so you can run freely and attain your goal.”

All of these multiple uses of the Greek word nepho bring us back to First Peter 5:8 where Peter said, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.” Throughout the New Testament, the word “sober” is used as a warning to get a grip on oneself, to think straight, and not to engage in foolish thinking. But then Peter added, “Be sober, be vigilant….”

The word “vigilant” tells us why we need to be sober-minded. The word “vigilant” is interpreted from the Greek word gregoreo, which means to arouse from sleep. It is the picture of someone who is awake, as opposed to someone who is drowsy, sleepy, or negligent — or one who is watchful, as opposed to careless and non-attentive. It implies giving strict attention to something or being cautious and on high alert. The best meaning of the word gregoreo is to put up one’s guard against a sinister outside force or enemy that is trying to get on the inside.

The Greek word gregoreo is used in 12 key verses throughout the New Testament.

The Greek term gregoreo conveys a persistent state of alertness or an acute awareness that highlights the potential for unexpected events to catch us off guard. This is exactly how Peter utilized the word in First Peter 5:8 when he exhorted believers to be “vigilant.” It’s a divine directive that underscores our duty to remain proactive and to ensure that the adversary finds no “entry point” in our lives. As the devil prowls and seeks to infiltrate and wreak havoc, our vigilance acts as a formidable barrier that thwarts his efforts to breach our defenses and disrupt our lives.

In First Peter 5:8, Peter continued, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.”

The word “adversary” is translated from the very unique Greek word antidikos — and the usage of this word was well-established in the Greek culture of the First Century. It described a lawyer who argued in a court of law or a prosecuting attorney who argued vehemently against the accused. It also described an accuser or prosecutor who intended to bring a guilty charge against a person on the basis of information from past actions or deeds, similar to how a legal prosecutor brings formal charges against the accused based on some legal violation.

Think about the work of a prosecutor — a prosecutor prosecutes. But to do his job well, he can’t bring random charges against a person. Instead, he must have hard evidence against the accused. He has to have information about some past violation or evidence that some law has been broken. And with that information in hand, he can proceed to prosecute with the intention to take the violator down.

But to understand the word “adversary” — translated from the word antidikos — let’s look at four scriptural examples of this Greek word antidikos used in the New Testament.

By using the Greek word antidikos, which is translated “adversary,” but which actually pictures a prosecuting attorney, Peter informed us that the devil, like a prosecuting attorney, searches for areas of violation in our lives — that is, areas where you have disobeyed or violated God’s instruction. He looks for any loophole that he can use to prosecute you and take you down.

Even though the Greater One lives in you and you are secure in Christ, the fact is that if you have violated a spiritual law, you’ve created an “entry point” through which the devil can access your life. That’s why it’s important to judge yourself “…that ye be not judged” (see Matthew 7:1; 1 Corinthians 11:31) and turn from any area of disobedience in your life. Repent and close the door so the adversary has no legal grounds to prosecute or attack your life.

Similar to the way disobedience at the dawn of time allowed malevolence to creep into the Garden of Eden, when a Christian fails to adhere to God’s instructions, it can usher in similar undesired outcomes. Of course, when we disobey God’s Word, such disobedience always results in negative consequences. But in addition to disobeying the Scripture, there are also times when believers disregard, disobey, and ignore specific words of instruction that the Holy Spirit has given them for their marriage, family, business, ministry, or future.

By disregarding, disobeying, and ignoring the Spirit’s specific instructions, we can fall into a precarious place where Satan finds us easy to attack. When we are persistently disobedient to instructions given to us, we come out from under God’s protection and can experience all kinds of disastrous things in our lives. But when we are willing and obedient, we are enabled to walk in God’s blessing.

If you are experiencing damaging things in your life, don’t automatically assume the devil is simply attacking you. First, pause and pray, asking the Lord to search your heart and mind to see if there are any areas in which you are walking in disobedience. If He shows you disobedience in your life, repent so that you slam the door on the devil and the curse. You will know in your heart if you are walking in disobedience, so be quick to acknowledge it and repent.

Repentance allows us to get back under God’s protection and causes all of those curses and negative things to stop. And when we get back on the right side of obedience, we will see God’s blessings begin to flow in our life again. In Isaiah 1:19, God declares, “If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land.”

The first word “if ” is a hypothetical particle, creating a situation of willingness and obedience before the blessing can be administered. To receive God’s blessing, we must first be “willing.” This is a Hebrew word meaning willing to consent or to be willing. And the word “obedient” means to hear and obey what has been spoken. Hence, the first part of obedience is hearing, and the second part is doing what we’ve been instructed to do.

If you are willing to consent to what God says and to be obedient in hearing and doing His Word, He promises, “…Ye shall eat the good of the land” (Isaiah 1:19). The word “eat” means to consume, to devour, to dine, to eat, or to feed. God says that you will feast on the good of the land as a result of your obedience.

Friend, this is a principle that applies to the whole Word of God. When you obey what it says, all kinds of good things will come on you and overtake you, but when you disobey God’s Word, you will receive bad things instead. The word “good” in Isaiah 1:19 describes that which is best or the best things. It is the term for bounty, goods, goodness, good things, or prosperity. If you live a life of obedience, you will experience the blessings of God. But if you disobey and refuse to do what He has said, the door to your life will be opened for all kinds of bad things to come rushing in.

As Moses said to the children of Israel more than 3,000 years ago, and what God is also saying to us today: “I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live” (Deuteronomy 30:19). It always pays to obey. 

This is what was on my heart to share with you today!

As I close, I want to say that we are here to pray for you — if there is any special need on your heart that you feel needs agreement in prayer, please call us or send us an email. Just call 1-800-742-5593 or send your prayer request to prayer@renner.org. As soon as we hear from you, we will go to the Lord in prayer — and we really believe that Jesus will do exactly what needs to be done. And please pray for us, too, as we continue to push back darkness and take God’s Word to people all over the world who are crying out for it!

We love you and thank God for you!

We are your brother and sister, friends, and partners in Jesus,
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Rick and Denise Renner
along with Paul, Philip, and Joel Renner and our entire ministry team

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