"Just then a man in their synagogue who was possessed by an evil spirit cried out," Mark 1:23

The demon possessed man was in the synagogue the entire time as Jesus was. But, when Jesus began to teach with the authority He had, and it was recognized by the people, at this point the devil spoke up. As long as Jesus was silent so was the devil, but when He began to speak the devil stepped in and tried to mess things up.

The devil works mush the same way in our lives today. The devil is always hanging around, but when we begin to go forward in what God has given us to do it is just then that he speaks up. The devil will remain virtually silent as long as we do, but stand up to speak the Gospel of Jesus Christ and be sure he will come against you! Take a stand for the Great Commission and he will come against you with all he has. When the devil is not challenging us we can be sure we're not doing what God has given us to do. We have no need to fear the devil, for we have been given the victory over him. But we should never underestimate our enemy, and we should always keep a watchful eye for his evil schemes designed to stop us from spreading the Gospel. Fear not! Be alert! For the devil will come against you at the very moment you push forward in advancing the Kingdom of God. Always remember though, you have the victory in Jesus!

"Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour." 1 Peter 5:8