Quran Universe
16:100

إِنَّمَا سُلۡطَٰنُهُۥ عَلَى ٱلَّذِينَ يَتَوَلَّوۡنَهُۥ وَٱلَّذِينَ هُم بِهِۦ مُشۡرِكُونَ

Innama sultanuhu AAala allatheena yatawallawnahu waallatheena hum bihi mushrikoona

His authority is only over those who take him as an ally and those who through him associate others with Allah.

Word by word
  1. إِنَّمَاOnly
  2. سُلۡطَٰنُهُۥhis authority
  3. عَلَى(is) over
  4. ٱلَّذِينَthose who
  5. يَتَوَلَّوۡنَهُۥtake him as an ally
  6. وَٱلَّذِينَand those who
  7. هُم[they]
  8. بِهِۦwith Him
  9. مُشۡرِكُونَassociate partners
An-Nahl · 16:100Makkah

His hold is only on those who take him as an ally.

Shaytan's power is borrowed from the one who follows

Where his power comes from
a personobeys him
takes him as
protectorinstead of Allah
gives him
authorityover that person
Who opens the door
he forces his way inI had no choice
I let him inby following

Mujahid said his authority is over those who obey him, and others said those who take him as their protector instead of Allah, and those who associate partners with Allah. Ibn Kathir places this right after the believers' protection.

You keep the app that leads you into wrong, you keep the friend who always pulls you toward it, you keep the late-night habit. Each one is an open door. His power grows when you keep following.

Shaytan just takes over sometimes.

Shaytan's power over me grows only as far as I follow him.

Try this

Close one door today: delete one app, mute one chat, or change one routine that leads you to sin.

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (shared passage from 16:98)

So when you recite the Qur'an, seek refuge with Allah from Shaytan, the outcast (98)Verily, he has no power over those who believe and put their trust only in their Lord (99)His power is only over those who obey and follow him (Shaytan), and those who join partners with Him (Allah)(100)

The Command to seek Refuge with Allah before reciting the Qur'an

This is a command from Allah to His servants upon the tongue of His Prophet ﷺ, telling them that when they want to read Qur'an, they should seek refuge with Allah from the cursed Shaytan. The Hadiths mentioned about seeking refuge with Allah (Isti'adhah), were quoted in our discussion at the beginning of this Tafsir, praise be to Allah. The reason for seeking refuge with Allah before reading is that the reader should not get confused or mixed up, and that the Shaytan would not confuse him or stop him from thinking about and pondering over the meaning of what he reads. Hence the majority of scholars said that refuge should be sought with Allah before starting to read.

إِنَّهُ لَيْسَ لَهُ سُلْطَانٌ عَلَى الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَلَىٰ رَبِّهِمْ يَتَوَكَّلُونَ

(Verily, he has no power over those who believe and put their trust only in their Lord.) Ath-Thawri said: "He has no power to make them commit a sin they will not repent from." Others said: it means that he has no argument for them. Others said it is like the Ayah:

إِلَّا عِبَادَكَ مِنْهُمُ الْمُخْلَصِينَ

(Except Your chosen servants amongst them.)[15:40]

إِنَّمَا سُلْطَانُهُ عَلَى الَّذِينَ يَتَوَلَّوْنَهُ

(His power is only over those who obey and follow him (Shaytan),) Mujahid said: "Those who obey him." Others said, "Those who take him as their protector instead of Allah."

وَالَّذِينَ هُم بِهِ مُشْرِكُونَ

(and those who join partners with Him.) means, those who associate others in worship with Allah.