2002-12-12
Good Morning Faithful Ones,
I never cease to be amazed at how much is in the Scriptures to help us in our daily battles with Satan. When I began writing this segment of our spiritual warfare series, the Holy Spirit kept flooding me with so much information that it has left me mouth agape. Let’s recap what we’ve discussed so far on strategies to cope with battling Satan. 1) Evaluate the incoming thought. [PHIL 4: 8]. 2) If the thought is evil, then reject it. [2 COR 10: 4-5]. 3) Voice determined resistance. [JAS 4:7]. 4) Claim victory on the grounds of the cross. [1 JN 5: 3-4]. 5) Repeat Scripture aloud. [2 TIM 3: 16-17]. 6) Pray for strength and to overcome Satan. [JN 15: 7]. 7) Rely on the Spirit for help. [IS 40: 31]. 8) Recognize that Satan is always trying to block God’s purpose. [GA 5: 17]. I am led to go on with what the Holy Spirit gives me.
The next one: 9) Remember we are equipped by God with the power to beat Satan in battle. Once again, it is useful to repeat EPH 1: 18-20 not be annoying, but to emphasize this one is important to God that we know well. EPH 1: 18-20, “I ask that your minds may be opened to see His light, so that you will know what is the hope to which He has called you, how rich are thee wonderful blessings He promises His people, and how very great is His power at work in us who believe. This power working in us is the same as the mighty strength which He used when He raise Christ from death and seated Him at His right side.” Never before in the history of mankind had anyone been brought from the grave to life everlasting. Even Enoch [GN 5: 24; 2 K 2: 11] and Elijah, who were translated directly from life on earth to heaven, were not resurrected in this same way. What Christ did for mankind in His suffering on the cross, being buried for three days, and then being resurrected as “the first among many brothers” [RO 8: 29] took unheard of power by God to accomplish. In revisiting EPH 1: 18-20, we are being told that God has given that same power He used to raise the Son from death to life to us to use against Satan. Considering the full impact of that, I am left breathless with awe at the compassion our Lord has for us when we endure in faith.
Another one is: 10) Never go into battle without first donning God’s full armor. Since we’ve looked at the elements of God’s full armor already, it isn’t necessary to go into a lot of further detail about this at this time. We need only remember from EPH 6: 10-20 that the elements are: truth, righteousness, readiness to announce the Good News of salvation and peace, faith, acceptance of salvation, the word of God, the Spirit, and prayer. What powerful weapons God gives us!
The next one is: 11) Recognize that as time goes on, Satan is accelerating his activity. Why? It’s because he knows that his time is limited to carry out his evil. The very fact that Satan is limited in what he is allowed to do to Job by God [JOB 1: 12] gives us a hint of God’s superior power over Satan’s. Daniel reveals in his vision of the seventy weeks the limited time that Satan has in DN 9: 27b with the phrase, “…the temple will remain there until the one who put it there meets the end which God has prepared for him.” Later in DN 12: 11, God reveals the exact length of time it will take from the time of the Abomination of Desolation, which occurs at the mid-point of the Tribulation and it’s end. While we aren’t told the exact time when the second coming is to happen [MT 24: 36], we are told that God and only God does know. Not even the Son or the angels know that. And just in case there is still equivocation on the issue, REV 12: 12 tells us flat out that the devil knows his time is limited, which is one reason why he is so angry. We are given wise advice in 1 PET 5: 8, “Be alert, be on watch! Your enemy, the devil, roams around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.” Where can we see such accelerated activity on Satan’s part? Just look at the number of families that have broken down, the rise of New Age congregations, the increase in crime in our big cities and even in rural areas, the spirited celebrations of such holidays as Halloween (based on occult practices designed to draw attention to the dark side of life), the commercialization of Christmas, and the pagan influences in celebrating Easter (eggs, rabbits, etc.) Being on the alert and gaining discernment from the Scriptures has never been more important. The same can be said for keeping an open and active channel of prayer to God. Believe it not, there are even more strategies God has given us-the subject of tomorrow’s message.
PRAYER: O Lord, from our human perspective we groan at the pain and weariness we feel as we battle Satan. Those with weak faith complain and ask why would You allow us to be subjected to these battles. But, You have shown us through the examples of others in the Scriptures and in our lives why we must endure them. PR 27:17, “People learn from one another, just as iron sharpens iron.” All the while, You are watching over us, never giving us a test we can’t overcome [1 COR 10: 13]. If we take the case of David, he would appear to us outwardly to be an adulterer, a murderer, and a warrior with too much blood on his hands to be allowed to build the temple. However, as we read the Psalms, we learn that David’s inner self was a shining example of faithfulness, repentance for his sins, and courageous obedience to You. We are often unable to recognize a person of worth, because of the social, financial, and prestige barriers we erect between ourselves. Satan loves this, and we must see beyond it with the perspective You give us from the Scriptures. Allowing You to do the judging of a person is a giant first step for us. You have shown us that there is real power in submission to You. We need only look at the faith that Job displayed to see an great example of that. Your own Son, Jesus Christ, modeled that kind of powerful submission to You, and look what He has already accomplished for mankind by His obedience. Wherever we turn, Satan is trying to block Your purpose. And yet, You give us the discernment to see what he is doing by means of the Holy Spirit and empower us to thwart the enemy in his efforts. You have fully armed us and given us the most effective weapons available to be victors in Christ’s name. The enemy knows that his time is limited, and it further enrages him. We must be ready for that. Through the Psalmist in PS 91: 1-6, You reveal that You are El Shaddai, the God Who is more than enough for us. “Whoever goes to the Lord, for safety, whoever remains under the protection of the Almighty, can say to Him, ‘You are my Defender and Protector. You are my God; in You I trust.’ He will keep you safe from all hidden dangers and from all deadly diseases. He will cover you with His wings; you will be safe in His care; His faithfulness will protect and defend you. You need not fear any dangers at night or sudden attacks during the day or the plagues that strike in the dark or the evils that kill in daylight.” We come before You in humility to confess our sins and to offer You our worship, adoration, loyalty, diligence, trust, obedience, honor, glory, thanks, and utmost praise. In Christ’s name, amen.
As mentioned above, the Holy Spirit has even more citations for me to write about in tomorrow’s message that give us strategies God gives us to use against the adversary. Every so often we run up against a person having a bad day, one that causes us problems. God knows this sometimes happens, but He doesn’t leave us without strategies to discern whether this is an isolated incident or part of a trend. He shows us how we can gain His perspective on it from the Scriptures. This is important, because we should take seriously God’s command that we seek Him out first. That will keep us from over-reacting and feeling guilty, two of Satan’s favorite tactics. I mention this because it is so pertinent to the content of today’s message. Our Lord loves us so much more than we can ever fully know. PS 56: 13 shows this. “You protected me from death and kept me from stumbling, so that I would please You and follow the light that leads to life.” What a privilege it is to be created in the image of an awesome, loving, and always-righteous God, our God Who loves each of us with all of His heart. Peter and I send you our love too.
Grace Be With You Always,
Lynn