In this self-seeking, flesh-dominating society which is controlled by Satan, the main focus is on oneself. With themes of “get rich quick”, “live your best life”, “you only live once” (YOLO), “do you”, “I’m getting’ mines” and “gotta go chase that bag” is just where the enemy wants you when your motives aren’t pure. Self-gratification is worldly, prideful, not where God dwells at all. Pride seeks to dethrone God. He wants you 100%. No flesh can glory in His presence at all. God will not be in competition with anyone or anything. He will turn you over to your own lusts and desires when you seek them more than Him. YOLO is true but it is more beneficial to live it unto God who gives us access, strength, power, desire and a will to seek after the things which pertain to the eternal Kingdom of God. The flesh wants to lead the spirit but Satan can only do what we allow him to do. We give him power when we disobey God and let the devil use us. Each of us has the power of choice when temptation arises. Power that gives us an enduring ability to say no to it no matter how strong or frequent it is. Adam and Eve had to learn the hard way and we are no different. Our enemy can probably quote scriptures better than we can but his purpose is to twist it to mean something contrary to what God intended it to say.
A trial is a time of testing usually from God, and a temptation is intended to entice you to do evil, always coming from the devil and always includes sinning that is aimed at driving us away from God. God does not and will not tempt us, never. He will never set us up for failure. Satan wants to bombard you with things to catch you off guard. He wants you to think that you have to rush quickly so that you can make wrong decisions. Satan had permission from God to afflict Job in every aspect of his life. Even with trial upon trial, Job chose to worship God. Satan even used Job's wife to give him bad advice when she told him to "curse God, and die." (Job 2: 9) His goal was not only to see Job suffer but for him to sin in his suffering.
Joseph is an excellent example of enticement by his attempted seduction by Potipher’s wife. “And it came to pass after these things, that his master's wife cast her eyes upon Joseph; and she said, Lie with me. But he refused, and said unto his master's wife, Behold, my master wotteth not what is with me in the house, and he hath committed all that he hath to my hand; There is none greater in this house than I; neither hath he kept back any thing from me but thee, because thou art his wife: how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?” (Genesis 39: 7-9) He refused her advances, she lied on him, he was put into prison but God used all of that to raise up His servant, who did not give up, to a place where he was destined to be, the palace. Joseph’s dreams and revelations came to pass as God had promised. The hatred, jealousy and rejection that he experienced by his brothers turned out to be a blessing for them all. “And his brethren also went and fell down before his face; and they said, Behold, we be thy servants. And Joseph said unto them, Fear not: for am I in the place of God? But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.” (Genesis 50: 18-20)
Think it not strange that the devil will use your friends as well as your immediate and distant family members as a source of attack. These are the most hurtful ones because it’s coming from someone closely related to you. There is an evil force behind every evil deed of evil people. The enemy wants you mad and agitated about any and everything, especially when he sees the dedication, time, energy and the commitment you have given to God. When we are sober and watchful we can see the tactics of our enemy and stop him in his tracks. Recognize Satan as the source from where these attacks come. He desires to rob you of your joy, your faithfulness and to ultimately separate you from God’s purposes and God’s presence.
Now consider Jesus the Messiah. Though He was made fully human, fully experiencing all human physical and emotional needs, as well as temptations, He did not have a sinful nature. The devil tried to tempt Him by using scriptures and Jesus in return used them back on him. “Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. But He answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve. Then the devil leaveth Him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto Him.” (Matthew 4: 1, 4, 7, 10-11) Jesus was perfect in His humanity. The devil attacked Him at the heart of His identity, His strength. His oneness, bond, faithfulness and commitment to His Father was rock solid. The devil leaves for a season but rest assured he will be back with a vengeance.
Jesus didn’t respond to directions, suggestions and what the devil enticed Him to do. He was 100% committed in His heart and mind to choose things God’s way using God’s methods to achieve God’s goals in God’s timing. Jesus had no need for forgiveness of sin because He never sinned. The truth is He did not come to be forgiven for sin, because He came to become sin. He took onto Himself all sins past, present and future. He was violently apprehended, corruptly judged, unlawfully convicted and mercilessly punished in our place that we might escape suffering the horrible consequences of our own sin. He is the Son of God who knows God’s love and everything pertaining to the Kingdom of God except for this one thing. He does not know when God will send Him to go get His children. “But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father. Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is.” (Mark 13: 32-33) He does, however, have the abiding presence and power of God functioning in His life and He knew that He would return to heaven after His mission was complete.
We need to be ready for potential battle at all times. We simply don’t know when or where the devil will strike. “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints…” (Ephesians 6: 10-18)
The evil day spoken of is the intensity in which the devil attacks every believer from time to time. The armor is simply truth, righteousness, peace, faith, salvation and the Word which is the written Word of God and also His Son Jesus Christ the Living Word of God. Satan attacks us from the blindside and he attacks in various ways at different times with different results. When we put on the characteristics of God we have the power to become more than conquerors. There is no substitute to living obediently before God. The heart’s desire must be to live in a way that is pleasing and honoring to God. It should be automatic like breathing in and breathing out. We can pollute our spirit by evil, unholy, negative environments and by being around people who are unholy.
If you allow yourself to become comfortable with sin you soon will begin to defend the presence of sin, to justify it, tolerate it and to give in to it. Sin should be repulsive to us on every front. We overlook evil, permit it, legalize it, promote it, celebrate it and persecute those who still call it evil. Sin is deadly. It pollutes, infects and destroys. There are things that the temple of God should not be around, look at, engage in, or be a part of period. Followers of Christ live by His high moral standards. The Bible reveals God's character and divine nature very plainly but people have rejected and suppressed the truth. The soul knows its Maker and it has a sense of what He requires yet we choose to listen to an enemy of God who distorts all truth and turns it into a lie. When you reject God you accept Satan and take on all the consequences it entails. Rebellious choices changes our belief and leads us astray far away from God.
The devil attacks in unexpected ways at the least opportune time. Being in an unholy environment will draw you in like a magnet to get you to join in all kinds of carnal things. “For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His.” (Romans 8: 3-9) While the enemy is plotting your fall, God is positioning you to prosper. You are in God’s place in His time to fulfill His plan by His grace for His glory. He is a permanent source of our security and salvation. He protects us from our enemies and we should be obligated to Him for the marvelous things that He does for us. We demonstrate our gratitude to Him by loving and keeping His commandments.
As believers and a minority we should be united and bonded together as we battle Satan. We are not enemies to each other although we have let the devil use us to fight against each other. Hurling accusations breeds anger, strife, bitterness, resentment, distrust and finally, separation. Separation from the brethren and even separation from God. “He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil. Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.” (1 John 3: 8-10) “Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners. Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame.” (1 Corinthians 15: 33-34) “Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law. And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.” (Romans 13: 10-14) The flesh is where Satan operates, dominates and assassinates. He wants you to come as you are, stay as you are and do as you please. Not so with God. There must be a change. A change of mind, a change of attitude and a change of heart.
As we strive to love the brethren the enemy is at work to divide us but the love of God unites us. It generates trust, peace and a togetherness with our brothers and sisters. Love covers our faults and differences thus we work better together to achieve the common goals of helping each other to stay saved and encouraged and to reach our heavenly eternal destination. With a united front and a firm foundation it gives our enemy a harder battle to fight and defeat us. We become a threat to him. He is after our peace, joy, confidence, strength, purpose, heart, soul and mind. Our faith is in God to help us, deliver us, defend us, vindicate us, provide for us and in the end reward us for our faithfulness. As we are approaching the end our desire should be to be more godly in our thoughts, feelings, attitudes, opinions and behaviors.
Saints of God stand firm, united, uncompromising, unwavering and boldly proclaim the truth in the face of the enemy. Our loyalty is and will forever be to our faithful Heavenly Father. Christ should be celebrated every day. His birth, sacrifice, resurrection, love, grace, His Word and His very existence. We honor Him by living a holy lifestyle, by trusting Him, by reading the Word, obeying it and in keeping His commands. It is good, healthy and rewarding to live in an atmosphere of prayer, praise and worship. It keeps our minds off of the enemy and our problems. Be glad, be joyful and be encouraged!
Heed the warnings of God, dear children. The payment of disobedience is severe. This applies to everyone who claims the name of Jesus. No exemptions at all! God has indeed been extra gracious to us but the time will definitely come when He rewards us for good and evil, obedience and disobedience, right and wrong. There are certain things that are strictly forbidden in God's eyes and in scripture. What is an acceptable practice in the world today does not set the standard for God's laws. People substitute the truth about God with a fantasy of their own imagination to support their own self-centered lifestyles. God does not tolerate sin because He is holy and His nature is perfect. He will not ignore or condone any acts of sin whatsoever. He wants to remove sin from the sinner. God cannot, does not and will not make mistakes. And though He has been blamed for a great amount of things, we must realize that God will afflict you but He will never go against His Word to make you into something that goes against His character. Satan is to blame.
The day of the Lord is at hand. “Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition.” (2 Thessalonians 2: 3) “Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron…” (1 Timothy 4: 1-2) “Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived. But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them.” (2 Timothy 3: 12-14) “Abstain from all appearance of evil.” (1 Thessalonians 5: 22)
God doesn’t send people to hell, He just honors their choice. The misconception of our way of thinking is that we can do Christianity our own way. This is a danger zone and Satan’s territory. The devil is at work to deceive you. Satan hides the truth, but God reveals it. Satan hides himself, but God reveals him and the corrupt, unholy, deceitful things that he tries to hide in us. The devil is doing a lot of talking and we are listening to him. The spiritual war between God and Satan will end one day. God is and always has been the winner of this battle and Satan knows it. "I am the LORD: that is My name: and My glory will I not give to another, neither My praise to graven images." (Isaiah 42: 8) “Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth? This persuasion cometh not of Him that calleth you.” (Galatians 5: 7-8) God is firm and true to His Word. He will never change, compromise or alter His ways and His Word to fit our agenda. Never!
In these last days God is sending out urgent messages to us to get right and stay right. Clean up, take down, strip off, man up, press on, fight on! God examines our hearts and motives and He’s writing everything down. Judgement will be fair and accurate and the way we live will speak for itself. When the Book and the books are opened it will be a witness for or against us. Won’t be no explaining, debates, arguing or blaming it on the devil or anyone else. There will be no free passes, rain checks or excuses. If we reject God He will reject us. It takes a disciplined life that is totally sold out to God. No cross, no crown, no heaven. When we delight in holiness and live in it every day, we have a dislike for sin and the one who sin comes from. Satan sends delusions that it's okay to sin and do whatever you want to do. He continues to make sin less offensive, heaven less appealing, hell less horrific and the gospel less urgent. Another strong delusion of the devil is that so many people want the byproduct of a relationship with God without obedience to Him. They want forgiveness without repentance and salvation without suffering and submission. Sincere repentance and holy living is continual until our dying day.
Hell has no exits and eternity never ends in either heaven or hell. The consequences of serving Satan and living in sin will stick around longer than the pleasures. The payment is eternal. The enemy doesn’t want you to have a life apart from him, he wants to be the main attraction at all times but he knows the Bright and Morning Star, Jesus, has all power and He will punish Satan at the appointed time.
God will eventually be the star of this production called life. All knees will bow, all tongues will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. All enemies will be defeated forever and all eyes shall behold the glory of His majesty. “Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God. Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.” (Revelation 3: 2-3)
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