Recently I have heard from different ones how the Lord has shown them that they were lacking in some areas of their spiritual walk. Whether it was fasting, consistently studying His Word, making time for daily prayer, meditating on God’s goodness, fellowshipping with the saints or just giving space for praise and worship. These disclosures made me think how preoccupied we are with our daily lives and how little time we seem to have to give to God. Actually, the truth is that there’s not a shortage of time but an ineffective and unproductive management of time. In other words, the inability or unwillingness to properly allocate and/or prioritize our time.
Of course Satan has always been a convenient target of cause, but we can't really lay the ultimate blame on the enemy in this case because he can't force us to do anything. But what he can do is coerce, suggest, intimidate and influence you by lying, cheating, deceiving, misdirecting, distracting and attempting to hypnotize you. He wants you to cease working for the Kingdom by craftily lulling you into a non-productive slumber. And so, in order to pull off this delusion he continuously urges you to focus on other things, much like a hypnotist using a swinging pocket watch dangling in front of your face while very calmly and soothingly uttering this famous phrase used by magicians for many years which is, "... you... are... get... ting... slee... py..."
As the Apostle Paul might say...... WAKE UP!!!! "O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth…” (Galatians 3: 1) Don’t get distracted by the wagging of the watch, but be acutely aware of what time it is. “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: 11-14)
And though you may not be directly involved in rioting, drunkenness, chambering, wantonness, strife or envying, which we certainly hope is not the case, understand that apathy, complacency and inattention can be just as deadly. “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour…” (1 Peter 5: 8) Even your private thought life can lure you into dangerous territory with its contestable content being used as a cleverly crafted campaign to cloud, confuse and complicate your consciousness to keep your thoughts off of good things. “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.” (Philippians 4: 8)
Satan has very shrewdly launched an all-out assault aimed at diverting our attention from the most important aspect of our life which is to “…Fear God, and keep His commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.” (Ecclesiastes 12: 13) And so he uses what I call “weapons of mass distraction” such as drama on the job, concern about our health issues, trouble in our families, stress over finances, being hurt from mistreatment or betrayal, worries about social or political issues and even grief over the loss of a loved one.
And while you are going through one of these difficult seasons, the devil has such little regard for you that he’ll launch an undercover assault by deploying his sultry secret agent, which is the love of money, at vulnerable moments to allure and entice you. “For the love of money is the root of all evil” (1 Timothy 6: 10) He'll then attack you on multiple fronts not hesitating for one second to go into his bag of tricks and pull out the big guns: “…the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life…” (1 John 2: 16) His goal is to get us so absorbed in the issues of our carnal life, so mesmerized, hypnotized, fascinated and captivated by this world that our spiritual life will suffer.
And make no mistake, he will even engage in elaborate masquerades in order to hide his true intentions. “And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.” (2 Corinthians 11: 14) Don’t be fooled and led astray by the wrong answers he gives for the anxieties of our existence and the appeal of prosperity. His wrong answers will always lead to the same predicament faced by the person referred to in the parable of the soils of whom it was said, “…the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.” (Mathew 13: 22) Never forget for one second the devil’s obnoxious aspiration and his poisonous purpose which is to “…steal, and to kill, and to destroy…” (John 10: 10) The prophet Daniel speaks of the devil’s master plan and what he will do: “And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws…” (Daniel 7: 25) But he’s got a surprise coming.
And though it may seem like it sometimes, you are not the only target of Satan’s aggressive, ill-intentioned and murderous maneuvers. These unsympathetic antics are common. Therefore it is against the devil whom we must “…resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world. (1 Peter 5: 9) Our enemy wants to capitalize on the imperfections of our humanity such as our frail bodies, our hurt feelings and our anticipation of uncomfortable events to evoke a carnal response or engage in worldly warfare which is always to our detriment. We must fight the good fight which calls us to “…endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please Him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.” (2 Timothy 2: 3-4)
Difficult people and difficult situations on this earth are only pawns in the combative chess match of the real battle that we fight which is waged in another realm: “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.” (Ephesians 6: 12) "But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.” (1 Peter 5: 10)
So let’s take a look at when the devil employed these tactics against Jesus, our beloved Savior, and observe how the Son of God showed us how to deal with this serpent and his hostile advances. Recall the story recorded in both the gospels of Matthew and Luke where Jesus, being full of the Holy Ghost, was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. He then fasted for 40 days and 40 nights. So do you think that perhaps He was a little hungry? Famished would probably be a better word. So what did the devil do? He tried to take advantage of Jesus’ hunger by tempting Him with the thought of food by saying, “If Thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.” Jesus kept His focus on God and countered by hitting him with Deuteronomy 8: 3 of the Word! “It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.”
Not to be deterred or outdone, the devil then took Jesus to the top of the temple in Jerusalem. He then changed his tactics and tried to use the Word himself by quoting Psalm 91: 11 & 12, “If Thou be the Son of God, cast Thyself down: for it is written, He shall give His angels charge concerning Thee: and in their hands they shall bear Thee up, lest at any time Thou dash Thy foot against a stone.” See how tricky he is? But Jesus wasn’t buying it. He set this scoundrel straight, calling out this miserable misapplication of scripture, directing him to the content of Deuteronomy 6: 16 by saying, “It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.” Getting desperate the devil now took Jesus up on a very high mountain and showed Him all of the kingdoms of the world hoping he could infect Jesus with the same evil pride that got his own arrogant self thrown out of heaven. He then brazenly and falsely stated, “All this power will I give Thee, and the glory of them, if Thou wilt fall down and worship me.” Okay, he's gone too far now. He actually had the nerve to illegitimately offer power to the One who has all power and glory to the King of Glory! And to top it all off he underhandedly desired and attempted to be idolized!
Time for this rascal to get seriously checked. The Lamb of God, who is also the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, then rightfully regulates this nonsense with an authoritative, “Get thee hence, get behind Me, Satan!” And, oh yeah, he had to go. And on his way out with his tail between his legs, Jesus blasted him with both barrels from Exodus 20: 5 and 1 Samuel 7: 3 by saying, “for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve.” YES! GLORY TO GOD! So the devil departed though he'll lick his wounds and will always try to make a return appearance. But just as angels were there to minster to Jesus, as recorded, “Then the devil leaveth Him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto Him” (Matthew 4: 11), we also have a heavenly security detail assigned to assist us. “The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear Him, and delivereth them.” (Psalm 34: 7)
Now understand that Jesus allowed the enemy to take Him to these various locations in this particular situation, but the devil has no power to compel Jesus to go anywhere with him. He has no authority over Jesus at all. NONE. Jesus voluntarily went at the direction of His Father to show us how to deal with this already defeated demon. The effective battle plan He demonstrated was reiterated by the Apostle James: “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to you.” (James 4: 7-8)
You don’t have to, nor should you, lay down and let that enemy walk all over you. Resist! Resist! Resist! You have been given power and authority in Jesus’ name and it’s time to fight back. When it comes to the enemy don’t speculate, don’t contemplate, don’t negotiate, don’t communicate, don’t cooperate and don’t tolerate. Don’t even allow that serpent into the building. “Neither give place to the devil.” (Ephesians 4: 27) So the next time he shows up and tries to bruise your heel, stand your ground in the name of Jesus and bruise his head. “And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.” (Romans 16: 20)
It's time to put on, and keep on, your holy weapons of war. “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." And again, and it bears repeating, "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. So suit up and "...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)
Just remember the truth that it's the Lord who is fighting the battle for you. As Moses reminded the ancient Israelites when they were preparing to enter into the promised land, "When thou goest out to battle against thine enemies, and seest horses, and chariots, and a people more than thou, be not afraid of them: for the Lord thy God is with thee, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. And it shall be, when ye are come nigh unto the battle, that the priest shall approach and speak unto the people and shall say unto them, Hear, O Israel, ye approach this day unto battle against your enemies: let not your hearts faint, fear not, and do not tremble, neither be ye terrified because of them, For the Lord your God is He that goeth with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you." (Deuteronomy 20: 1-4) Jahaziel the Levite echoed the same truth when he told King Jehoshaphat, "for the battle is not yours, but God's." (2 Chronicles 20: 15) Your job is to show up for the fight. God's job is to fix the fight.
Now go on to victory as did those same Israelites when at God’s directions through Joshua, He commanded them to quietly march around the walls of their enemies in the city of Jericho. Their instructions were to do this once a day for 7 days with 7 priests blowing 7 trumpets of ram’s horns as they followed the Ark of the Covenant. But on the 7th day the instructions were to march around the city 7 times. And so, on that 7th day after the 7th time around and upon the blasts of the 7 trumpets, Joshua told the people what time it was. It was time to “Shout; for the LORD hath given you the city…. So the people shouted when the priests blew with the trumpets: and it came to pass, when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, and the people shouted with a great shout, that the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city.” (Joshua 6: 16)
Yes, dear ones, it’s time to celebrate because the battle has already been won. As stated in Psalm 47, “O clap your hands, all ye people; shout unto God with the voice of triumph.” (Psalm 47: 1) Yes, we too can shout with the voice of triumph and we can sing a song of victory:
Victory in Jesus, my Savior, forever He sought me and bought me with His redeeming blood He loved me 'ere I knew Him and all my love is due Him He plunged me to victory beneath the cleansing flood
So get back in the game, dear ones. It's time to fight on to victory in Jesus' name. Be confident, be encouraged and rejoice evermore. May peace be to you all, with love and with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. And may grace be with each one of you that loves our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. Glory to God in the highest every day and in every way. Amen.
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