There Is An Invisible War!
"Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." Ephesians 6:11-12 Friend, whether you realize it or not, you are in a battle; a battle for your soul. satan does not want you to be aware of his tactics. He knows his time is short (Revelation 12:12) and will try anything to steal your joy and damage your testimony. God tells us in His word that, "the thief comes to kill, steal and destroy." John 10:10 Regarding satan, Jesus also says, "He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding on to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies." John 8:44
I want to point out several things to you on the way satan operates. First of all, he will put thoughts in your mind. Thoughts that are totally against the word of God. These thoughts could come on all of a sudden or slowly. satan's goal is to take your eyes off Jesus and to make you think that God does not really mean what He says, which is a lie! Now, I don't want to give satan more credit than I should, so we must remember, that we are sinners by nature and we want to gratify the desires of our flesh. Not every bad thought is necessarily an attack from satan. Understand, however, as you seek to live a godly life in Christ Jesus, you will suffer persecution. 2 Timothy 3:12 God clearly tells us that satan is the prince of this world. John 12:31 All you have to do is look at advertisements, listen to certain songs, watch t.v. or movies and listen to the news to see that the prince of this world is trying to take over. He started his tirade thousands of years ago in the Garden of Eden, which brings me to another method satan may use. In the Garden, satan twisted God's word around to coerce Eve into eating the fruit off of the one tree God told her and Adam not to touch or to eat. satan is very crafty and will appeal to our flesh as he did with Eve. He told her if she ate the fruit of the tree "you will not surely die, for God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." Genesis 3:4-5 Do you see what was going on? he was appealing to the desires of her flesh telling her she would be like God and that she would not really die. Keep in mind that satan can only do what God allows him to do. (Job chpts 1-2)
Have you also noticed how sin, at first seems good. You think, 'what would it hurt, just this once?' or 'no one will ever know except me.' Friend, that is another lie the enemy will feed you. satan will try to coerce you into doing something that is against God's word. How might he do this you may ask? It always starts in our minds. We may have a thought and then begin to entertain that thought instead of casting it out. Slowly, that thought turns into us acting on it, then it becomes sin which always results in pain and death. We, however, have the power of Christ living inside of us to "demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God and take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." 2 Corinthians 10:4-5
Now, as a child of the King, you have the One living in you that is greater than he that is in the world. 1 John 4:4 When Jesus died on the cross and rose again two-thousand years ago, He defeated the power of death. "And having disarmed the powers and authorities, He made a public spectacle of them, TRIUMPHING OVER THEM BY THE CROSS." satan and all the powers of hell were defeated on that day. It is because of Jesus, that the victory has already been won! Keep this truth at the forefront of your mind my friend. This world we live in is not our home. Jesus is preparing a place for us-all of us who are in Christ. John 14:1-4 Our life here on earth is but for a moment. "I am the Alpha and the Omega" says the Lord God, "who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty." Revelation 1:8 He holds the keys of death and Hades. God has told us this in His word regarding satan's future: "And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night forever and ever." Revelation 20:10
I want to encourage you today to hold on to the hope you have which is in Christ Jesus. Put your armor on so that you can take a stand against satan's schemes. Stay in God's word and let His truth permeate your heart and mind.
"The Lord will keep you from all harm-He will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore." Psalm 121:7-8
I want to point out several things to you on the way satan operates. First of all, he will put thoughts in your mind. Thoughts that are totally against the word of God. These thoughts could come on all of a sudden or slowly. satan's goal is to take your eyes off Jesus and to make you think that God does not really mean what He says, which is a lie! Now, I don't want to give satan more credit than I should, so we must remember, that we are sinners by nature and we want to gratify the desires of our flesh. Not every bad thought is necessarily an attack from satan. Understand, however, as you seek to live a godly life in Christ Jesus, you will suffer persecution. 2 Timothy 3:12 God clearly tells us that satan is the prince of this world. John 12:31 All you have to do is look at advertisements, listen to certain songs, watch t.v. or movies and listen to the news to see that the prince of this world is trying to take over. He started his tirade thousands of years ago in the Garden of Eden, which brings me to another method satan may use. In the Garden, satan twisted God's word around to coerce Eve into eating the fruit off of the one tree God told her and Adam not to touch or to eat. satan is very crafty and will appeal to our flesh as he did with Eve. He told her if she ate the fruit of the tree "you will not surely die, for God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." Genesis 3:4-5 Do you see what was going on? he was appealing to the desires of her flesh telling her she would be like God and that she would not really die. Keep in mind that satan can only do what God allows him to do. (Job chpts 1-2)
Have you also noticed how sin, at first seems good. You think, 'what would it hurt, just this once?' or 'no one will ever know except me.' Friend, that is another lie the enemy will feed you. satan will try to coerce you into doing something that is against God's word. How might he do this you may ask? It always starts in our minds. We may have a thought and then begin to entertain that thought instead of casting it out. Slowly, that thought turns into us acting on it, then it becomes sin which always results in pain and death. We, however, have the power of Christ living inside of us to "demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God and take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." 2 Corinthians 10:4-5
Now, as a child of the King, you have the One living in you that is greater than he that is in the world. 1 John 4:4 When Jesus died on the cross and rose again two-thousand years ago, He defeated the power of death. "And having disarmed the powers and authorities, He made a public spectacle of them, TRIUMPHING OVER THEM BY THE CROSS." satan and all the powers of hell were defeated on that day. It is because of Jesus, that the victory has already been won! Keep this truth at the forefront of your mind my friend. This world we live in is not our home. Jesus is preparing a place for us-all of us who are in Christ. John 14:1-4 Our life here on earth is but for a moment. "I am the Alpha and the Omega" says the Lord God, "who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty." Revelation 1:8 He holds the keys of death and Hades. God has told us this in His word regarding satan's future: "And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night forever and ever." Revelation 20:10
I want to encourage you today to hold on to the hope you have which is in Christ Jesus. Put your armor on so that you can take a stand against satan's schemes. Stay in God's word and let His truth permeate your heart and mind.
"The Lord will keep you from all harm-He will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore." Psalm 121:7-8
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