JACKS DAILY DEVOTIONAL THOUGHTS
(Psalm 51:17) says, “My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise.”
I wonder this morning if we understand what contrition is in our society anymore.
The opposite of contrition is arrogance!
(Genesis 4:4-5) "The Lord had respect unto Abel and to his offering: but unto Cain...he had not."
Cain cultivated the ground, planted the seed, gathered the harvest, and offered God the fruits of his labors.
He thought God would be impressed and that He would feel obligated to bless him.
But that’s not how it works!
Abel, on the other hand, told God, “I did nothing. You created the lamb I’m offering. I’m just giving You back what’s Yours and asking You to bless it.”
And God did!
You can tell a lot about someone by how they approach God.
Some of us act like God owes us something.
Others among us are so impressed with our spiritual status and accomplishments that we feel the need to approach Him with lofty prayers and high-sounding “thee’s” and “thou’s”.
From (Luke 18:11-12) Jesus told a story about a rich man and a publican (or a sinner) and their attitude toward God.
The rich man prayed thus within Himself “God, I thank thee that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector.
I fast twice a week, I give tithes of all that I get.
In the back of the temple, with eyes cast down, feeling unworthy to look up to heaven, the tax collector beat his breast and mumbled God, be merciful to me a sinner!”
Jesus then said “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God.
For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” (Luke 18:11-14)
What we read in these above scriptures is a classic example of pride and arrogance, and humble contrition.
God isn’t impressed with our self-efforts or arrogant sacrifices, so let’s get real!
“The Lord had respect unto Abel and to his offering.”
That’s because unlike his brother, Abel wasn’t seeking credit for anything.
He wanted God to have all the glory.
That’s the kind of offering that moves God’s heart and invites His blessing upon our lives.
Acknowledging God, focusing on God, giving Him the glory, giving Him honor and the lordship over our lives.
So what are you offering God today?
Your achievements, your denominational credentials, our self-reliance, our shallow emotion?
If you are, don’t bother!
The only thing He asks is that you humbly open your heart and let Him recreate you in the likeness of Jesus.
When you do that, something wonderful happens.
(Ephesians 2:8) “it is by grace we are saved thru faith and that not of ourselves… not of works lest any man should boast”.
By downplaying your own self-interests and giving God an acceptable offering, (and by that I mean your humble obedience), not only will He respect it, and receive it… He will bless you and equip you to bless others too.
God is not interested in what it is you can do, and how great your exploits and or self-righteousness might be,
He is interested in humble and contrite hearts that are open to Him and His desires.
(Psalm 51:17) says, “My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise.”
The meaning of this is connected with the verse just before it.
Verse 16 says, “You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it, you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.”
David is stating that there is nothing we can offer God to appease Him when we have sinned.
More animal sacrifices were not what God was looking for.
God desires true repentance.
Many people miss this truth.
Rather than repent, they try to "clean up their act"… give more, pray more, or they busy themselves in religious activity in the hopes that God will finally "get over" being mad at them.
In (Psalm 51), David is saying that “God wants none of that”.
External religious activity cannot replace internal, heartfelt contrition.
(1st Samuel 16:7) tells us “The Lord looks at the heart not the outward appearance or accomplishments of a man”
What is contrition you ask?
The dictionary defines it as “the state of feeling remorseful and penitent”!
Again Jesus illustrates what a contrite heart looks like in (Luke 18:10-14).
The humble repentance that God desires is contrasted with the self-righteousness in the Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector.
The “eloquent prayer” of the proud Pharisee did not reach the heart of God, but the “humble cry” of the repentant sinner brought forgiveness.
They both needed mercy, but only the contrite heart was in a position to receive it.
That’s how it works!
Good Day!
(2nd Corinthians 13:5) “Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith”
We should never ever entertain the notion that we are saved or right with God by our good works!
Remember (Isaiah 64:6) tells us that our good works, our righteousness our efforts to be righteous are as filthy rags.
Behavior most definitely should not be the test of our salvation… although with out good behavior or moral uprightness… there is a good indication that there has been a breakdown in the “regeneration process” that comes with “salvation”… as in the old cliché… “that a tree is known but the fruit it produces”.
We already know our works do not save us (Ephesians 2:8-9). “For by grace ye are saved through faith not of works lest any man should boast”.
Paul knew that “actions” or “good works” could be a misleading indicator of mans relationship with God.
So rather than telling them to change their actions, he wanted them to examine their “relationship” with Christ/God.
(2nd Corinthians 13:5) Paul tells the church (you and I as well), “Test yourselves and see if ye be in the faith… . or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?”
What he was asking was whether they had a “genuine relationship” with Jesus.
In (2nd Corinthians 2:8) Paul pleads with believers…“So I beg you to reaffirm your love for Him.”
This idea is an interesting observation… that is how do you know you are in the faith?
Based on your works… or based on the regenerative work of the Spirit of God in a person’s soul?
This question is a directional question when sharing with and or providing spiritual truth with someone:
Are we focusing on “external direction” or “internal behaviors?
Are we focusing on “internal direction” as in affection for Jesus?
When you are examining your faith you want to be careful about observing “behavior” only.
Honestly, there are people in our culture who act nicer than some Christians, but the Christians are going to heaven because they are born again from above and within, not of flesh and blood but of the Spirit of God” (John 3:5)
Anybody can be nice.
While we may be able to persuade people to be nicer, this is not a “good test” when it comes to “a faith examination.”
I’m not looking to help people be “nicer” to one another.
I want them to have “genuine affection” for Jesus Christ… and out of that insatiable and ever-growing affection… there will be good works.
Works are not the test, but love for Christ who is living in them is.
For example, here is a question you can use to examine yourself to see whether you’re in the faith.
Where is your confidence… our confidence must be in Christ alone?
Our faith is not in what we do, but the One we trust in.
One of the best tests you can give yourself, is in examining the level at which you are trusting in the Savior.
How meaningful and powerful and beautiful is Christ to you?
To examine yourself as to whether you’re in the faith, you have to question where your heart is as it pertains to Christ.
What are your affection levels for Christ?
How would you describe your trust in Christ?
How would you evaluate your own personal confidence in God and His Word.
If these indicators are healthy, your faith is probably strong, and your faith will be revealed in your daily life through your works …not by your works.
Here are some excellent questions to ask yourself ,to see if you’re really in the faith.
I’ve centered the questions in this section on the idea of confidence in Christ alone, so as you read them… be honest with your self in answering them.
1) What is your attitude toward suffering?
When things don’t go your way, do you go your own way… or stick to God’s way?
While you don’t have to like your suffering, you can still trust in Him.
Pain will reveal your faith.
2) How concerned are you about your image?
Do you pretend to be more than you are and do you present yourself as more than you are?
Image-centered people are not Christ-centered people.
They are more concerned about how “others perceive them”, than caring about how folks see Christ through them.
3) Are you committed to a life of generosity?
Do you give out of your abundance or out of your poverty?
Do you give because of your confidence in Christ, knowing He will take care of you (Matthew 6:25-34)?
4) What is your attitude toward weakness?
How quickly do you confess your sins and repent of your sins?
Do you present yourself as stronger (more perfect) than you are?
Are you to proud to admit you might be wrong or that you might have made a mistake?
5) How quickly are you tempted to judge other people?
Do you see “your way”, as the only way… while looking down on other people who are different than you… or have a different opinion than yours?
These are just a few thoughts to help you examine yourself to make sure that you have your feet headed in the right direction… so that you can enjoy that wonderful fulfilling relationship with God that He promises all believers.
(1st Corinthians 2:9) “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor has it entered into the heart of man, the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”
Do you truly love Him, or do you love being religious.
Good Day!
(Romans 8:31)… “in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.
“More than conquerors”… what does that mean?
And further more, what are “all these things”… that the scripture is referring to?
First of all let me say that because of Jesus’s resurrection, all threats against you are tamed and harnessed.
Jesus conquered death… evil and wickedness that cause death and it’s sting aren’t the end of the story.
We can have hope… even in the midst of trial and suffering!
In Revelation, one of the key themes is “conquering through suffering”.
The number of occurrences of the verb “to conquer”, appears 17 times in this last book of the Bible
John describes amazing promises, addressing them specifically to
“those who conquer”.
“To the one who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life…”(Revelation 2:7)
“The one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death…” (Revelation 2:11)
“To the one who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna…” (Revelation 2:17)
“The one who conquers and who keeps my works until the end…” (Revelation 2:26)
“The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot his name out of the book of life. I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels” (Revelation 3:5)
“The one who conquers, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God…” (Revelation 3:12)
“The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne,…” (Revelation 3:21)
How will these staggering promises come to pass?
How will those who conquer… do so amid affliction and persecution?
How will they find strength to endure and overcome against all odds?
The apostle gives the answer in (Revelation 5:5-6)… “They will conquer by looking in faith… to the One who has already conquered”
John describes Jesus as both the kingly lion and the meek lamb who has conquered all his and our enemies.
He is “the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth”… and he’s also the One who “loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood and made us a kingdom, priests to His God and Father” (Revelation 1:5-6).
We will reign with Him (Jesus) because he died and freed us and made us a kingdom for his glory.
This truth is meant to encourage you in the midst of suffering.
We follow a crucified Redeemer who, by his own death and resurrection, has triumphed over sin death and the grave.
(Revelation 1:17-18) “Fear not,” Jesus tells us. “I am the first and the last, and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades”
This image of the conquering Christ, prevailing through suffering, is also meant to give you and I hope.
In being united to Him, we too will conquer the many aspects of life and its challenges as we look with eyes of faith to the One who has accomplished everything in your place.
It is for this reason John writes: “And they have conquered him (the enemy of our soul)… by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony…” (Revelation 12:11)
This truth is meant to free you to breathe a sigh of relief and thanksgiving instead of despair.
Because God’s plan is to never allow anything to separate you from
His love… you can face the worst of the world’s uncertainties with confidence.
As the apostle Paul declares in (Romans 8:31-39) “What then shall we say to these things… If God is for us, who can be against us?
He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things…
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord”.
No opposition… no accusation... no condemnation... and no separation.
And since God refused to withhold His only Son, but gave him up for us all, He will most surely… without any doubt or possibility of failure… provide for you.
The wonder about this message of the Gospel is not only that God the Father gave His Son… but that He did so in this way… by sacrificing the one He loved.
It is astonishing that He gave His beloved Son for those who hated him.
See how highly he honours us.
If even when we hated him and were enemies… He still gave up His beloved Son, and if He did that… what will He not do for us now?
Because God’s plan for you is so certain, (2nd Peter 3:9) “God is not willing that any should perish”… you can face the most difficult circumstances, the most terrifying enemies, and the most devastating ordeals with confidence.
You don’t merely survive your trials… you’re “more than a conqueror” because absolutely nothing will be able to separate you from God’s endless love in Christ.
Good Day!
(Psalm 91:1-16) “They that dwell in the secret place of the most high”
For the last week I have been rattling the sabers as it were, trying to reignite an awareness of the need for you and I, “the child of God and believers in Christ”, to wake up and strengthen our spiritual defenses.
Why you might be wondering.
The answer is simple.
Because of the enemies attack?
Its all around us and is getting more and more fierce, bolder and intense every day.
There was a time in my life when I had no enemies.
But once I began to walk with God however, that changed.
It should come as no surprise that many who serve God in full-time ministry become targets of demonic assaults, especially those who serve in regions where the powers of darkness are common place.
But enemy attacks are by no means limited to the dark corners of the world, nor to the full time professional minister whom has committed their life to heralding the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the teaching of the Word of Truth.
The adversary… our enemy the devil… is working overtime anywhere he can find a “relational rift”, to exploit or a habitual sin to manipulate.
He is doing his level best to present stumbling blocks and temptations that would cause the strongest spiritual giant to quake in fear at times.
How grateful I am for this song of scripture and assurance found in Psalm 91.
It, like few other scriptural passages, comes to grips with the enemies attack and gives us hope to get beyond them.
Psalm 91 has a unique tone in its message.
We discover this by reading it through and looking for words or phrases that communicate similar thoughts.
Here are some of them…
Verse 1: shelter
Verse 2: refuge…fortress
Verse 3: pestilence…
Verse 4: refuge…shield
Verse 5: terror by night…arrow by day
Verse 6: destruction
Verse 7: a thousand may fall
Verse 9: security
Verse 11: guard
Verse 15: rescue
There can be little doubt about the tone of Psalm 91.
It is about warfare, battle, conflict, and fighting.
It is a song for battle… in that it conveys an atmosphere of daily, oppressive enemy attack.
And who is this enemy?
Israel’s national foes… no I don’t think so?
A human being who opposes the writer… no I don’t believe so?
An actual visible war on a bloody battlefield… again I don’t think so?
Look at several more verses as we identify the enemy.
Verse 3: the trapper
Verse 8: the wicked
Verse 10: evil
Now consider the promise of angelic assistance as written in (Psalm 91:11-12)… as well as divine deliverance (91:14-15).
When you put all the evidence together, I think Psalm 91 builds a strong case for a song about surviving the attacks of our spiritual enemies whom are Satan and his demons!
It talks about a battle in the unseen spiritual realm.
This explains our need for angelic and divine intervention… because our supernatural enemy comes at us with supernatural strength, and we need supernatural help.
Keep this thought in mind when digging into Psalm 91.
The tone is warfare and the enemy is our evil adversary, who comes at us with persistent regularity.
But do not despair and do not be afraid.
There are four distinct “promises of providence” that are shared in Psalm 91 as well… promises given to encourage each of us.
1) Protection amid Evil (91:1–4)
2) Attitude toward Evil (91:5–10)
3) Assistance against Evil (91:11–13)
4) Security from Evil (91:14–16)
The Bibles says “our weapons of warfare are not carnal or powered with human wisdom… but they are mighty unto God to the pulling down of strongholds” (2nd Corinthians 10-4)
The Bible says (Isaiah 54:17) “no weapon formed against us will prosper… and every tongue that shall rise against you in judgment you shall condemn.
This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord… and their righteousness is of me says the Lord”.
That is the security you and I have when having to face the enemy of our souls.
Jesus said (Matthew 28:20) “never will I leave you… lo, I will be with you always”
Good Day!
(Ephesians 6:12) “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.”
In order to overcome “the works of the enemy” and in order to “fight the good fight of faith”, we must know our enemy.
Each of us is confronted daily with the snares, the tactics, the tricks, and the devices of the devil.
At this time Satan is not in Hell, nor he is he locked up in the bottomless pit as he will be someday.
He is the “god of this age,” walking up and down, to and fro in this world, seeking to drag men and women away from Christ.
He has each of our names on his list, and he is doing his level best to drag each one of us down to defeat and destruction.
Satan is working overtime in these days because he knows that his time is limited, and he is aware that shortly he will be cast into “The Lake of Fire “where he will be tormented day and night forever and ever.
(Revelation 20:10), “And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.”
But until that time… how can we overcome his onslaughts?
What is our resource against the strategies of the devil?
(James 4:7) gives us a a two-fold answer “Submit yourselves therefore to God, resist the devil and he will flee from you."
#1) We are to submit ourselves to God.
We cannot resist the devil in our own human power.
We must be born again, and become committed children of God, and have the Lord Jesus Christ dwelling within us.
(1st John 4:4) tells us “Greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world.”
In (Galatians 2:20) The Apostle Paul says, “I am crucified with Christ… nevertheless I live yet not I, but Christ lives in me.”
Jesus Christ, who dwells/lives within the body of the believing Christian, is greater than the devil.
The devil is a supernatural being, and it takes a “supernatural” power to respond to his devices.
That’s why you and I cannot fight the devil and his schemes on our own!
Jesus Christ is that power.
In order to overcome the devices of the devil, we must surrender our lives to God and receive Jesus into our hearts by faith.
When a person takes that step, he becomes “a new creature” with new desires and with new powers to overcome temptation.
#2) We are to resist the devil.
We can resist the devil in the same way that Jesus resisted him when He was tempted in the wilderness.
Jesus resisted the devil by appealing to the Scriptures.
When the devil commanded Him to turn stones into bread, Jesus said, “It is written, man shall not live by bread alone.” (Luke 4:4)
When the devil told Him to jump off the pinnacle of the Temple, Jesus said, “It is written, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.”
When Satan offered Him all the kingdoms of the world, Jesus said, “It is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve.”
Jesus resisted the devil by appealing to, quoting, and relying on the Scriptures.
He could have summoned ten thousand angels.
He could have displayed His own supernatural powers, but instead, Jesus used the same weapon that is available to every one of us… “the Word of God”.
All of us must make new commitments to spend more time with the Bible; to memorize portions of Scripture; to study the Word of God…so that we will have a Scriptural dart/arrow to throw at the devil every time he comes our way with a temptation.
#3) We are to put on the whole armor of God.
Any one who takes Christ as their Savior and starts to live and work for Him will soon discover that there is an enemy seeking to destroy our faith and testimony as we talked about in earlier devotions this past week,
(1st Peter 5:8) “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour”.
If you are truly living for Christ you will find that living the Christian life involves an ongoing warfare, battle, and struggle to live sold out and radically commitment lives to Him.
But God has provided spiritual armor to protect us, and He has placed in our hands a sword… the Word of God… to help us conquer and overcome evil.
We read about that armor in (Ephesians 6:10-18).
The armor includes a belt of truth (it always pays to be truthful), a breastplate of righteousness (the ability to do the right thing), and a shield of faith (the willingness to trust and believe that what God says is true).
In addition, He gives the “Sword of the Spirit”, which is the Word of God.
In the Christian life we battle against powerful evil forces headed by Satan.
To withstand his attacks, we must depend on God’s strength and use every piece of armor which is provided.
All believers are special objects of Satan’s attacks… because they are no longer on Satan’s side.
As believers in Christ, we are a “threat” to the devils kingdom… and his objective to thwart the plan of God.
We need supernatural power to defeat Satan, and God has provided that power by the Holy Spirit who lives within us, and by the provision of “supernatural” armor which surrounds us.
May God help every believer to be alert to these truths.
So remember (1st Peter 5:8) “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour”.
Remember as well, (Ephesians 6:12) “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.”
But take heart and take joy, this is a battle that is the Lords.
“This is what the Lord says to you, Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army, for the battle is not yours, but God's.
(2nd Chronicles 20:15)
(1st Samuel 17:37) “know that the Lord saves… not with sword and spear; for the battle is the Lord’s.
“The weapons of our warfare are not carnal… but mighty unto God to the pulling down of strongholds” (2nd Corinthians 10:4)
Your job in this battle is to be watchful, and pray.
Then stand back and see the salvation of the Lord as He fights for you! (Psalm 46:10-11)
Good Day!
(Ephesians 6:12) “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.”
As I mentioned yesterday one of the most “neglected subjects” in many pulpits of churches today is that of the personality, activity, and power of the devil.
Yet (1st Peter 5:8) tells us to be careful… “for our enemy the devil is like a roaring lion seeking whom He can devour”.
Therefore we must speak about him and try to understand him as the “enemy of our soul”.
We are told in (2nd Corinthians 2:11) that Christians should not be “ignorant or unaware” of the devil’s devices. “in order that Satan might not outwit us… for we are not unaware of his schemes”.
He is constantly battling for mastery over your soul.
The devil’s work is to “deceive” human beings, and he has many “subtle devices” and many cunning ways by which he does the job.
Some of Satan’s devices are listed in the paragraphs that follow.
1) Satan lies and blinds to the truth.
Jesus says that the devil “abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own, for he is a liar, and the father of it” (John 8:44).
This may sound strange to say, but the devil is a gifted liar!
His nature is to lie… and he used that nature with our first parents (Adam and Eve), and he has been using it effectively ever since.
God told Eve, “But of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it, for in the day that thou eatest thereof, thou shalt surely die” (Genesis 2:17).
But in the very next chapter, we read: “And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die.”
Satan said the exact opposite of what God had said.
God said, “If you eat, you will die.”
Satan said, “You will not die”… and He said it convincingly enough that Eve believed him.
God’s truth is revealed in the Bible.
Whenever we face a situation where the truth of the Bible is argued or denounced, or when a person tries to question or to argue away any of the teachings of the Bible, you can be sure that it is the old serpent, the devil, the enemy of our soul, trying to “deceive” that individual.
Often Satan will take a passage of scripture “out of its context” and twist the truth to confuse or say something else that it did not mean.
He distorts the truth to try and make the Bible say something altogether different from its plain statements.
That’s why we need to be students of the Word… “workmen studying”… “be approved and not ashamed” (2nd Timothy 2:15)
The point I am trying to get across this morning is that the devil is a liar, and any attempt to play down (or to twist) the Scriptures is definitely motivated by the devil in his attempt to try and dishonor the plan of God.
2) Satan puts evil suggestions into our minds.
Satan is always on the alert.
He is looking for “weak places” in our defense system!
He is eager to take advantage of any opening we might give him through a lack of watchfulness.
The Bible speaks of the betrayal of Jesus (just before His crucifixion), and says, “The devil having now put into the heart of Judas Iscariot… to betray him “ (John 13:2).
And at another place, the Scripture says, “Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost?” (Acts 5:3).
These passages answer some unique questions.
Who was it that prompted Judas to betray Jesus?
And who motivated Ananias to lie about the donated money?
The Bible says it was the devil.
If we would only recognize that the evil temptations which we have from time to time… are promoted by a real personal devil who is trying to bring defeat to our souls, perhaps we would do more to resist his lies.
It is the devil who entices us to do wrong.
It is the devil who inflames the passions, and stirs the appetites, and awakens old habits.
We don’t have to give in to him.
We are given the power of choice.
But Satan is one who sneaks into the hearts of people and tries to lead all of us astray.
The wicked thoughts we contend with from time to time are energized by the devil and empowered by all the forces of evil.
The ultimate aim of the devil is to mar us and scar us… to disfigure the image of God in us… to saturate our minds with filth and dirt and moral rot… to wrap us in darkness and lock us forever in the place where there is only weeping and gnashing of teeth.
The devil aims to slay everything that is noble and decent and good in our lives.
He has energized every rotten deed that has ever been committed by every person that has ever walked on the face of the earth… and he somehow causes us beguiles us to participate in evil thoughts and thinking.
So as Peter tells us in (1stPeter 5:8) “be alert and of sober mind for your enemy the devil prowls about like a roaring lion looking for someone He can devour”
But James 4:7 tells us “to resist the devil and He will flee”
To resist means to withstand, strive against, or oppose in some manner.
Resistance can be a defensive maneuver on our part, such as resisting or withstanding the temptation to sin.
Or it can be an action we take to use the only offensive weapon in the full armor of God (Ephesians 6:13-18), the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God. Using the Scriptures to expose Satan’s lies and temptations is the most effective way to strive against and defeat them.
Why will resistance cause the devil to flee?
Because he knows he cannot have victory over us if we are prepared to do battle against him.
As mentioned before, the Bible assures us that we need only put on the full armor of God to be fully protected from evil and to actively resist it.
Never forget that Satan is is a liar and coward.
There is nothing more frightening to Satan than a believer who is fully equipped with spiritual armor, beginning with the “helmet of salvation,” which protects our minds, and the “breastplate of righteousness,” which protects our hearts because it is the righteousness of Christ (2nd Corinthians 5:21).
Only a true believer wears these because only those who have received God’s forgiveness by grace through faith have eternal salvation and the righteousness of Christ imputed to them.
Good Day!
(Ephesians 6:12) “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.”
As I mentioned yesterday one of the most “neglected subjects” in many pulpits of churches today is that of the personality, activity, and power of the devil.
Yet (1st Peter 5:8) tells us to be careful… “for our enemy the devil is like a roaring lion seeking whom He can devour”.
Therefore we must speak about him and try to understand him as the “enemy of our soul”.
#1) Yesterday we saw that He (Satan) has a distinct personality and hierarchy.
#2) We also know that he is a distinct personality!
#3) Satan promotes an unforgiving spirit among brethren.
The devil has never had a good word to say about God’s people.
He dislikes us because we love the Lord, and so he tries his best to get us to ruin our testimony by showing enmity toward our Christian brothers and sisters.
The Bible says, “But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not . . . this wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish” (James 3:14-15).
The Bible says that a bitter and unforgiving spirit among fellow-Christians is demonic… it is of the devil… it is inspired by Satan.
Satan delights in hearing us say unkind and critical (and often untrue) things about our brothers and sisters in Christ.
Sharpness and contention among Christians does not promote the cause of Christ.
Such conduct helps instead to extend the devil’s kingdom.
We need to take seriously the admonition of (Ephesians 4:32), “Be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.”
The word “kindness” speaks of a generous and thoughtful attitude toward others.
The word “tenderhearted” means heartfelt compassion, a sense of sympathy that feels for the needs and the circumstances of others.
We should be careful not to quickly clobber others with words of negative criticism.
Satan, by way of contrast, stirs up bitterness and envy, and does everything he can to break down “a spirit of harmony” among God’s people.
The devil sows “tares of conflict and discontent” among believers in order to dampen the testimony of the believer.
#4) Satan incites persecution against Christians.
The devil does his best to discourage disciples of our Lord Jesus Christ by bringing various kinds of persecution to bear upon them.
(Revelation 2:10) says, “Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer… behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison.”
For most of us, persecution comes in the form of “social pressure”.
People where you work want you to engage in activities which you believe are wrong… and if you refuse to join them… they make derogatory remarks, or at least laugh at you behind your back.
That is a form of persecution, and even though it is a milder form of persecution than the martyrdom of earlier centuries, it is still persecution, and it is the devil who incites it all.
#5) Satan tempts believers to commit sexual immorality.
(First Corinthians 7:5) says that married couples should not withhold their bodies from each other (except by consent), so that “Satan tempt you not for your incontinency.”
Satan is the one who tempts believers to enter into sexual immorality.
All those men who are running off with other women, and people who are living together without the commitment of marriage, are following the promptings of the devil.
The temptation to longingly lust after a person of the opposite sex is a device promoted by Satan.
The conduct evidenced by those miserable “lust-buzzards” who “eye” every woman they meet and “gush” over silly females walking down the street… is initiated by the devil in order to break down “the sanctity” and security of our homes and to saturate our communities with fornication and incest, prostitution and adultery, and all the other ugly sins related to sexual immorality.
We are living in the midst of a tremendous moral revolution.
Most of our society is “pleasure” oriented.
The mood is permissive and immodest and daring.
There is an attitude of irreverence toward God and sacred things.
The buzz word or phrase of the day is “my rights”… “No body can tell me what to do with my body!”
Many consider sexual purity a concept that no longer has validity in our society and is outdated.
Our age is reeking with sexual immorality, and Satan will do his best to get us to become careless about maintaining high moral standards.
When we think about the devices of the devil, we must remember that the devil is a liar.
He puts evil suggestions into our minds… and he develops a bitter and unforgiving spirit among brethren and sisters.
He incites persecution against Christians in order to discourage them and he tempts believers to sexual immorality so as to pervert the true relationship that God designed for men and women.
Once discouraged… it is really hard to pull up your boot-straps and get excited about jumping back “into the fray” as it were.
But Jesus says of we will come unto Him… He will give us peace that the world cannot give. He will give us joy unspeakable, and He will restore our soul.
You don’t have to fight the devil. The battle is the Lords!
Just be aware and be careful… as you live your life “as the light of Christ” in these latter days.
Good Day!