I had a new spin on an old thought today.
John 10:10 tells us that, "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy..." (NIV).
James 2:19 reminds us that even the demons know that there is one God, and they shudder.
Listen, Satan is not our friend; he is not only "kind of" against us. He hates us. And he comes ONLY to steal, kill and destroy. Not someone I want to go easy on. In addition, though, I need to remember that he also knows the one true God. He knows that "the one who is in you in greater than the one who is in the world" 1 John 4:4b (NIV). And I think it's safe to assume that he plans his strategies accordingly.
If I were trying to defeat someone that, in Christ, I knew had the ability to live in victory every day, to walk victorious in the face of against each and every attack, if only they had faith in the true power of God (see Ephesians 1:19-20), I would start at the base level by trying to degrade, destroy and remove their foundation - that faith in God.
Remember, we are fighting a war. A real one. I heard someone say just tonight, "This is a life and death fight." Amen. The keeper of the darkness is out to steal your peace, out to destroy your hope and out to kill your faith. He will start by seeing if he can convince you that the word is a lie, and if he can convince you that your strongholds, your weaknesses, your imperfections and your human failings are without hope for recovery, and without hope for redemption, he has done so.
Do not let him win. Do not hand over your life to him. To the victor go the spoils, and if you surrender the victory in your life to the evil one, there are countless opportunities for glorifying God that may never come to pass. The rest of that verse, John 10:10, tells us that Jesus came so that we could have life - and have it in abundance. Soak in the Word. Stay close to Him. Pray for more belief. Live the life of abundance He intended for you, the one He gave His life to create. Then sing His praises from the treetops. Never let the enemy win. Trust in God. He will NOT fail you.
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