Wednesday, August 29, 2018

August 29 Thought for the day...why the devil attacks


All of my life, I have heard "well, I'm just under attack from the devil!" Sometimes the "attack" at your job means you really should be working harder and maintaining a level of integrity. Sometimes the "attack" is because you said something behind someone's back or something you shouldn't have said at all. These are not "attacks" of the devil; they are a lack of Christ-likeness being revealed. Paul explains to us why the devil attacks

"I was appointed a preacher, an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles. 12 For this reason I also suffer these things; nevertheless, I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day. 2 Timothy 1:11,12

In verse twelve Paul uses the word "suffer" means to suffer at the hands of an outside force...physical suffering due to persecution, mental suffering due to outside pressures anything coming from the outside of one's self.

Paul wrote this from a Roman prison. Satan was afraid of Paul. If Paul were able to focus on his call 100%, the enemy would be beaten and bruised always. While Satan could not touch Paul and could not find a way personally to attack or destroy him, Satan used outside forces, the Jews, Romans, and others to cause conflict for Paul. Paul said all of this was because of his calling.

When you scare the devil when he is deathly afraid of what you will do because of what you have already done for the Lord, he will use every force at his disposal to push against you. Paul would not or could not be defeated because he would not give up. Philippians 3:12 tells us he was not willing to give up until he knew he had reached what the Lord wanted. Jesus tells us in Matthew 24:13 that those who "endure to the end" win the prize.

You may consider yourself filled with the Spirit, born again, or whatever other brands of Christian but that alone is not enough to overcome the enemies attacks. The devil would never attack the Holy Spirit, but if you are frightening the devil, giving him a headache, then you must choose to not be overcome, not surrender to his tactics. You must not give up until the assignment is finished.

Many who claim the devil defeated them simply gave up. The devil can not make you quit. He can fight you, try to stop you, throw up roadblocks but only you can give up and quit. Remember if the real devil is giving you a real hard time, attacking you even through the people closest to you, know that he is afraid of you...Don't quit! Get into a solid church where they will help you grow! Start serving others! Become a holy terror to the devil, and you will be life and light to the world!