The devil
cheated Adam and Eve out of their dominion over the earth by his deception,
manipulation and lies. This was part of God's eternal design. What Satan
plans to use to harm us, God means for our good (Genesis 50:20).
Satan also
schemed in his heart to destroy Jesus and to protect his place as the god of
this world. Yet, Jesus went to the cross with joy in His heart as He focused on
the glory awaiting Him in Heaven (Hebrews 12:2).
We live
life with this same joy in our own hearts, regardless of our circumstances, looking
forward to sitting together with Christ and serving Him for eternity (1
Corinthians 4:9-13; 2 Corinthians 6:8 10; Ephesians 1:21, 2:4-6).
There
is no need for us to spend time fighting Satan. We draw near to God, resist the
devil and he must flee from us (James 4:7). Satan has no authority of his own.
He can only do the bidding of our Father God.
For
example, Jesus, the Lamb of God, who is opening the seal, bowl and trumpet
judgments during the Great Tribulation, directs the plans and purposes of the
anti-Christ (Revelation 5:2-10).
God uses
Satan for His eternal purpose on the earth. He gives Satan the power to employ
sin's temptation to draw hearts away from God, which were never sold out to Him
in the first place.
These
people sit on the fence, giving lip-service to God and serving and giving to
God's Kingdom; but they are just going through the motions (Mathew 7:22). They
were never truly converted in their spirit.
When we totally
surrender our will to God in salvation, His Spirit enters our spirit. He
directs our every thought, word and deed. We actually become the love of Christ
to the world of lost humanity around us (John 2:12-14; Exodus 33:13).
Prayer:
Father
God, as authentic Believers, we submit to You, then resist the devil, and he
has to flee from us (James 4:7). This does not mean our tribulation in life
will end, but that You love us and make us more than conquerors through every
trial (Romans 8:37). We can trust in You through everything that we experience
in life, because You care for us (1 Peter 5:7).
You
even make all of our paths straight because of our enemies (Psalm 27:11;
Zechariah 4:7). Jesus is exalted in us as we overcome life's hurdles. He makes
us His joint heirs by His power within us (1 John 3:2; Ephesians 3:6). We find
our true self, hidden with Christ in You (Colossians 3:3). Help us to respond
to You when You call us out of sin into Your glorious life (1 Peter 2:9).
Thought
for the Day:
Problems
are simply opportunities for God to prove Himself strong on our behalf; we find
out what He is doing in every situation and then join Him.
