God Uses Satan for His Purposes

 

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.

The Bondage of Satan's Lies

Satan stealthily infiltrates every area of our life from the time of our birth. He feeds us his lies; and we gradually believe them, until they actually sound like wisdom. They cause us to deny God’s truth and call it the lie. We are so used to Satan’s fabrication, it starts to feel right and true to us. We buy into his scams and yield to his subtle manipulation. We have no idea how ridiculous we sound when we profess his propaganda and defend his deception.

Even many in the evangelical church toy with Satan’s fraud. They compromise their faith in Christ by walking on the fence between righteousness and sin. They soothe their conscience by making excuses for their behavior and accusing well-meaning brethren of judging them. They decide that they are too busy between work and hobbies to give much time to God. Their whole focus is on work, fun and relaxation.


Some people battle voices in their head, as well as heavy condemnation for their carnal behavior and lack of spiritual dedication. They fear they are mentally disturbed or are having an emotional breakdown. They have no moral fiber or physical stamina. They do not comprehend the spiritual battle for their soul going on in and around them. Their discernment is lacking and they see church as nothing more than a duty to perform for an hour a week.


They live under the heavy weight of temptation, compromise and sinful thoughts and behaviors. They neglect Bible devotion and use every excuse not to assemble with God’s Saints. Their prayers hit the ceiling and bounce back, mocking their lack of spirituality until they abandon communication with God. Some also have rocky interpersonal relationships with their family and peers. They even reap from the sin they sow, so something horrible happens to them (John 5:14).


Prayer:

Father God, you call each person alive to consistently abide in Christ. You give us all the opportunity to live a Spirit-filled, Spirit-led life and to have the discernment to walk free of Satan’s deception. Your Christ in us bears much fruit in and through our lives. He frees us from the negative fruit of a life dedicated to Satan. You deliver us from fear, depression, anger, bitterness, anxiety, loneliness, addictions, disorders and other results of sin, which dictate our thoughts and behavior. We are indeed free in Christ (John 8:36).

Thought for the Day:
God is light, and in Him there is no darkness at all.
– 1 John 1:5