Satan and the believer
Satan is the
great enemy of the Christian and he is "so full of malice and envy that he
will leave no means unattempted, whereby he may make all others eternally
miserable with himself. [He] "makes use of all his power and skill to
bring all the sons of men into the same condition and condemnation with
himself." His desire is our destruction and he will do whatever is
necessary to bring it about:
Satan loves
to sail with the wind, and to suit men’s temptations to their conditions and
inclinations. If they be in prosperity, he will tempt them to deny God
(Proverbs 30:9); if they be in adversity, he will tempt them to distrust God;
if their knowledge be weak, he will tempt them to have low thoughts of God; if
their conscience be tender, he will tempt to scrupulosity; if large, to carnal
security; if bold-spirited, he will tempt to presumption; if timorous, to
desperation; if flexible, to inconstancy; if stiff, to impenitency.
For that
reason he will prove that Satan has many and diverse devices through which he
deceives, entangles and undoes the souls of men.
That’s
exactly what Satan does in our lives. He watches us and knows exactly where
that hidden key to our secret places lies. Then, at the most opportune time, he
unlocks the door to steal our peace and joy. The Bible tells us that Satan is a
roaring lion seeking someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8). Sometimes the hidden
parts of our hearts, the ones that we have not given to God, are where Satan
wants to sink his teeth. As long as we have that key hidden, Satan can get to
it.
Thankfully,
Jesus doesn't lose keys. He has the key to every lock. Jesus can open every
door. God is in control of all events in the history of this planet—past,
present, and future. God will open some doors, and He will close others. He
will determine how long we will live. That is not up to us; that is up to Him.
The doors God closes are closed for good. And the doors He opens will be opened
for good. No power on earth can change this.
It is a good
reminder for us to remember that God is in control. We don't have to be afraid
to commit an unknown future to a known God. He is in control of our lives.
There’s only
one solution. Don’t hide the key. Give the key to every compartment of your
heart to God.
Is God
prompting you to give Him the key to a hidden room in your heart today?
Submit to
God; Resist the Devil
So be content
with who you are, and don't put on airs. God's strong hand is on you; he'll
promote you at the right time. Live carefree before God; he is most careful
with you.
He Gets the
Last Word
Keep a cool
head. Stay alert. The Devil is poised to pounce, and would like nothing better
than to catch you napping. Keep your guard up. You're not the only ones plunged
into these hard times. It's the same with Christians all over the world. So
keep a firm grip on the faith.
The suffering
won't last forever. It won't be long before this generous God who has great
plans for us in Christ--eternal and glorious plans they are! - will have you
put together and on your feet for good. He gets the last word; yes, he does.
1 Peter
5:6-11 The Message
Blessings,
Raj Kosaraju
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