"I know where you live - where satan has his throne." Revelation 2:13...."Forsake all thought of evil simply as a force in this world. Never depersonalize it. Recognize that there is a relentless, malicious intelligence behind all the pain you see. Some of satan's minions know you by name." Chris Tiegreen
The devil is real. You can laugh at that, deny it, or ignore it, but it doesn't make him less so. In fact, he hopes that you'll do any or all of those. He does some of his best work in the midst of ignorance. As long as the human race believes it can "evolve" past all it's impulses towards evil, he'll only become more bold, and more destructive. That reality has always been evident, and it is growing by the day in our culture, and across the face of the earth.
God, His Son Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit are real as well. The most precious of all things in His eyes is a human life. Your life. Especially that life that has given itself to Him. For that reason, the devil, who hates the Father also hates what and who the Father loves. His goal has been and always will be the destruction of the human race, and more on point, the destruction of you and everything that concerns you, especially your eternal soul. He is very happy for you to not believe this, or to be completely unaware of it.
One of the greatest books ever put forth on the workings of the devil and his demons is "The Screwtape Letters" by C.S. Lewis. In them, a "senior" demon writes memos to a junior one who's been assigned to bring about the destruction of one of God's people. In it, the demon lays out a step by step strategy to destroy that life and soul. In the end, the demon fails, but the book is a chilling account of the agenda of hell that is laid out for any who love and follow Christ. We need to know that there is a strategy devised in hell against each one of us. If you do not know Him by His saving grace, that strategy has already succeeded. If you do, then be assured that the strategy will be used and revised as needed. If he cannot get you to abandon Christ, he will seek to so neutralize you as a follower that your life is spent in frustration, discouragement, and despair. It's who he is, and it's what he does. He is very good at his job. Indeed, he's a master at it. Here's the hope of all who know Him; hell will break loose, but if we refuse to take our eyes and hearts of trust away from Him, heaven will break in. As we walk through this fallen world in the strength of His life, we will, as Tiegreen writes, "Overcome the evil one with the Good One." And the power of the Good One, of Christ the King, is infinitely greater than that of the devil and all his minions combined.
Jesus said, "In this world you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world." And the devil who ceaselessly works through and in it. At some point, all hell will break loose in your life, or family, or fellowship. Keep the eyes of your heart focused upon Him. He, and all the fullness of His Life and Kingdom will break in.....and satan will flee......while you, we, stand firm in Him....as overcomers. As victors....in Christ.
Blessings,
Pastor O
Pastor O
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