Faith that will help us withstand the enemy
Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your Christian brothers and sisters all over the world are going through the same kind of suffering you are. In his kindness God called you to share in his eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So after you have suffered a little while, he will restore, support, and strengthen you, and he will place you on a firm foundation. 1 Peter 5:8-10
C. S. Lewis once suggested that Christians commit two mistakes when dealing with Satan. It is either we ignore its existence or we joke about it. This is in contrast to what the Apostle Peter was talking about from the text. What Peter told Christians was that they should watch out and be alert. We are to be aware that Christians are in a spiritual battle. “For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12). The Word of God tells us that we will be constantly facing an ongoing struggle with the ruler of the world preventing us from becoming effective followers of Christ. Time and time again, we have witnessed how people have desired more to follow the ways of the world rather than what God had set from His Word. We see the result of such lawlessness today. People do not simply walk away from God’s standards and there are those that engaged themselves in all types of ideologies and false teachings. This trend affected not only the present generation but also created uncertainties in the future generation. The childhood that once was characterized by innocence has now become infected with children contemplating to commit murder. The enemy is resolute to defeat believers or at least make them ineffective. He will persuade you to doubt the character of God so you will not become an effective witness for Him. He will cause you to be filled with worries instead of trusting God’s promises. He will destroy your testimony by making you act inconsistent with who you are as a child of God. Satan and his demons are set out to opposing God and His work. Would you be able to stand against such spiritual attack? Jesus’ death on the cross has provided His children security that will help them experience decisive victory over Satan. He also promised to provide deliverance from spiritual struggle in our daily living. The ability to be firm against the onslaught by the devil happens when we grow in our faith in Him. “For every child of God defeats this evil world and we achieve this victory through our faith” (1 John 5:4). You are able to stand because you have everything you need so you can counter the attack of the enemy. God promised that if you placed your faith in Him, you will overcome and come out victorious. “For every child of God defeats this evil world and we achieve this victory through our faith” (1 John 5:5). By faith, draw from the power of God through the Holy Spirit that lives within us.
Blessings,
Noel De Guzman www.my-wbc.com
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