Overtly or covertly, Satan’s goal is to rob you of the joy of your relationship with Jesus Christ. He wants you to dishonor God by being spiritually inconsistent, unhappy, lethargic. He wants to keep you from attracting and introducing others to our Lord.
As he goes about his task, he’ll come at you in many appealing ways:
- An extramarital opportunity for sexual release, or a lingering fantasy for the same
- A growing resentment, perhaps in the name of righteousness, toward a fellow worker or church member
- An opportunity to display your wit through negativism or cynicism
- A chance to take supplies home from the office (“after all I’ve done for them, I’ve certainly earned a few privileges…”)
- A twinge of jealousy when a neighbor, friend or relative achieves a higher financial level than you
- An opportunity to watch a pornographic video (“just so I can pray more specifically about the problem”)
- A choice between some additional sleep and that Quiet Time in the Word
- A perfect opening to “put down” your spouse or other loved one
- A chance to spread some juicy gossip or sow discord
- An easy way out of an obvious witnessing opportunity
- Getting so busy doing the work of the Lord that you ignore your walk with the Lord
Over the years, Satan has come at me with many of these temptations. I’m sure that in years to come he will dangle many more before me. It is humbling and sobering to know that, even after almost fifty years as a Christian, I am susceptible to any one of the enemy’s tactics if I do not rely totally on God’s loving power moment by moment. The conflict between the two kingdoms is a strong one and the attraction to Satan’s kingdom is real.
But I can testify wholeheartedly that, while God in His sovereign way allows the conflict between good and evil to go on, He has provided each of us with the ultimate weapon against Satan. The apostle Paul describes it this way:
Who will free me from my slavery to this deadly lower nature? Thank God! It has been done by Jesus Christ our Lord. He has set me free.
So there is now no condemnation awaiting those who belong to Christ Jesus. For the power of the life-giving Spirit—and His power is mine through Jesus Christ—has freed me from the vicious circle of sin and death.
So now we can obey God’s laws if we follow after the Holy Spirit and no longer obey the old evil nature within us (Romans 7:25—8:4).
The “life-giving Spirit.” The Holy Spirit of God the Father and God the Son. Jesus said that when He left earth He would send the Spirit to do His work in us and through us. He promised that we would receive power from the Spirit to do great things in His name, to resist the pull of the kingdom of darkness, to live a life that brings honor to Him and joy and fulfillment to us.
Jesus keeps His promises! That same Holy Spirit who empowered the apostle Paul centuries ago is available to you and me today. Paul wrote from personal experience, “Walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh” (Galatians 5:16, NASB). Do you want purpose and power? Walk by the Spirit. Do you want to conquer a bad habit? Walk by the Spirit. Want to introduce a friend to Christ? Walk by the Spirit.
I am more convinced than ever that there is nothing more important to teach another believer than who God is, what He is like, and why or how He does what He does.
These attributes of God can be referred to as His character, nature, qualities, or personality. The Spirit-Filled life is founded on your trust relationship with the Almighty God. You can’t fully trust someone you don’t know.
Satan’s plan is to convince you to live the Christian life in your own effort and power.
Today determine to be filled with the power of the Holy Spirit (click here to learn how) and to get to know God better every day through reading the Bible, prayer and fellowship with other Christ-centered followers of Jesus. Walk in His Spirit and experience God’s plan for your life!
Adapted from the writings of Bill Bright
For additional help in knowing God better every day read GOD, Who Are You Anyway? by Bill Bright with Brad Bright.
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