The Officers In The Devil’s Army

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.

Ephesians 6:12

There is a war on against Christianity. Not one in the media or even from any political or national source. It is the one that has been going on from the beginning lead by the Devil. It is a battle for the hearts and minds of every soul on this planet (2 Corinthians 10:3 -5). The devil uses any means to create doubt, cause delay and get us to ignore the truth of God word. Let’s examine some of those he uses to do just that:

Private Interpretation

This lowly one may not seem like he couldn’t do much damage, but looks can be deceiving. When private interpretation comes into play he causes the authority of God’s Word to come into question. What is clearly said in the text can be twisted into what I think it says. Since there are so many private interpretations, how can really know what is being said? So, the word of God is made null. The devil looks to use him to muddy the water so clear command can be dismissed.

Major Division

What private interpretation starts, major division builds on. Since Satan convinces folks that everyone can have their own personal take, the united army of the Lord begins to divide. We began to follow men and their personal take rather than God and His Word. The chain of command is disrupted and chaos ensues. Once the ranks are divided, it becomes much easier to conquer. Every argument in the troops result in a new spinoff until the believers are as different from one another as they are the enemy. Major division is the power player of Satan allowing him to make sure no one will oppose him.

General Malaise

Private interpretation confuses, major division weakens but the one that will keep us in captivity is general malaise. You see a divided people that can’t agree on truth will have no reason to keep fighting the fight of faith. The energy, effort and sacrifice won’t be worth it. So little by little anything that is worthwhile slips away until we stand a conquered people. General malaise doesn’t work fast but his victory is still complete.

The good news is the Devil and his minions can be defeated. James 4:7 tells us, “Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you”. If we won’t fall for the tricks of Satan and make ourselves aware of his schemes, we can make the Devil run. But only if we listen, not to ourselves, but to God can we make that happen!

Comments

Until Midnight

In Acts 20, there is the tragicomic event surrounding a young man by the name of Eutychus. He did what a lot of folks before and after him did, he fell asleep during a sermon. Unfortunately, he was setting in in the third story window at the time. So instead of nodding off and hitting the pew in front of him, he fell to his death. The good news was the apostle Paul was delivering the sermon and had the ability to bring him back. I don’t know, however, if we can judge Eutychus too harshly. The sermon had gone on till midnight. Paul wouldn’t finish it up till daybreak. That’s a long lesson. I know some folks that might want to jump out of a window if I had a lesson that long, yet these Christians wanted to be there to hear Paul. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not pushing for all night sermons but I think we might need to adopt these folks' dedication. They knew that Paul was only in town for a limited time only and they were determined to ...

The Gift You Give Yourself

I always hated buying gifts for my Mom. If I got her something like a new set of pans, it was like saying “Here’s something you can use to go make me something to eat”. A gift for her was seemingly a gift for me. There are however gifts you give that benefit you more than the receiver. For example, forgiveness. When you give it, you are giving it to yourself as much as you are giving it to them. Jesus said that when we forgive others it means God is forgiving us our wrongs (Matthew 6:14-15). I once read: “ Heaven is where everyone's forgiven. Hell is where nobody's forgiven. So, when we forgive we pull heaven down into our lives. When we withhold forgiveness, we pull hell up into our lives ” Give yourself something nice today, Forgive.

Mysterious Ways

William Cowper didn’t see any reason to live. He decided that he’d jump off the bridge over the Thames. So, he called a cab to take him there. But that night in 1763, a thick fog enveloped London. It was so thick the cab driver couldn’t find the bridge and couldn’t even find the way to take William home. In frustration, he ordered the driver to stop and get out to get his bearings. He walked up to the nearest house to read the number and it was William's house. Gone now were William’s thoughts of suicide and instead a new idea came into his head. So, he went in and wrote these words: God moves in mysterious ways His wonders to perform. He plants his footsteps in the sea And rides upon the storm. You fearful saints, fresh courage take; The clouds you so much dread Are big with mercy and shall break In blessings on your head. I sometimes wish we could see all the ways God watches over us when need it. There are...

Ecclesiastes 12:10

Search This Blog