We have an enemy. He is smart and clever, very crafty.
He knows the Scripture: “So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall!” And he uses it well.
So he comes against strong servants of God, attacks where they don’t even know they are weak, and they crumble and fall. Families are torn apart, God’s people are confused and oh so hurt, and the name of God is slandered.
That enemy also knows that God says oneness among His children is a sure sign that the Father sent Jesus to redeem us.
So he comes among friends and coworkers and sows mistrust and conflict. Oneness is torn apart and God’s people are confused and oh so hurt, and the name of God is slandered.
And that same enemy knows that the love between a husband and wife is a picture of the unity of Father and Son and Spirit.
This time he sows that same mistrust and conflict between two who have pledged their lifelong love to each. And these two, and their families and all around watching are confused and oh so hurt, and the name of God is slandered.
I hate all this confusion and tearing apart, this pain, this slandering.
I choose to believe with Joseph that what was intended for evil, God will use for good.
I choose to believe with Daniel that God is able to humble the proud—and restore them.
I choose to believe that James is right: If we resist the devil, He will flee.
I choose to believe the words of Romans 8: God is for us, so the enemy cannot stand against us and he cannot separate us from God’s love.
I know that enemy, that liar, that devouring lion, that schemer, has lost. I know that the power of God that raised Jesus from the dead has defeated him. We must not lose to the loser.
I know that our God loves, protects, chastises, preserves, rescues, redeems, restores, embraces, treasures—and so much more. I choose to walk with the conqueror and to lift up the name of our God!
What about you? Where is the evil one scheming against you?
C2012 Judy Douglass
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I have come to a place where I am understanding that the ‘spiritual’ life is more of a head game than I believed. So naturally, that is the ‘arena’ where the most activity takes place. How fitting that you would write about this in the ‘hope’ week of advent…we must not lose hope, because we will finish complete in Christ. The place where Satan schemes the most in my life is he keeps the past too fresh in my heart. Much of my emotional investment seems to stem from ‘would have, could have, should have’. I cannot redeem the past but Christ has. And there, the hope burns hottest. For if the past can be traded from ‘failure’ to ‘success’, then anything can happen. Hebrews 10:23-25…Merry Christmas!
Oh Beth. So grateful that God can redeem the past. It’s a choice each day to REALLY believe the future is secure in Him.
Thanks for this post! It hits home right now as we pray and rally others to pray daily for our lost neighbors. We have been experiencing these things mentally: discouragement, insecurities, irritability, fear/nightmares (the kids too), and physically: illness, sleep deprivation. These elements ebb and flow in life, but being bombarded with them all at once and suddenly as we began this battle on our knees, seems evidence of the enemy.
Keri, so sorry. We do have an enemy, but God is far greater.
Yes! We have experienced His love and kindness in the midst! God is good all the time!
He keeps my kids in turmoil, anguish and sadness. It seems they can’t get anything to work right for them. Sometimes, it seems like my prayers for them are not heard. There is so little I can do for them besides pray.
I know, Susan. It is so hard.