The Bible tells us in I Peter 5:8 that we should be sober and vigilant because our adversary, the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about seeking whom he may devour. The Bible also talks about how satan got kicked out of Heaven along with a third of the angels that chose to follow him. He was their commander if you will. Just like any effective commander, he has a goal…and that’s to steal, to kill, and to destroy. And just like any effective commander, he has a plan to do it. But aren’t you glad for Jesus, who said that He came that we would have life, and have it more abundantly?
One of satan’s biggest tactics that he uses in his plan to destroy is distractions. He tries to take our focus off of the truth and put it on what we see and what we feel. If we could ever just get over what we feel vs. the truth….Can I just put a pin right here. Stop living your life based on what you feel and what you see with your natural eye. Feelings and flesh will fool you and leave you empty every time.
Satan wants to get us to mope, complain, and gripe. In fact, he wants us to give up and throw in the towel. He wants us to call it quits. He wants us to ignore the value in what God has already blessed us with in order to be disgruntled about what we lack or don’t have. Just like Eve in the garden; she was deceived because satan had her thinking that she was missing something with that one tree, so much so that she forgot about all of the rest of the other trees. He distracted her with deceit. And just as with Eve, he wants us to get caught up in what you don’t have so that we will overlook God’s goodness in our lives. He knows that the only way he can defeat you is through deception – making us believe that the grass is better so to speak… or that we are missing out on something.
Don’t you know that if you don’t have it, it’s because of one or two reasons? God is saying “Not now, or I have something better for you”.
But how do we counter attack the tactics of the enemy? It’s simple: 1) know that God never loses, and He’s always fighting on our behalves, 2) know that it is not ever about what we see or feel in the natural; we must be led by the Spirit of God, and 3) use the weapon or strategy of giving thanks.
Satan’s schemes will not work if we choose to focus on what God has already done, and His promises of what’s to come. Stop murmuring and complaining. When we murmur and complain, it takes away from us truly experiencing the abundant life that Jesus talked about in John 10:10. Instead of complaining, give God praise! The Bible declares that in all things we should give thanks. Not that we are happy about everything in our lives, but that we are to keep an attitude of gratitude, a heart of thanksgiving, knowing that God, the Author and the Finisher of our Faith is mindful of everything we need, everything we experience, and is more than able to see us through. I don’t know about you, but I choose to be grateful.
Fearfully & Wonderfully Made, That's Me! 