Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. 1 Peter 5:8 NLT
Can you imagine Job, a Biblical character whose name is pronounced with a long “o”, waking up the day after a festive day like Thanksgiving. He had his morning coffee and was thinking about his huge gift buying list, when a servant came bursting in the door. “One of your enemies has taken all of your oxen and donkeys and killed all the servants but me.” While Job is trying to process this information, another servant comes in. “Did you feel the volcanic eruption? Fire from heaven fell on the far prairie and killed all of your sheeps, goats and servants, I alone escaped”.
Job’s hands begin to tremble and his breath is cut short. As he ponders what is happening a third servant enters the room. A well planned attack came against your elite servants who guard your lively hood and camels. They attacked us from three sides, took all of your camels and killed everyone but me. A dark cloud of woe has settled upon Job as he realizes that he has lost all resources to even put up a defense or lead a pursuit.
As he reflects on what he could do next, another servant with tattered clothing enters with fear and grief mingled on his face . He begins, “it happened so suddenly, all of your sons and daughters were still at your oldest son’s house. We heard the lightening and thunder approach quickly and then a roar of the sound of mighty waters over shadowed us. The house walls collapsed and everyone was killed. I am so sorry but your children are all dead!
Job utters a response that comes from the very core of his faith in God – “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.” In all this Job did not sin or charge God with wrong. Job 1:21-22 ESV
There are two major attacks that the Devil uses to assault us. One is called intrusion and the other through legal ground given to him. Intrusion means unwarranted access, or spiteful intentional entry. This happens as two battle lines are drawn and the enemy looks for anyone in the opposite uniform to attack. You only have to be identified as wearing the opponents clothing in order to be attacked.
The devil is portrayed as a hungry lion looking to pounce on the unsuspecting. Because we have become followers of Jesus and labeled as a child of God, we have a 24/7 adversary who is relentless in his plan to attack us. The devil hates us and wants to bring harm and discouragement into our lives, knowing that is his intrusion is a way to attack God Himself. The devils goal is to hurt God’s children and make them feel impotent. The devil is our constant adversary, never our friend or even neutral.
We are to submit to God and resist the devil. Make sure you keep the order right. Don’t try resisting until you have submitted regularly to His lordship over your life’s actions and values. Submitting includes a verbal declaration and a faith response from the heart.
After submitting you can say with bold faith, “Satan, get your hands off me and my family. I am a child of God and all that I have belongs to Him. Any discussion that you want to continue to have with me, let’s continue the conversation at the foot of the cross of Jesus. I am covered by His sacrificial blood. I am not my own any longer. See His hands and feet, with His death He has purchased me and called me his own. Satan, is there something that you want to tell Jesus about me? You can stay if you want to, but I am focusing my worship on Jesus, the author and finisher of my faith walk. I am looking full at his wonderful face.”
Blessings Love y’all