Did you know that the Devil is pretty powerless here on earth? Yes, he's the ruler of this age, having tricked the deed to earth from Adam. Yes, he's pure evil and the father of lies and he's definitely out to stop Christians from spreading the truth, but he can't do very much on his own. If you read the book of Job, you'll see that Satan had to get permission from God to even lay a single hand on Job. He can't touch us. Not really. You see, he's stuck in a different realm, a spirit realm that is pure darkness. God cast him and the angels that rebelled with him there after they lost the battle.
For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell, putting them in chains of darkness to be held for judgment; 2 Peter 2:4
Notice these are chains of darkness. Not chains of iron or chains of steel, but chains of darkness. In other words, they are locked up by the dark.
Most people cannot see into this spirit realm. Occasionally God will grant a vision to some of his followers but for the most part, we don't go around seeing angels and demons and the devil all around us. (Thank God for that!) The truth is, Satan and his demons must act through humans to affect this world. They must find people who either out of ignorance or wickedness will do their bidding. And from the looks of the world, they are finding plenty!
This is what Jesus said of Satan
Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. John 8:44
Notice the phrase, speaketh of his own. Another version states it as "of his own resources" In other words, Satan is all alone in his lies. Jewish tradition and even our own court system today requires more than one reliable witness to make anything true. Jesus himself, when speaking to the religious leaders who demanded to know on whose authority he acted, said this.
But the testimony which I have is greater than the testimony of John; for the works which the Father has given Me to accomplish—the very works that I do—testify about Me, that the Father has sent Me
And the Father who sent Me, He has testified of Me. You have neither heard His voice at any time nor seen His form. You do not have His word abiding in you, for you do not believe Him whom He sent. You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me; and you are unwilling to come to Me so that you may have life. John 5:37-42
Here we see that Jesus has three witnesses to Him being the Son of God. The miracles, Father God, and the Scriptures. But Satan has none of those and no one who agrees with him. That's why he so desperately needs our cooperation.
So, Satan whispers in your ear things like:
You won't find a job, you'll be on the street without food or shelter
You're going to die of cancer
Your kids are going to hell
You're never going to find a mate
You're ugly and stupid
You're a loser
You're worthless
Nobody loves you
You'll never get out of debt
Are you sure there's a God?
If God loved you, He wouldn't allow this to happen
Any of this sound familiar? Anyone? I've heard every one of those. But they are all lies. Even if some of them sound like they have a shred of truth to them.. that's part of his tactic. They are ALL LIES. If you weaken and start believing any of them, then you've given Satan a foothold in your life. Now, he has two witnesses to his lies. Once he gets in, he works on destroying your faith, filling you with fear, tempting you to do something outside of God's will, cause God isn't coming through for you, is He? If you keep believing him.. you'll soon find that you've wandered way off the path and you're in a big mess!
When I heard this in a sermon, it changed my life. Satan had been defeated and defanged. He can't harm you unless you give him permission. So, stop believing his lies. Open your Bible and start speaking the truth outloud to him and he'll go away. For a time. But he'll be back with a new set of lies. When he does, I'm going to be ready for him. How about you?
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