DAY 38

The enemy would like to keep us thinking that he is not a threat and not anything to waste our time on each day. Of course, our time should be spent focusing on Jesus not on the devil, but we need to recognize his schemes. He comes to destroy us and he starts with lies that can sound an awful lot like our own feelings. He throws our mistakes and failures, our sins, back in our face to try to discourage us or convince us that we will never be good enough or worthy enough.

A few things you should know about that sneaky dragon. He absolutely hates anyone who follows Jesus. He is out to get us and he is full of lies.

1 Peter 5:8-9 Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.

The word “devil” in Greek means : to accuse, slander or defame, a slanderer or false accuser, unjustly criticizing to hurt or malign and to condemn, to sever a relationship.

Well that just about describes him doesn’t it!?! He will do everything he can to sever your relationship with Jesus and with anyone else who is good for you.

Peter warns us here to be alert because we have to be aware that the devil is real and will come at us. When we have thoughts of self doubt or fear, we have to take those thoughts captive and proclaim the Truth. We fight those lies with the Truth: We are covered by the blood of the Lamb, which is the ONLY THING REQUIRED to enter Heaven. GOD LOVES US and NOTHING WILL EVER CHANGE THAT, even if we chose now to walk away from God forever, His love will never change.

One of the ways that the devil can get to us is that he makes it all about us. But we have to remind him that its not about us, its about the Lamb -the man on the middle cross, Jesus!

Ephesians 6:10-17 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

So we have been warned over and over again, even by Jesus himself in the Gospels, to be alert and suspicious of the devil’s schemes. And we are told how to fight these battles. Once again in Revelations we are told how to overcome the enemy:

Revelation 12:11 They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death.

The blood of the Lamb -lean on GRACE!

The word of our testimony -proclaim to others all around us, repeatedly, the effects of God’s grace on our life!

Not love life so much that we give in when the going gets bad -set our affections on Jesus so that our love for this world does not have a foothold.

Jesus, help me to recognize the devil’s schemes in my life and fight the battle by your Spirit. Teach me to listen to you, have wisdom and discernment, and walk the way you intend. Thank you that you did not leave me here to fight alone, thank you that you already overcame all of it, and thank you for your love and sacrifice that saves me daily!