Under Attack!
Christians often talk about being “under attack” from non-Christians and those who would like to stop our message of Christ’s redemption. But we are also under attack from the head of the opposition, Satan.
Yes, lest you think that you are too small to matter to the Big Guy Down Below, if you are a Christian, he knows your name and has you on his radar. And the closer you become to God, the more you can expect to have the Great Deceiver knock-knock-knocking in your head, trying to plant seeds of doubt.
We usually look for attacks that come from the outside. But Satan is at his most devious when he is at work inside of our heads. He can make us doubt our faith, doubt our God. Remember when he tempted Jesus?
Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the desert, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry.
The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.”
Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man does not live on bread alone.’
The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. And he said to him, “I will give you all their authority and splendor, for it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. So if you worship me, it will all be yours.”
Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.’
The devil led him to Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down from here. For it is written:
” ‘He will command his angels concerning you
to guard you carefully;
they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’Jesus answered, “It says: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’
When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time.
Luke 4:1-13
The most interesting verse to me is the last. “When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time.”
And that is exactly what Satan will do with us. He waits until the right time comes, when the opportunity presents itself to create doubt, perhaps anger toward God. He sees a crisis arise in our lives, and he jumps right in..
“How could your God allow this to happen?” he whispers. “If you were mine, I would give you everything that you want.”
Our spirit breaks, we fall into depression and sadness, anger and denial. Satan persists.
“Deny your God. What is He doing for you?” Satan prods us away from God and into an eternity of death.
There are no easy answers when your spirit is under attack. Prayer, discernment and focus, keeping your eyes on God no matter the path, this is the only answer. Easier said that done, when one is mired in sickness and hurt.
This may be our greatest test as Christians, remaining focused when all around us is falling apart. But we can do it. How? Because no matter what we go through, what pit we feel mired in, nothing compares to what Jesus went through on our behalf. He faced death, walked through hell, and returned to us in love.
My motto? Don’t tell God how big your storm is… tell your storm how big your God is!
October 1st, 2008 at 11:57 pm
Amen! God is bigger than any storm! He can give us peace in the midst of all that is going on around us! Thank you for sharing and encouraging through your site!
May 26th, 2010 at 10:13 am
Amen! God is bigger than any storm! He can give us peace in the midst of all that is going on around us! Thank you for sharing and encouraging through your site!