Devotionals
1 Peter 5:8,9 (Amplified) (8) Be well balanced (temperate, sober of mind), be vigilant and cautious at all times; for that enemy of yours, the devil, roams around like a lion roaring [in fierce hunger], seeking someone to seize upon and devour. (9) Withstand him; be firm in faith [against his onset – rooted, established, strong, immovable, and determined], knowing that the same (identical) sufferings are appointed to your brotherhood (the whole body of Christians) throughout the world.
If we are going to be Christians who walk in the victory Jesus has provided for us, we must learn to live life on purpose. "God has given unto us by His divine power, all things that pertain to life and godliness..."(See 2 Peter 1:3), but that certainly doesn’t mean that we can just sit back and do nothing and expect to live in victory. We have an enemy. The very fact that we have an enemy whose main objective is to kill, steal and destroy us, indicates there is a battle to be fought. We can’t just sit back in our lazy boy recliner and expect the enemy of our souls to leave us alone. The good news is, Jesus has already defeated him for us (See Colossians 2:15).
Notice that the Scripture says the devil roams around like a roaring lion. It does not say he is a roaring lion. The devil wants us to see him as a being that is bigger and more powerful than we are. He wants us to fear him. But, when we are in Christ, we have been given the authority in Jesus name to overcome the enemy. He cannot withstand the name of Jesus, the blood of Jesus, and the Word of God, which is our sword of the Spirit. When we are in Christ, we have everything we need to drive the enemy out.
1 Corinthians 10:1-11 gives us an example of the attitude of most of the children of Israel as they were wondering through the wilderness. Verse 11 (Amplified) says, “Now these things befell them by way of a figure [as an example and warning to us]; they were written to admonish and fit us for right action by good instruction, we in whose days the ages have reached their climax (their consummation and concluding period)." So let’s take a look at an example from the Old Testament. In Exodus 33:1,2 (Amplified), God spoke to Moses and said, “ (1)…Depart, and go up from here, you and the people whom you have brought from the land of Egypt, to the land which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying, To your descendants I will give it. (2)I will send an Angel before you, and I will drive out the Canaanite, Amorite, Hittite, Perizzite, Hivite, and Jebusite." In Numbers we have the account of God speaking to Moses to send men to explore and scout out the land which He had sworn to give to the Israelites. (See Numbers 13 & 14) The sad thing about it is only two came back with a good report. God had already told them He was sending His Angel before them to drive out the inhabitants of the land. But when they saw the giants in the land they were full of unbelief. They saw the giants and new that in their own strength they could not defeat the enemy. They were looking at what they could see with their eyes and not trusting in the Word of the Lord.
How often are we like the Children of Israel? God has given us the victory through His Son. He has given us His Word, yet so often we look at the circumstance and how big it looks and we act just like the Children of Israel did. We are in unbelief. We either believe God or we believe the circumstance. When we believe the circumstance we are calling God a liar. Those are strong words, but it’s the truth.
We must learn to live life on purpose. We must put His Word in our hearts and mix it with faith to defeat the enemy. We can’t be lazy Christians and expect to live in victory. To be a Christian that lives life on purpose takes determination, diligence, perseverance, endurance, patience. I encourage you to read 2 Peter 1:5-10 in the amplified version. The Bible will not fall in our laps and open itself. We must pick it up and open it and begin to put it in our hearts. We must discipline our flesh and learn to pray without ceasing, abiding in His presence. Get up off the couch and live life on purpose and you will experience the victorious life God has already provided for us through His Son.
May His peace be multiplied to you as you grow in the knowledge of Him.
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