Friday, February 10, 2022

Listen to the Word

"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."  (Ephesians 6:11-12)

If we are going to stand against the devil's schemes, it helps to know which schemes he tends to use. One of his schemes is to deceive: "Forget about loving God and loving others - you'll be happier if you look out for number one." "You can sin just this once and then stop." "You can't trust God - this situation is too much for him." He is a liar and the father of lies, and he loves to deceive.

Another of his schemes is to accuse. The Hebrew word satan comes from a verb that means "to accuse." He loves to remind us of all of the junk in our past and try to convince us that there's no way God could welcome us or change us or use us. Discouragement is one of his favorite fiery darts.

We must resist his schemes, not giving an inch of ground. We must stand strong in God's strength.

Live the Word

Pray this breath prayer as often as it comes to mind today: "Lord, protect me."