Posts Tagged ‘Satan’

We don’t Wrestle against Flesh and Blood

Posted: October 20, 2025 in Something to think about
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My nephew wrestled in high school and I remember him telling me how unique wrestling is from a team sport because it’s not like football or basketball… It is just sheer strength against sheer strength, cunning against cunning and may the best man win.

Wrestling is a sport where you are literally grappling with your opponent and using every ounce of strength you have to try and overcome someone who’s trying to do the same to you. Experience matters, like it does in life, but at the same time pure strength can be hard to overcome.

Why in the world am I talking about wrestling today? There is a verse in Ephesians that communicates to you and to me about a battle that we Christians find ourselves in. And this battle is unique because we can’t see our opponent. But I felt it very necessary to communicate something that you may or may not have thought of before.

I think it is pretty obvious and and frankly safer to fight a battle from a long way away. In the US military, snipers can fire at targets over a mile away and be successful. In most successful battles going back to the Civil War, soldiers would set up cannons and fire at the opponent so they could soften the front lines in order that their infantry could advance. After all of that preparation, it was the infantry who gained the physical ground and ultimately again, battled their opponent, man-to-man.

So today guys, I wanted to introduce you to the warfare that our enemy is executing on us… You and me. Depending upon which translation you read, Ephesians 6:12 tells us that “we are not wrestling against flesh and blood, but rather against the rulers, the authorities, and against the powers of this dark world, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms”

What does that really mean? That means the enemy is not a mile away, he’s not next-door… He is right next to you, whispering in your ear. Telling you things that are not true in order so he can bump you off your path and get you going in a different direction… 

We are literally wrestling with the enemy as Paul says. We are not dancing. We are wrestling. It’s important that you recognize how close your enemy actually is or, how close he is to your family. It’s easy to go about our day and never really think about that battle going on. But I assure you, it is, and there is active strategy being put forth and executed to destroy you and everything you love. You, must think about it and be ready for each day.

Now that we know what we are up against, how do we fight?

This will probably surprise you but when your adversary is the devil, you don’t stand and fight, you resist. I say this again, if you try and fight, you will lose. Even Jesus, after spending 40 days in the wilderness, Satan came and met with Him with the sole reason to tempt Him (Matthew 4:1-11). You will notice that Jesus did not fight but rather He resisted and that is exactly what we are called to do, resist. Take a look at these 2 verses:

  • Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. James 4:7
  • 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. 1 Peter 5:9

Guys, if you only recognized the power you have right now that already exists within you as a believer, it would really change your mind about wrestling not against flesh and blood. Yes, you are a target, but not defenseless. The power within you comes from God’s Holy Spirit which is pure strength from Him to use when you are in a wrestling match. If you feel an evil presence of unseen forces, then call on His name. He will not abandon you. Most importantly remember the words of the Apostle John below which is always a gut check reminder for me-

Greater is He that is in you, than he who is in the world.  1 John 4:4

Until next time Guys-

Is God on a Break?

Posted: September 14, 2025 in Inspirational
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There is no doubt that all of us have had a tough week. The list of events that happened in just these past few days are astounding and can literally bring us to our knees. Like you, I have heard so much conversation about how bad things are I am ready to explode. I can’t tell you how much I wish I had the answer. A message I could share with America to somehow take the pain away or make things better .

This country is hurting deeply and yet at the same time, many people are just angry. Like you, my reaction to the assassination of Charlie Kirk was one of profound loss and emptiness. I felt like evil won.

At the very same time, I saw pure viciousness spew from some people that really identified the level of hate many have towards one another by celebrating the death of someone they did not like.

I think when you look at these negative events added together it is easy to think that maybe the almighty God is on a break? In fact, I saw posts from people that basically said God doesn’t care because how could He? Look at what happened?

I read other people rationalizing God’s behavior or making excuses for why He allows these things to happen versus stepping in and squashing evil. In a week where so many horrible things happened one right after another, we are quick to explain what God is thinking and why He does or doesn’t do anything.

For me, I cannot, and will not put words into Gods mouth. I can only explain the “why” for anything He does or doesn’t do by using what the Bible says about Him or specifically about His character. So today’s post is short with my main emphasis on one point and one point only…

OUR GOD IS SOVEREIGN

  • I had the word sovereign explained to me this way that I think helps; Our God is 100% in charge of absolutely everything that happens in Heaven and on Earth. Period.
  • There is absolutely NOTHING on this Earth that can surprise God. EVER. He knows everything and works everything, bad and good, into His perfect will. 

After this week, I know that is hard to believe but keep reading.

  • God DOES NOT need our help to get Him off of the “bad news” hook. No matter what happens, bad or good, God does not need a public relations agency. Since the beginning of the world, God has made himself known to His creation…separating himself from what has been made. We have zero excuse…read this verse below.

For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse. Romans 1:20

  • As a believer, we look to God for answers during times like this because He has asked that we trust in Him. He is the only one with the answers to any situation even though on the surface it may not look that way. Look at this verse below, even though we don’t understand or…maybe what He is doing is not making sense?

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding Proverbs 3:5

I want to remind you that God sacrificed His only Son for you and for me. My point here is that His ways are not our ways. If it were up to us, we know we would have failed so He took care of that, just like He will now.

So even though you may feel like we are operating in a world of darkness right now, again, I remind you that we are not alone. God is with us. Satan, on the other hand, our enemy, is operating on a very short leash. Soon, God will come and collect.

Our job is to HOLD FIRM and with faith, believe that God is 100% in charge…because He is.

Until next time Guys-

Having a God Mindset

Posted: April 12, 2025 in Tough Times
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For some reason, I have always loved the word mindset. It is one of those words that identifies your clarity or focus for whatever the topic might be. As an example, he or she might have an engineering mindset, which gives us an idea of what their expertise is. But when you apply God to the word mindset, you come up with a completely different category.

The apostle Paul did the same thing. In fact, he wrote about it in the first chapter of second Corinthians, where he said “now this is our boast: our conscience testifies that we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially in our relations with you in the holiness and sincerity that are from God. We have not done so according to worldly wisdom, but according to God‘s grace.“ 2 Cor. 1:12.

The easy translation to this verse is Paul is actually boasting that his life plan is to remain faithful to the Lord Jesus Christ. If you are familiar with Paul at all, you will remember that he worked overtime NOT to boast about anything. What I find interesting is then only time he decides to actually boast, he tells us up front. And what is he boasting about? His God mindset.

Paul tells you and me that he made a choice. He decided that he would serve God. Period. Moreover, his service to God required a mindset at a whole other level to be successful. One that was focused exclusively on the Lord Jesus Christ and if you’ve read Paul, you know that he suffered greatly in this role. He literally has multiple near death experiences; he was shipwrecked, jailed, bitten by snakes, punched, and spit on… You name it, he went through it.

But what can you and I learn from Paul’s mentaility? Is it possible to have a God mindset in 2025 even with everything going on in this world? What about all the chaos in the mayhem we see each day on the news? Shouldn’t we be thinking about just hunkering down and weathering the storm? 

Guys, my answer is simple… Not only is it possible, but it’s critical that you and I maintain a God mindset, especially during these difficult times.

I have said this before and I’ll say it again… Our enemy is alive and well and he is looking to devour and swallow both you and me whole. If you and I don’t make the intentional choice to be strong about our “God Mindset”; I can assure you, we will be swayed In the wrong direction. And we cannot allow that happen.

That is my charge to you guys today. Having a God Mindset is for you to be intentional and focused on your Christian walk by making choices that identify who you serve. Let me clear; make “who you serve” obvious so that there is no question what side of the fence you are standing. When people look at you or speak to you, they know. More importantly, be that strong intentional role model for your wife and family.

Be like the warrior Joshua when he said below:

But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD. Joshua 24:15

Until next time guys-

Pride or Humility…It is your Choice

Posted: April 22, 2024 in Heaven Bound
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If you’re like me, the older I get, the more I learn, and the more I learn, the more I realize I don’t know…but that is a whole other blog. This post is about my continuing revelation of how God constructed this whole “personal relationship with Jesus” idea and why I think its so hard for men to stay consistent. 

News Flash, yours (and mines) personal relationship with Christ must begin with humility.

Yes, I said Humility. But the problem is that “being humble” works directly against how we feel about ourselves while we live on earth. 

Face it guys, it is HARD to be humble when all we see is ego exhibited everyday of our lives. It seems like very athlete just seems to call attention to themselves. Not everyone…but a lot of them. A baseball player hits a monster home run and he just stands there and admires it as it leaves the ballpark…A body builder stands in front of the mirror and just stares and stares…

We live in such a “Me ONLY” focused world that as Christian men, its so easy to assimilate into that culture. Look at it this way, if you get up each day and don’t think about your relationship with Christ and just start your day with you driving, I can easily say that over time, you will find yourself moving towards prideful behavior. The influence is that strong.

Listen to how The Message translation of the Bible talks about this in Proverbs 16:18, First pride, then the crash – the bigger the ego, the harder the fall. That is pretty self explanatory isn’t it? God doesn’t have any place for pride or egos in His Kingdom. Its all about HIM, not us.

What you and I see around us here on earth was NOT the plan God had in mind. Rather, sin got in the way and it corrupted everything (Genesis 3 to be exact). As hard as this may be to grasp, pride is NOT from God. It was NOT created by God but rather it is from Satan and he is the one selling that crap to all of us through television, or online, or at the gym…

It is everywhere and conditioning you slowly.

Pride IS a wall keeping you from a relationship with God and it blocks your ability to communicate with Him. Once you reach a point that you are so full of yourself that you don’t think you need God, then the enemy has you where he wants you.


Remember the Bible also tells us in James 4:10 to Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up. As I have told you before, NOW IS THE TIME to get right with God Guys! You can see the signs all around you just as easily as I can. 

Satan is working overtime to pull as many men and their families down as he can. 

Where do you plan on spending eternity?

My “ask” of you today is don’t let your ego be the reason you walk away from God. You might be very good at something…your job, or a sport, or something else…but remember that skill is a gift from Him and if you thank Him for it rather than act like it came from you, who knows, we just might be playing a pick up game on that Heavenly court in the sky.

I’ll meet you there…

Until next time Guys-

The Temptation of Jesus

Posted: January 2, 2024 in Inspirational
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Before Christ began His 3-year ministry on earth, he was led by the Holy Spirit out into the Desert where He was subjected to temptation from Satan. This lasted 40 days and during that time,  Jesus did not eat. 

I don’t know about you, but I am confident I would not last even a few days without sustenance before pure weakness set in… but Jesus did it. I want to remind you that at this point, He was just like any other man, which means His body would have started to break down due to a lack of nourishment just like yours and mine would.

Compounding that fact, was that He was being subjected to temptation from Satan, who was and is, the Prince of this World, which made this entire ordeal even more difficult. But, let me be clear, this encounter was not by accident. Christ did not go to the desert to hide but rather He was led to this confrontation by God. Why?, Because as Erwin Lutzer states in his book, God’s Devil, “God wanted to prove that Christ would win in the very arena of temptation where Adam failed”.

In case this fact slipped your mind, Jesus already knew Satan. How? Because He created him. Lucifer, as was his name, was one of the highest-ranking angels ever. He led worship in Heaven and had a direct connection with God, Christ, and the Holy Spirit. However, evil was found to be in his heart so God cast him out of Heaven along with one-third of the angels he had corrupted. 

Today, I wanted to take a couple of minutes to add some color to these “temptation” events and try and bring the supernatural perspective that the Bible only tells us in 2D. What Satan presented to Christ would have been truly amazing and frankly would have blown you and me away.

Temptation #1

And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” Matt 4:3

First of all, Christ could have turned the stones into bread in a second. In fact, He basically did the same miracle just a few weeks later when He fed the 5,000 but, we know Satan does not play fair. As Lutzer states, “The essence of this temptation was to show the needs of the body are more important than the needs of the soul.” This was low-hanging fruit and he knew Jesus was hungry, famished, and even starving. But Christ saw through his plan and would not give Satan the disobedience he wanted.

Temptation #2

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”. Matt 4:6

This temptation is far more sinister because if Christ quotes scripture, then so does Satan. Lucifer knows the scripture better than you and I. But think about this, Satan quotes scripture to entice Christ into sinning. He literally tried to hamstring Christ by using scripture against Him.

Next, consider this; Satan somehow takes or carries Christ to the apex of the temple in Jerusalem…using his demon power. We know that Christ would NOT have allowed him to do this without His consent. 

Thirdly, do not be misdirected here. Satan was deliberately trying to misuse God’s word just as he will do with you. Are you ready for when you hear the word of God used in the wrong way? Can you discern the difference? Remember when I mentioned this temptation is the most sinister by far?

Finally, Christ simply responded, “DO NOT put your Lord God to the test”. Christ did not fall into the trap that Satan set. He wanted Christ to choose sin even while pointing to a verse and Christ would not.

Let me remind you of Martin Luther’s words from many years ago when he said, “The devil is God’s devil. We have forgotten that only when we know who God is can we know who the devil is. Blessed are those who are convinced that the prince of this world has become a slave to the Prince of Peace.“

Temptation #3

The devil led him up to a high mountain 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; it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. If you worship me, it will all be yours.” Matt 4:8-9

Again, Christ is taken or carried up to a very high mountain on earth using the demon power of Satan. In an instant, He is shown all of the Kingdoms of the world. Think about that for a second. Christ witnessed Rome in all of its splendor or Ancient Greece or Egypt with the Pyramids. Consider the amazing supernatural experience of ALL these kingdoms displayed to Him at the same time.

Now, I realize that these are earthly kingdoms and NOT Heavenly ones but the sheer power of this should not escape you. Why did Satan do this? It was his last act of power with Christ. He was providing Christ a “shortcut to the kingdom”. He was offering all the authority of the world if He, Jesus Christ, would bow down and worship him.

As we know, Christ did not deviate from the will of God and told Satan to go pound sand. Sorry, that was my paraphrasing. He told him that “you shall worship the Lord your God and him only you shall serve”.

This Case is Closed…

What is the point of writing and sharing this post today? You and I can follow the very same example that Christ set for us by refuting and resisting the enemy using God’s word. Frankly, that is exactly what God wants us to do with it but with one caveat…you must know God’s word well enough to discern when it isn’t… 

That is my challenge to you today-

Until next time Guys-

Lutzer, Erwin. (2015) God’s Devil, Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers.

Where is your Heart Committed?

Posted: December 29, 2023 in Something to think about
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Well, we find ourselves again on the doorstep of another New Year…only this time 2024. If you are like me, you are wondering, where did this year go? When I was a younger man, I never could grasp old folks telling me that as you age, time accelerates…now I get that.

I found myself at the end of this year reading in the Old Testament, specifically the books of 1&2 Kings and 1&2 Chronicles, which were stories about David, his son Solomon, and all of the Kings that came after. Honestly, what the Bible shares about these people is either good, bad, or ugly. Frankly, I wonder how God had the patience to deal with so much failure due to rampant idolatry amongst his people. There is one thing that stood out to me which is why I decided to finish Ironman-Strength 2023 writing a blog today rolling into 2024. Here is just a short story for you to think about.

I want to introduce you to a guy by the name of Asa. Asa was one of the many Kings of Judah who reigned starting in 910 BC and his throne lasted close to 40 years. Like many of these Kings, Asa started off going down the right road. The Bible tells us that “Asa did what was good and right in the eyes of God” 2 Chronicles 14:2. He went about destroying all of the idols that were in his kingdom with the intent of turning the people back towards the Lord. 

The Bible also tells us that Asa did a good job and because of his relationship with Him, God blessed him and his people.

Unfortunately, as Asa grew old, he changed his focus. He decided that he could run his own life without God’s help. Worse yet, Asa went in the opposite direction and gave himself over to Satan ultimately turning into a brutal oppressor of his people. Asa learned through his transition from good to bad that “the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him.” 2 Chronicles 16:9. Asa’s choices caused devastation to himself and God’s people.

All God asked Asa to do was to make a choice and then stick with it. Serving God your entire life, through the good and the difficult times is tough. When you can’t see Christ or worse yet, you can’t feel Him, your first thought is you are alone. In Asa’s case, he listened to Satan. I want to remind you that even now Satan is in a wrestling match with God over YOUR life. God seeks to refine you as you navigate painful situations whereas Satan’s sole intent for you is destruction. If you choose the enemy, your condition might improve for a time, but in the end, with Satan as your pilot, death is coming.

Guys, I hope you don’t find me harsh to end this year with a strong message like this one but I speak the truth and it is critical to hear because, in my mind, it is all about where you plan to spend eternity.

God distinguishes between those of us whose hearts are completely HIS and those whose hearts are divided between HIM and this world. Where is your heart committed?

Until Next Time Guys – Happy New Year-

How Comfortable Are You?

Posted: April 30, 2023 in Something to think about
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After watching the chaos and mayhem of this world over the last few months, it is clear to me who is in charge…our collective enemy, Satan. Moreover, if you have ever read any of my posts, you know that  I have talked about “navigating the path” we all face as Christians during this critical time. Things are not easy for believers. Especially when I watch what is happening in the United States towards the people of our faith I find myself stunned. We are truly under attack. That statement is not meant to scare you but to remind you…

But…the name of this blog involves comfort. So you may ask how do I get from the statements I made above to being comfortable? That is what I want to talk about today. You see, even in the midst of this storm I mentioned above, there are Christians that don’t feel the pressure of this world against them. Frankly, to me, IS the scary part. Why? Because they have gotten too comfortable. Here is what I mean-

Ahh, yes… “Comfort” has become one of our favorite words, and most effective tools. Because when you’re comfortable, you don’t rock the boat. You don’t challenge corruption. You don’t take any chances on greatness. You don’t critically look at yourselves. Nefarious, “A Nefarious Plot”. Page 23.

If you do not know what Nefarious is, look it up. It is a movie and a book by Steve Deace that is written by a demon who is a General and works for Satan. The paragraph above is important because it illustrates my point; if you(me) become too comfortable with your(our) personal situation(s), then you(me) are NOT a threat to the enemy.

Look at what Christ says about this topic:

Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. John 12:25

So do I read that correctly? If I love my life I will lose it? Jesus was very clear in this verse about a Christian’s responsibility to hate his life while in this world. PLEASE understand me…There is NOTHING wrong with being happy… But being satisfied or comfortable with your situation; meaning you are in neutral and no longer in pursuit…those are the people Jesus is referring to. This behavior comes across to God as you only need Him when you are in trouble. So my attitude might be now with my house, my job, $ in the bank, my friends, and my local church…I am pretty comfortable. I have it going on…

Let me put it another way; when the things of this life are more important than your eternal future; When your desire for earthly success becomes more of a pursuit than your personal pursuit of God, that is what I am talking about today…and  I am desperately trying to wake you up.

If you love this life on earth, you WILL lose it. It is that simple. 

Guys, the remedy to all of this is a relationship with Christ that is ACTIVE. Not just on Easter and Christmas when you might attend church. It is a daily choice you make to seek Him. 

What I find interesting is that some guys approach a relationship with God with a“one and done” mentality. What I mean is, they say, “ I spoke to God when I was 10, and after that, I was a Christian. I haven’t actually prayed to Him since”. Let me be honest…THAT WILL NOT WORK.

What I have found is that you should approach your Christian more like being a member of your gym. If you regularly exercise, you probably are a fit person. If you don’t, then you are not. It is exactly the same way with God. If you participate in an active relationship with Him, YOU will know HIM and He will know you. 

If you don’t pursue Him, He will tell you at the end of your life, “ I never knew you”. Don’t believe me? Read this…

And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness. Matthew 7:23

The bottom line…for you and for me is from Jeremiah 29:13-

You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.

When He says, ALL of your heart, He means it. He knows when you are apathetic and are simply just “mailing it in”. You have to make the choice and then work at it. I urge you to consider this post wholeheartedly and DO NOT get comfortable.

Until next time Guys-

Deace, Steve. (2017) “A Nefarious Plot.” Nashville, Tennesse. Post Hill Press. Page 23

The Devil is a LIAR

Posted: April 5, 2023 in Tough Times
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The more and more I learn about our common enemy, the devil, the more I am continually amazed at his deception tactics. Simply put; he will do whatever is necessary to destroy you. Now we all know that he is a liar. In fact, he is called the father of lies according to the red letters of Jesus below…

…He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies. John 8:44b

Satan’s foundational character at his core is to lie, and his number one job is deceiving you and me. One of my favorite authors Erwin Lutzer said this, “Though Satan is at war with all of humanity, his special attacks are aimed at those whom he knows will belong to God forever. Conceivably dialogues such as those in the book of Job are still happening today”. Look at it this way, he thinks that if he cannot keep you from heaven, then at least he can keep you from being useful on this earth. 

As a result, every single day,  Satan whispers in your ear because he can. Yes, he has the ability to inject thoughts into your mind that you think are your own. Lutzer also said,” Satan wants YOU to develop confidence in YOUR  ability to handle the consequences of disobedience”. If he can do that, you become desensitized to hearing anything from God. When you can’t hear from God, then despair can set in and that can be Satan’s greatest weapon toward you and your family.

So what do you do?

Lutzer tells us that “a life of praise to the Lord is one of the most effective weapons against the enemy. Satan hates praises to Jesus and we can use those praises against him”. I love that. Just humming one of your favorite praise songs is a deterrent to the enemy!

Secondly, it is imperative that the power of God, or the Holy Spirit is active in you. And this happens through your faith in Him. Then…each day you can claim the assurance that the Spirit WILL be active in your life, daily. Remember, you received Christ by faith, and since then, you walk by faith, again, daily. Because of this, the Spirit can make us free and keep it that way.

Guys, it does take effort each day for you to participate. Look at your situation like this; warriors “suit up” before they go to battle. Police Officers and soldiers wear body armor. Roman soldiers wore breastplates and carried shields…all for protection from the blows or bullets from the enemy. Essentially, you must do the same thing by wearing God’s armor and protecting yourself.

Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Eph 6:11-12

Guys, this is just a simple reminder that our battle is for our eternal souls, and you can’t take days off from thinking about this. It requires time spent and solid effort from you every day to connect to God. That is what He asks and that is what we must do. No more and no less.

Until next time guys…

Lutzer, Erwin. (2015) Gods Devil, Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers. 162.

The Rules of Engagement

Posted: March 15, 2023 in Something to think about
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Throughout the history of the world, nations have fought against nations with the intent to control the other. The goal is always victory and to the “victorious, go the spoils”. But the reality of war is incredibly painful. So much in fact, that nations have met between themselves to establish the ground rules of war or the Rules of Engagement. The most famous of these is the Geneva Convention, where countries gathered together for one purpose, to Protect the Vulnerable in War. This convention established battlefield articles that countries were to follow when one overtook the other and more.

Why am I talking about Rules of Engagement for war today in this post? I learned something recently that struck me and I believe is imperative to share with you about how we, you and me, engage with our number one enemy in this life, Satan. What you learn may surprise you.

If you were unaware, you are in a war but not like a war that you see in the movies.

Paul said it this way in Ephesians 6:12:

  • For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

Even though this war is located in the heavenly realm, don’t be misled…it impacts all of us.

Next, it is critical for you to be familiar with your enemy. Learn who he is and what is his plan for not only you but strategically for this Earth. Peter does a very good job explaining that for us:

  • Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.  1 Peter 5:8

Satan’s plan is to devour anyone and everyone if he can….or if you let him. Because this is a different kind of war, it has a different set of Rules of Engagement. You must know these tools and the armor that God gives you to RESIST, otherwise, you won’t win.

But please notice what I said in the previous sentence. I mentioned, resisting…not battling, fighting, or pursuing. We are NOT called to do battle with Satan or his minions. We will lose. Why? Because Satan is one of the most powerful created beings ever. He was created by God and he is currently the Prince of this earth. How do I know that? because Satan himself said so when speaking to Jesus in Luke.

  • “To you I will give all this authority and their glory, for it has been delivered to me, and I give it to whom I will. Luke 4:6

God delivered earth to Satan so that he would do the bidding of God…but that is another blog post.

So if we are not called to fight Satan then what do we do?

You are called to stand and resist. See these scriptures given to explain.

  • Put on the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. Eph 6:11
  • Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. James 4:7
  • Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. 1 Peter 5:9

With the full armor of God in place, if you resist, then James says, HE WILL FLEE FROM YOU. That is exactly what we want to happen and exactly what our role is. Stand firm and resist…the rest of the battle belongs to God and His warrior angels.

And that is the best part…God does the heavy lifting so we don’t have to…

So today, put on your armor and resist-

Until next time guys

The Story of Satan – part 6

Posted: February 6, 2022 in Something to think about
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So we have finally reached the last episode of The Story of Satan. Several weeks ago, we started this series together with the intent to learn more about our enemy who is the fallen angel Lucifer who is now referred to as Satan. Lucifer was God’s greatest masterpiece, whose creation brought glory to his creator so God placed him in a high rank in Heaven. This gave Lucifer access to the throne of God that the majority of angels would never have. But, as we learned, he became so enamored with his own beauty that evil grew inside him. 

So, Lucifer made his choice that would not only impact him but all the angels that followed him along with the humans that chose or still choose to follow him. The ultimate result of that selfish, sinful choice is what we are going to talk about in this last episode; Satan’s Future.

Can you recall a situation in your own life where you made a decision that had long-lasting effects on you…like for the rest of your life? Now that could be a good decision too, right? Your life or your faith? But then there are the ones that are not so good that have far-reaching effects on your life. 

This is why when you learn more about Satan, you see that his, “thinking he could be better than God” thoughts were just so short-sighted. Against all rational probability, Lucifer waged his will against that of God. This also meant that even through all of his efforts; his scheming, lying, and deception would ultimately still give God the glory. 

YES…this is exactly the opposite of what Satan intended to take place.

Honestly, the most bizarre part about our enemy was his myopic view of what he thought actually would happen. Because the reality for him was the very moment he said, “But you said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God…. ‘I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.” Isa 14:13-14, he was doomed to hell. 

And thus we have exposed evil for what it is: 

The desire to oppose God even with the full knowledge that in the end, the Almighty will triumph.

So now, if we take a step back and look around us, I think we can see that there is an accelerated intensity of evil on this earth. I do not know what the plans of God are but what I do know is that when God no longer needs Satan for HIS purposes, the end will come. 

All of that said, before Christ returns to this earth, things are going to get much worse for humans as Satan and his dark angels continue to step up all of their nasty business.

ALL OF THIS activity will act as the beginning of Satan’s final ruin and this will happen in 3 separate stages:

First, Satan is cast out of Heaven-

Now, there are scholars that believe Satan does NOT still have access to Heaven but I am not one of them. I believe that Satan still has access to Heaven even now and that is evidenced by the final war in Heaven where he battles against the mighty archangel Michael and is defeated. Satan is in heaven already but that defeat meant there was no longer any place for him in Heaven and he was cast out. 

Think about this for a second…Satan, who was created by God long before the world was created, and who had only ever known in his existence in both Heaven and earth…and now he was cast out of this place, permanently. God’s judgment is always final.

Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon. And the dragon and his angels fought back, 8 but he was defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. Rev 12:7-8 ESV

(By the way, if you didn’t notice, the dragon mentioned above is Satan, and “his angels” are the ones that followed him when he decided he had a better plan for his life than God did)

Second, Satan is bound for 1000 years-

At the end of the age, Satan is to be confined into the Abyss for a thousand years.

Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain. 2 And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, 3 and threw him into the pit, and shut it and sealed it over him so that he might not deceive the nations any longer until the thousand years were ended. After that, he must be released for a little while. Rev 20:1-3 ESV

Third, Satan is cast into the Lake of Fire

After his release he will make a final attempt to overthrow God; this act will result in Satan’s final defeat and his being thrown into the Lake of Fire.

And when the thousand years are ended, Satan will be released from his prison 8 and will come out to deceive the nations that are at the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them for battle; their number is like the sand of the sea. 9 And they marched up over the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, but fire came down from heaven and consumed them, 10 and the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.  Rev 20:7-10 ESV 

I heard someone say once that God never learns anything new, and if you think about that for a second, you realize that no matter what Satan thought or did…GOD already knew it would happen. The irony for this fallen angel is that he left Heaven thinking he could rule and be like God himself but instead, he continued to exist FOR the glory of God just as he had always done. 

I also love the hypothetical idea someone said about when Satan successfully tempted Adam and Eve to eat the forbidden fruit that there were no emergency meetings in Heaven as to how to respond and what the next steps were. Why? Because again…none of this activity was new to God. 

If you are a Christian, that is one HUGE relief because, in the Bible, you constantly read about how God has a plan for you and me…and again, ironically, for Satan as well. Remember what Paul said in Romans 8:28,

And we know that for those who love God, all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

GUYS – You can bank on this fact: No matter WHAT happens to you in this life, it is NOT by accident…either good or bad…God knew it beforehand. Sometimes that fact will be a very hard pill to swallow depending on your circumstances but I assure you, as the verse states clearly above; God will weave it for good.

Finally, guys, thank you for staying with me on this long series because I have never done one with so many parts before. Also please note that I still had to skip a great deal of information about Satan’s story because my intent was only to summarize who he is, what he does, and where he is going. Frankly, I hope you take the baton from me and study more just for you. 

Honestly, I would call this series a success if it lit a small flame of interest in you to learn more about this topic. If the answer is yes, then I would highly recommend you read this book below as this was a great help and encouragement to me in this study. I don’t normally recommend books, but this one gave me a HUGE new perspective about this topic that I found particularly strengthening so check it out.

Gods Devil, by Erwin Lutzer, and published by Moody Publishers, and of course, it is available on Amazon.

Until next time guys-

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