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| February 25, 2002 |
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| ". . . I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee; Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee, To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me." Acts 26:16-18 The strength and influence of the devil is real. Satan's church is growing as the number of his followers is increasing. We Christians must keep our guard and remember that Satan has only one goal ~ to get your soul! He is the embodiment of evil. He has the power to enter a person (see Luke 22:3). With his craftiness, he can use even the best of people to achieve his ends (see Matthew 16:23). He can trap man and take him captive (see 2Timothy 2:26). He can fill the heart of man and lead him to death (see Acts 5:3). We may not be a member of Satan's church but we can still be his follower (see 1Timothy 5:15). This is because we serve him by default. If we do not totally and wholeheartedly serve the Lord, we automatically become servants of Satan. "Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?" (Romans 6:16). The old dragon, the serpent, is not all-powerful. In fact, we can fight against him and win if we will seek divine assistance (Romans 8:13, 26). We can resist him and flee his influence (James 4:7). Our weapons and strength are mighty, and we can fight against him and triumph (Ephesians 6:13-18). With such strength, we need not fear the devil. Yet we must constantly be alert to his schemes and devices. He wants us, he is powerful, but he can only win if we let him. "Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices" (2Corinthians 2:11). May God bless you with a wonderful week church! Watch out for Satan's evil tactics, and don't allow him to bring disunity among God's people! Love in Christ Jesus, Sandy |