Sunday, August 5, 2012

Dealing with the Devil


I made the statement in the message this morning that “the Devil hates you and has a terrible plan for your life.” But in retrospect I wonder if that statement gives the Devil more credit than he deserves. Does he really have a “plan” or does he just take what he gets and ad-libs.
I’m wondering if he looks for any opportunity for temptation. As life happens, he’s there to try and make it more difficult tempting us to take a short cut that would take us away from our pure devotion to Christ.
Even in Jesus’ case, the Devil prompts his temptation when things are tough for Jesus. He’s hungry, feeling a little powerless, and may have been wrestling with the Father’s will as he did right up through the scene of his struggle in the Garden of Gethsemane. And when Jesus rebuffs the temptation of the Devil Luke records, “When the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from him until an opportune time.” (Luke 4:13)
Let’s not give this diabolical creature more credence than he deserves!

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