THOUGHT OF THE DAY
When I sat down to write this piece, I was wondering -- why should I write? Will someone read it? Will it be a waste of time and energy? After some dithering, I realised -- if I'm able to give some useful thoughts to at least one person, then my efforts won't be in vain. The reason is that our enemy is roaming around us, causing moral revulsion among us.
Who is this enemy? Suddenly those names flash before our eyes one after another: those who have treated us like scums, those who have ignored us, those who have indulged in calumny and those who have showed jealousy and invidiousness. When these things happen, most of us find ourselves unprepared and vulnerable. We often cry out to God against the one who wronged us. We ask for justice, or even vengeance, and end up making things tougher for everyone involved, including ourselves.
The antagonist is lurking in the shadows. See what's written in Ephesians 6:12, "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." Yes, here Jesus teaches us very clearly that our real and the only enemy is the evil one. Satan and his demons.
They are our sworn enemies. They are behind every personal affront and insolence we encounter. They are abominable and detestable characters, or spirits, who try to enslave people by making them disobey God. The people who hurt us and persecute us are only Satan's tools. It's these execrable spirits which are pulling the strings from behind. When devil wants to hit us, he uses gullible people to get the job done. If you believe in God and what the Bible says, you have to believe in its existence and works too.
That said, what do we do? How do we fight him and his cohorts? Bible says, by the Word of God. Let me borrow the words of Brother Kenneth Copeland who explains it in a ‘user friendly’ manner.
1. Identify the real enemy (that we have already done now)
2. Use the Name of Jesus and the power that has been given to you as a believer and bind the devil from doing you any further harm through those persons in that area.
3. Pray the prayer of intercession.
When you reach this third step, I can hear you say, "Oh no, that’s impossible". Once we really understand the first step, this will not be a problem as you think. You need to realise that Jesus needs our help to save this soul. Yes, here we're obeying our Lord ‘s word in Matthew 5:44-45, "Love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those spitefully use you, and persecute you.. so that you may be the children of your Father in heaven."
According to the Acts of Apostles, after the descent of the Holy Spirit the apostles continued to expel demons, and all the Christians have done so after them.
Instead of crying out for the vengeance of God to strike like a lightning bolt against the people who caused the distraught and contretemps, target the real force -- Satan -- behind the action and banish him to the feet of Jesus. Remember our Lord's great mercy. Not just for me and you, but for everyone. Our Lord assures us victory when He says in Luke 10:19: "Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you."
The bottom line is: we must not allow Satan to mess around with our lives.
When I sat down to write this piece, I was wondering -- why should I write? Will someone read it? Will it be a waste of time and energy? After some dithering, I realised -- if I'm able to give some useful thoughts to at least one person, then my efforts won't be in vain. The reason is that our enemy is roaming around us, causing moral revulsion among us.
Who is this enemy? Suddenly those names flash before our eyes one after another: those who have treated us like scums, those who have ignored us, those who have indulged in calumny and those who have showed jealousy and invidiousness. When these things happen, most of us find ourselves unprepared and vulnerable. We often cry out to God against the one who wronged us. We ask for justice, or even vengeance, and end up making things tougher for everyone involved, including ourselves.
The antagonist is lurking in the shadows. See what's written in Ephesians 6:12, "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." Yes, here Jesus teaches us very clearly that our real and the only enemy is the evil one. Satan and his demons.
They are our sworn enemies. They are behind every personal affront and insolence we encounter. They are abominable and detestable characters, or spirits, who try to enslave people by making them disobey God. The people who hurt us and persecute us are only Satan's tools. It's these execrable spirits which are pulling the strings from behind. When devil wants to hit us, he uses gullible people to get the job done. If you believe in God and what the Bible says, you have to believe in its existence and works too.
That said, what do we do? How do we fight him and his cohorts? Bible says, by the Word of God. Let me borrow the words of Brother Kenneth Copeland who explains it in a ‘user friendly’ manner.
1. Identify the real enemy (that we have already done now)
2. Use the Name of Jesus and the power that has been given to you as a believer and bind the devil from doing you any further harm through those persons in that area.
3. Pray the prayer of intercession.
When you reach this third step, I can hear you say, "Oh no, that’s impossible". Once we really understand the first step, this will not be a problem as you think. You need to realise that Jesus needs our help to save this soul. Yes, here we're obeying our Lord ‘s word in Matthew 5:44-45, "Love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those spitefully use you, and persecute you.. so that you may be the children of your Father in heaven."
According to the Acts of Apostles, after the descent of the Holy Spirit the apostles continued to expel demons, and all the Christians have done so after them.
Instead of crying out for the vengeance of God to strike like a lightning bolt against the people who caused the distraught and contretemps, target the real force -- Satan -- behind the action and banish him to the feet of Jesus. Remember our Lord's great mercy. Not just for me and you, but for everyone. Our Lord assures us victory when He says in Luke 10:19: "Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you."
The bottom line is: we must not allow Satan to mess around with our lives.
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