A Powerful Warning

Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. Ephesians 6:11

I posted this back in 2007 but as I was re-reading this devotional I felt the urgency to post it again.

The more eminent your service for God, the greater the probability that Satan is at that very moment hatching some deadly scheme against you.

Satan will come on the scene when you are on some notable errand for God’s glory. He will raise himself up like a snake in your path, hissing his venomous lies. This old serpent never was a friend to kingdom work. What a handsome excuse he served the Jews: “The time is not come!” God’s time was come, but not the devil’s; and therefore he perverted the sense of Providence, as if it were not yet time for the Messiah.

Two periods stand out in Christ’s life: His entrance into public ministry at His Baptism, and the culmination of it at His Passion. At both He had a fierce encounter with the devil. This should give you an idea of how the master tempter works.

The more public your place, and the more eminent your service for God, the greater the probability that Satan is at that very moment hatching some deadly scheme against you. If even the cadet corps need to be armed against Satan’s bullets of temptation, how much more the commanders and officers, who stand in the front line of battle!

Satan will not always wait until you are on an important mission to tempt you, however; he will seize every opportunity along the way to practice his enticing skills. His job is made a little easier if he can find some object to enforce his temptation. Thus he took Eve when she was looking with longing at the tree. Since her own eye first enticed her, it was all the easier for Satan to take the object of her affection, polish it to a high gloss, and with it quicken a lust which lay dormant in her heart. If we lean out the window to hear temptation’s serenade, Satan is satisfied that his suit may in time be granted.

If we do not wish to yield to sin, we must take care not to walk by or sit at the door of the occasion. Do not look on temptation with a wandering eye if you do not wish to be taken by it, nor allow your mind to dwell on that which you do not want lodged in your heart.

William Gurnall. The Christian in Complete Armour (Kindle Locations 420-433). Kindle Edition.

I know that I needed to be reminded of this today. How about you? Is there a stronghold in your life that needs to be dealt with? Can you identify the areas where you are most weak that might be the foothold for an attack by the Deceiver?

Remember – he was already defeated at the Cross!

Running the race with joy,

Bill Welte
President/CEO America’s Keswick

Daily Bible Reading: Isaiah 37-38; Mark 9:30-50

Quote of the day:  Christian holiness, whether for the church or for the individual, can never be a static thing, something gained once for all. It has to be maintained amidst conflicts and perils that are renewed day by day. It is a moving thing; it can only exist as a function of pilgrimage. Stephen Neill

Bible Memory: Deal bountifully with your servant, that I may live and keep your word. Open my eyes that I may behold wondrous things from your law. Psalm 119:17-18