Chuckle: In math class, the
teacher asked, "Timmy, what are 3 and 6 and 27 and 45?" Timmy answered, "NBC,
CBS, ESPN, and the Cartoon Network!"
Quote:
"The humblest citizen of
all the land, when clad in the armor of a righteous cause, is stronger than all
the hosts of error."
--William Jennings Bryan
"Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil
prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist
him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers (and
sisters) throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings. And
the God of grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ after you have
suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and
steadfast" (I Peter 5:8-10 NIV).
I enjoy
watching nature shows on television, including those about the lions and other
wild creatures in Africa. It's interesting how a hungry lion will circle a heard
of antelope, or other animals, watching for one that shows weakness and that can
be easily separated from the herd and taken down. It is the weak and vulnerable
that fall victim to the lion's attack. Make no mistake about it, if you are a
Christian, you are Satan's target. And your strength and preparedness will
determine who will win the spiritual battle -- you or the roaring lion, the
devil.
You see,
Satan wants you to be defeated and weak and does not want you to enjoy the
abundant and full life that Christ wants you to have (John 10:10). Neither does
the evil one want you to be an effective vessel for the cause of Christ. A weak
and defeated Christian is no threat at all to the evil that seeks to control the
hearts and minds of people. But the good news is that God has given you all the
weapons you will ever need to resist the evil one and win the spiritual battle.
Here are some of those weapons.
Prayer: Our passage says we are to
be "self-controlled and alert." The idea is that of an alert watchman keeping a
sharp eye out for danger. We know that we can become tempted to sin if we are
not alert to the tactics of the evil one. Staying alert, along with prayer for
wisdom and strength, is essential if we are to win the spiritual battle.
"The prayer of a righteous man is
powerful and effective" (James 5:16b NIV).
God's
Word, as illumined by the Holy Spirit, provides us the
strength to resist even the most vile assaults by the devil. Peter tells us to
"Resist him, standing firm in
the faith." In the Scriptures we find all the help we need
to resist the weapons of the world and to stay firmly anchored in our faith. The
battle is like a tug-of-war -- firm footing is required if the opponent is to be
overcome.
Fellowship: All Christians are
involved in the same spiritual battle. We see this in our passage: "your brothers (and sisters)
throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings."
As we fellowship with other Christians in a loving and caring
church, we find encouragement, love, understanding, and strength. When we allow
ourselves to drift away from the fellowship of God's people, we become weakened
and an easy target for Satan's attacks.
Faith in God's grace: His grace "will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and
steadfast." In 2 Corinthians 12:9 NIV, Paul tells us
"My (God's) grace is sufficient for
you, for my power is made perfect in (your) weakness." God has
a purpose for your life and if you will only trust him, he will make you strong
and steadfast in your spiritual battle with the "roaring
lion."
Love, Jerry & Dotse
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home