Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and of the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time.
Revelation 12:12
All of us who profess to be Christians and part of the fellowship of Christ’s church need to be constantly reminded that we have an enemy. We all know this in theory, from past experience, and from the teachings of Scripture. Yet we still need to be reminded that the devil is a deceiver, an accuser, and a destroyer who never gives up. If he cannot destroy our faith, he will do all in his power to shake it and turn our eyes away from God, and he can use a variety of methods to accomplish it.
He does his destructive work in all the various aspects of our lives. In the area of our morals and personal purity; in the workplace and in our social friendships and church relationships. Great discernment is often needed to see what is really happening in our lives. At times we must resist the Devil in a specific act of faith and pray for victory over him. At other times we must submit to the trial, however hard that may be, believing that the outcome will be a means of blessing. Sometimes we must walk alone in the darkness of these experiences, unable to share them with anybody, while at other times the prayers of the church fellowship are vital.
Our great enemy does not give up, but we need not despair because we have a glorious victor who has defeated him. Our Lord Jesus was not only born for us, died for us and rose again for us – He was also tempted for us. The devil knows that ultimately, he is a defeated foe and he knows that his time is limited. He has little time left to do his evil work, but we have time and eternity to praise God and to serve Him and enjoy His fellowship and blessing.
May the Lord Jesus help us to keep on resisting the devil in every area of our lives until that glorious day when the battle is over, and we will no longer have to deal with him in the glory.
Sincerely yours,
Bill Hughes