When the Devil Won't Stop

There are times when living the Christian life seems difficult and it is not a problem with temptation. You face challenges that discourage. You are doing your best, but there seems to be little progress. You don’t want to give up, and you’re NOT giving up, but things can sure become tiresome and frustrating.

This may help...

Because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, for this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me—to keep me from exalting myself! Concerning this I implored the Lord three times that it might leave me.

—2 Corinthians 12:7-8

This was a statement written by the Apostle Paul when he was being tormented by a ‘thorn in the flesh,’ also called ‘a messenger of Satan.’ It appears to have adversely affected his mission. And what was the central focus of Paul’s life?

I do all things for the sake of the gospel, so that I may become a fellow partaker of it.

—2 Corinthians 9:23

Paul's ‘thorn in the flesh’ was interfering with his ministry, but God assured him that His grace was sufficient. So, Paul accepted God’s decision to allow the ‘thorn in the flesh’ to remain and he declared his contentment with God’s decision.

Paul was being hampered by insult and persecution; by distress and difficulties and weakness.

Now, think for a moment…

What if Paul had decided to take things into his own hands and personally take action against his persecutors? What if Paul had not been content with weakness and difficulty? What if he had taken action to outwit, overpower, and out maneuver his adversary, this messenger of Satan? What if Paul operated under HIS own power???

We might speculate, but we know that Paul did not engage in battle against Satan. Look at his solution in verses 9 & 10:

And He [Jesus] said to me [Paul], “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for the sake of Christ; for when I am weak, then I am strong.

Paul had a laser sharp focus on the will of God. He recognized… 

• He had never been promised a life free of difficulties; 
• He would have to endure weakness, insults, distress, persecution and difficulties; 
• He could be content in his circumstances; 
• The power of God was strong when he was weak. 

So, what do we draw from this example?

The devil sometimes makes trouble in our lives by putting obstacles in our way. The answer is not to mount an attack on Satan, but rather to...

• Maintain a laser sharp focus on the will of God; 
• Be content in our circumstances…even if God does not remove the difficulty; 
• Rely on the grace of God to get you through; 
• Rely on the power of God to accomplish His will. 

When Satan brings difficulties into our life, our joy is in the Lord knowing that he has an eternal home prepared for those who remain faithful to him.

As for Paul, it would seem that difficulties chased him throughout his life on the earth…but not after that!

There is peace in contentment.

How Do You Stop The Devil? (Final)

In this final blog in a series on 'stopping the devil,' I want to suggest a strategy that sounds opposite the first strategy I wrote about.  That strategy was to stand your ground and resist the devil. (Check it out.) Before looking at a New Testament passage, let's consider a vivid example of this ‘opposite’ strategy.

Joseph was the youngest of eleven brothers and was given special treatment by his father. In addition Joseph shared his prophetic dreams with his brothers. All this made his brothers angry and envious.

On one occasion when Joseph’s brothers were tending their family’s flocks of sheep away from home, Joseph was sent to check on them and bring a report back to his father. However, his brothers had something else in mind. They captured him, put him in a pit (a dry well) and dipped his outer cloak in animal blood. They sold Joseph to a caravan of traders and then returned to their father claiming that he had been killed.

In the meantime, the traders took Joseph to Egypt and sold him as a slave to Potiphar, the captain of the bodyguard of the Egyptian Pharaoh. By God's grace, at the young age of seventeen, Joseph was so successful that Potiphar entrusted him with everything that he owned.

The Bible also tells us that Joseph was “handsome in form and appearance.” It is no wonder that Potiphar’s wife was attracted to Joseph. She asked him to have sexual relations with her, but Joseph refused. She tried to seduce him day after day after day... 

But he refused, saying to his master’s wife, “Look, my master does not give any thought to his household with me here, and everything that he owns he has put into my care. There is no one greater in this household than I am. He has withheld nothing from me except you because you are his wife. So how could I do such a great evil and sin against God?”        —Genesis 39:8-9 (NET Bible)

What an attitude! Even though he was in a foreign country and considered dead to his family, he wanted to do right in God’s sight.

Now, we might wonder if Joseph was actually tempted, but that is not the point. The devil was on the prowl using Potiphar’s wife to seduce him. Whether he was attracted to his master’s wife or not, Joseph desired to be righteous. Yet with his master’s wife pursuing him relentlessly, what could he do to maintain his purity?

RUN!...And run, he did. 

The Bible has much more to say about Joseph, but this much gives us another effective strategy to put a stop to the devil: RUN!

It almost sounds cowardly until you reflect on Joseph. He displayed a clear mind, unwavering self-control and a strong resolve to do God’s will. Running was the courageous choice.

Here is the instruction we have received from the Apostle Paul:

Now flee from youthful lusts and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.      —2 Timothy 2:22

Notice that Paul's instruction is that we should run from youthful lusts. He did not say, "Hey youth, run from lusts." What's the difference? It is not just young people who have lusts (desires) that are generally associated with youth. The instruction applies to all Christians regardless of age.

The key to this 'running strategy' is that, while running from youthful lusts, we must be running toward righteousness at the same time. Long before the devil springs into action we must have already made a conscious decision to place God ahead of our desires. We must be in pursuit of righteousness. Only then will we be prepared for the surprise attacks of the devil.

Be courageous...and RUN!

How Do You Stop The Devil? (Part 5)

Temptation is not really temptation unless it is… tempting...that is, desirable. For example, if you tried to use Brussel sprouts to entice someone to break the law, it probably will not work, unless they really crave Brussel sprouts. If there is no desire, there is no real temptation.

In addition, temptation might not be tempting if there is no possibility of actually satisfying one’s desire. For example, if you tried to tempt someone with a million dollars to do something immoral, but they knew that you could not possibly produce a million dollars...no temptation. The potential for fulfillment, even if an illusion, must be perceived as possible or real.

With these thoughts in mind consider the third temptation of Jesus as recorded in Matthew 4:8-9.

Again, the devil took Him to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory; and he said to Him, “All these things I will give You, if You fall down and worship me.”

Don’t think that Jesus just shrugged this off with no interest or that the enticing offer was a dud. The devil was making a very desirable offer that he could apparently fulfill to some degree. He asked Jesus to do something that was unmistakably wrong, but the enticement was to rule the world. What if Jesus had given in to the Devil's offer?

Sometimes the devil attacks Christians in the same. He offers something that is very desirable, but the cost is far greater than its value.

-----------------

Did you know that Jesus IS ruler of the world?

The Apostle Peter wrote about Jesus after He had been raised from the dead and had ascended into heaven saying that He is:

“...at the right hand of God, having gone into heaven, after angels and authorities and powers had been subjected to Him.” —1 Peter 3:22

That sounds like Jesus received from God the very thing that the devil had offered.

Not only that, not long before Jesus ascended into heaven He told His apostles:

“All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.”

—Matthew 28:18

That sounds like Jesus had received something from God that was even better than what the devil offered; not just rule on earth, but rule in heaven as well.

When tempted by the devil, Jesus realized that the amazing offer was inferior to the inheritance He would receive from God.

Modern America (and I think that includes you) is an easy prey for the devil’s deceptions of instant gratification. So many people wish to indulge in every aspect of life: food, leisure, sex, entertainment, travel, hobbies, and the list goes on. The devil offers immediate fulfillment. However, his fulfillment never fully fills. Only in the moment is there any sense of gratification. His fulfillment is only temporary. Then, the sensation wears off and desire returns, often increasing.

The devil offers shortcuts to promises. However, the devil’s ‘promises’ are:

• Always inferior to God’s promises;
• Always at an extremely high price; and
• Always opposed to the will of God.

So, what IF...for the rest of your life, your immediate desires are not satisfied...yet you inherit eternal life???

How do you stop the devil?

There is a battle for your mind! 
You must engage you mind; you must desire to do God's will. Then...
Reject his inferior offers, because the price tag is far too high.
And, wait on God for true fulfillment.

How Do You Stop The Devil? (Part 4)

I called her Fern for...actually I’m not sure for how long. But her real name was Lois. I know, I know, “How did you get Fern out of Lois?” you are thinking. I have no idea. It was embarrassing when I was finally corrected. Thankfully, Lois had a good sense of humor.

Being called by the wrong name is like having your identity confused. You know who you are, but how important is it for others to know who you are? Perhaps a better and more focused question is: How important is it for God to know who you are? Does God really know who you are???

That was the central focus of the devil’s second temptation of Jesus in Matthew 4:

Then the devil took Him into the holy city and had Him stand on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down; for it is written, ‘He will command His angels concerning You’; and ‘On their hands they will bear You up, So that You will not strike Your foot against a stone.’”  --Matthew 4:5-6

Did you notice the ‘if’ statement: ‘If’ you are the Son of God?

The ‘if’ is designed to create doubt. The first temptation also started with an ‘if.’ It was designed to create doubt in Jesus’ identity as the Son of God, as if to say, “Are you sure you are the Son of God?” The second temptation questioned the identity of Jesus from God’s perspective, as if to say, “Does God really know who you are; does He think you are the Son of God?”

In the first temptation the devil tempted Jesus to prove His identity by performing a miracle Himself. In the second temptation he tempted Jesus to force God to perform a miracle to validate that HE believed Jesus was the Son of God.

The devil quoted from Psalm 91 (That's impressive!), but consider the verse after the quotation:

You will tread upon the lion and cobra, The young lion and the serpent you will trample down.   —Psalm 91:13

The vivid imagery in Psalm 91 was used to convey a message of protection and assistance for those who trust in God. It was not meant to be taken literally. The devil misapplied scripture.

Jesus detected the devil’s deception and knew that he was trying to make Him question His relationship with God. Did God need to prove anything to Jesus, or was God’s word enough?

God had made an open verbal declaration stating that Jesus was His Son (Matthew 3:17). For Jesus to do what the devil suggested would have been asking God to prove what He had already said by doing a miracle. Jesus did not doubt God, but responded wisely:

On the other hand, it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’   —Matthew 4:7

One way the devil tempts Christians is to make them doubt their relationship with God. When difficult times come some people wonder if God really cares. Some people wonder if God hears their prayers. They doubt God when they do not receive the things for which they pray. Do you think an easy life, good health and constant blessings are necessary to prove God’s love for you? In reality, there is nothing for God to prove, not to you and not even to the devil.

Read Romans 5:1-11. 

Stop. Look it up. Read the verses; then finish.

Has God already demonstrated His love for you? 

Has He already declared His relationship with those who are in Christ? 

Do you believe what God has already said about you!? 

Or...

Will you put God to the test?