1 Peter 5:1-14
Intro Questions
- God is ... What do we learn about God in this passage?
- We are ... What do we learn about people in this passage?
- I will ... What has the Holy Spirit revealed to us in this passage? How can I apply it to my life this week?
- You can ... Who do you know who needs to hear this? Feel free to share with others by social media links at the bottom of this.
4 Common Tactics Of Satan – Know Your Enemy!
What are four common
tactics of Satan or demons that can help us know our enemy.
Discouragement
If someone becomes discouraged, they quit trying. That brings them no
closer to the finish line and it stops their personal spiritual growth. That is
not God’s will (2nd Pet 3:18). That’s not an option.
Plants and vegetation can tell us a lot about ourselves. Whatever is not
growing, is dying. Discouragement is a tactic of Satan or demons to get you to
pull the plug on life or on your faith. Don’t fall for it. Know your enemy.
Deception
ven a half-truth is a whole lie and who is better at lying than Satan?
Jesus said “You are of your father the devil, and your will
is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does
not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he
speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies” (John 8:44). Ouch, Satan. You are a liar, but
when we lie, we’re being more like Satan than God because God is
truth (John 14:6) and cannot lie (Num 23:19; Titus 1:2).
Division
Division in a marriage can end in divorce. It gives the devil a
foothold, so when you start sensing division within the church and friction
between members, be aware that this is exactly what Satan wants. His tactic is
to divide and conquer, and like a wise enemy, he seeks to destroy us from
within. Since we know that God seeks us to be completely unified, division is
at the opposite of what God wants but what Satan loves.
Did God Really Say?
We cannot trust our own feelings. Human doubt is among the most
shallow, unreliable things when it comes to deciding what is true or not.
Rather, believe what God says of His word through the Apostle Paul, “All Scripture is breathed out by God
and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in
righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good
work” (2nd Tim 3:16-17).
I checked the Greek for “all” as in “All Scripture” and it means, no
surprise, “all!” Don’t fall for the same tactic he used with Eve in the Garden
by saying, “Did God actually say…” (Gen 3:1).
Conclusion
Try to think what Satan most desires; discouragement, which will take away
the effectiveness of personal witnessing; deception, where even a half-truth
becomes a whole lie; division, which turns the church in on itself; and doubt,
when we start doubting God’s Word. Try to remember that what Satan loves,
God hates, and you’ll know your enemy well enough to not be deceived. By all
means, armor up (Eph 6).
May
God richly bless you,
Pastor
Jack Wellman
Daily Devotional by Max Lucado
"the One who came still comes and the One who spoke still speaks"
December 16
This is the true grace
of God. Stand strong in that grace.
1 Peter 5:12
Up the hill we trudge. Weary, wounded hearts wrestling with unresolved mistakes. Sighs of anxiety. Tears of frustration. Words of rationalization. Moans of doubt....
Jesus stands on life's most barren hill and waits with outstretched, nail-pierced hands. A "crazy, holy grace" it has been called. A type of grace that doesn't hold up to logic. But then....grace doesn't have to be logical. If it did, it wouldn't be grace.
Everyday Blessings
Max Lucado
©2000 - 2007
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