Is Satan attacking or is GOD testing? Based on recent posts and responses on the private website, there appears to be some confusion about the power Satan has in our lives. But as we stand for the full and complete restoration of our marriages and families, we just can’t allow failure to understand that Satan has NO power in our lives to cause seeds of doubt and discouragement to be sown in our hearts, minds and spirits, because that just stops or hinders the flow of the Holy Spirit, and too much is at stake! So we OFTEN need reminding JUST WHO GOD IS AND WHO SATAN IS NOT!!! Therefore, instead of thinking we are helpless victims at the mercy of SATAN, or even vulnerable to his schemes and plans, we have to understand that SATAN can NOT touch us or come against us in ANY way UNLESS WE GIVE HIM PERMISSION AND invite HIM IN!!! As Jesus said in John 10:10 (NASB), “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. Despite having read and quoted this verse literally hundreds of times, when I reread it to include here, I couldn’t believe what just jumped out at me! I was amazed that I never noticed the significance of one little word that seems insignificant; yet is VERY significant! And that’s the word may. While might means maybe; may means that we have been given permission by one with the authority to give it! SO despite being taught otherwise by so many; life, and abundant life, is NOT GUARANTEED; it’s something we MAY have. And the ONLY WAY DO what God’s Word tells us to do. And though that’s confirmed repeatedly throughout the Bible, one of the most definitive passages about that is in Deuteronomy 30, which ironically is what so many people wrongly use to rationalize what I consider the False Doctrine of Free Will. Yet, God doesn’t say one word about having a choice; in fact, He ACTUALLY COMMANDS US TO CHOOSE LIFE in verses 15-19 (my emphasis added); See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction. For I command you today to love the LORD your God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commands, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase, and the LORD your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess. But if your heart turns away and you are not obedient, and if you are drawn away to bow down to other gods and worship them, I declare to you this day that you will certainly be destroyed. You will not live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess. This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the LORD your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the LORD is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. So, we MAY have the abundant life Jesus came to give us ONLY when we OBEY God’s Word. And one of the most important means of accessing the abundant life Jesus came to give us is using the power of His Word and praise to overcome and defeat the devil; which then becomes the word of our testimony (Revelation 12:10-11)

And the Bible teaches us that praising God and taking thoughts contrary to His written Word captive AND MAKING them OBEDIENT to Christ, the Word, ALWAYS stops the devil dead in his tracks! But when we don’t DO that, and look at what we perceive to be “bad reports” and never even consider or attempt to access the power and authority of God’s Word and that HE IS NOT A LIAR and that JESUS CAME TO KEEP THE DEVIL FROM STEALING, KILLING AND DESTROYING US AND ANYTHING IN OUR LIVES, we open the door and invite Satan right in! If we believe and SAY that we particularly come “under attack by the enemy” whenever we praise or serve the Lord in some way, do we REALLY believe or mean to say that the devil has more power to come against us just because we praise, serve or obey God? That is nonsense and totally against what the Word tells us. So let’s set the record straight right now and get rid of this notion that the devil can “attack” us; because IF WE SPEAK THE WRITTEN WORD OF GOD BACK TO THE DEVIL WHEN HE COMES CALLING, JUST AS WITH JESUS, HE WILL FLEE (Matthew 4:1-11)!!! And God wouldn’t tell us to take our thoughts captive to WIN the spiritual warfare being waged against us if we don’t have the power and ability to do so or if it wouldn’t work (2 Corinthians 10:2-6)! So that means that there’s not a lot of taking thoughts captive going on; much less MAKING them obedient to Christ–the Word, when we’re proclaiming that we’re “being attacked by the enemy.!” And if we go around expecting to “be attacked” because we praise the Lord or serve Him in faithful obedience; then we shouldn’t be too surprised when we are; because we literally spoke it into being and gave Satan permission and power in our lives by doing so! IF we were praising the Lord instead, Satan would have to flee, because as Psalm 22:3 (AMP) tells us, But You are holy, O You Who dwell in [the holy place where] the praises of Israel [are offered]. The devil and God can not and DO NOT dwell together; so if we want to get rid of and overcome the devil; we have to praise the Lord and speak His Word out of our mouths, and not words that only magnify and empower Satan. The devil’s power is NOTHING compared to the power of Jesus Christ that dwells inside of every one of us when we have made (and continue to make) Him the Lord of our lives. So let’s read and MEDITATE on the following scriptures and realize who we are in Christ and then DO what Luke 10:19 tells us to do; we can’t be hearers of the Word only (James 1:23-25); that’s being like “foolish builders” who build our houses on sinking sand and houses so built WILL most assuredly come down with a great crash and be utterly destroyed (Luke 6:46-49)! In fact, that’s exactly why most of us are now seeking and standing for marriage restoration!

The seventy-two returned with joy and said, “Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name.” He replied, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. (Luke 10:17-19)

“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged because of the king of Assyria and the vast army with him, for there is a greater power
with us than with him. (2 Chronicles 32:7)

You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. (1 John 4:4)

Early in the morning they left for the Desert of Tekoa. As they set out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Listen to me, Judah and people of Jerusalem! Have faith in the LORD your God and you will be upheld; have faith in his prophets and you will be successful.” After consulting the people, Jehoshaphat appointed men to sing to the LORD and to praise him for the splendor of his holiness as they went out at the head of the army, saying: “Give thanks to the LORD, for his love endures forever.” As they began to sing and praise, the LORD set ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated. (2 Chronicles 20:20-22)

The wild animals honor me, the jackals and the owls, because I provide water in the desert and streams in the wasteland, to give drink to my people, my chosen, the people I formed for myself that they may proclaim my praise. (Isaiah 43:20-21)

Even when Satan comes calling, it is ONLY because God has allowed it; usually to test, prove, strengthen or discipline us in some way. And it’s important to understand that God does NOT test us so HE can find out what is in our hearts; He tests us so WE know what’s in our hearts and recognize the work that still needs to be done. As with Job, Joseph, many others, and even Jesus, God also uses those testing times in our lives to serve as a testimony to others of His power, faithfulness, love and goodness when they see the blessings, favor and protection brought about by our faith and obedience; such as the restoration of our marriages and families.
Read Job 1:6-12 and understand that it was GOD who even suggested that Satan “consider” Job. BUT He restricted and limited Satan’s access and authority to steal, kill and destroy Job’s life. Then read Job 2:1-7 and realize that Satan had to once again present himself before God to get permission to bring physical harm to Job’s body; making it undeniably clear that Satan does NOT operate outside of the authority of God; no matter how difficult that might be for us to comprehend and understand. And then again later, in Luke 22:31-34, we see that Satan had to request permission to “sift” Peter; “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.” But he replied, “Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death.” Jesus answered, “I tell you, Peter, before the rooster crows today, you will deny three times that you know me.”

Unfortunately, just like Peter, we often think we’ve really arrived when we haven’t quite made the destination God has predestined for us yet; which HE has to point out to us to get us where He wants us. That’s why we are warned in 1 Corinthians 10:12 (AMP) Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. So it’s important for all of us to understand that when we start instructing and encouraging others concerning how they should or shouldn’t be, and what they should or shouldn’t say or do, we need to be sure we are practicing what we preach; because if not, we can be absolutely certain that GOD will point it out to us! And since Genesis 50:20 tells us that what is intended for evil, God in tends for good and that it will be for the good of many. We also have to realize that God uses even those times we fail for our good and for His glory!; You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. But…PLEASE STOP SPEAKING TIMES OF TESTING, TRIALS, ATTACK, STRUGGLES, DISCOURAGEMENT AND DEFEAT INTO BEING! I love something Lorraine said in her Coffee Break message the other morning. She said “Our mouths are not always like a pleasant stream bringing words of refreshing. They don’t always bring healing. They often do more damage–especially in an already bad situation.” That’s certainly true when we speak negative thoughts, attitudes and emotions into being, so let’s put an end to it, because it will indeed stop the flow of the Holy Spirit dead in His tracks, and none of us want or can afford that! PRAISE IS WHERE THE POWER IS! And if we haven’t seen proof of that lately, I don’t think we’ll ever get it! So read Tuesday’s SOF post (Lorraine’s message about our mouths) and GET IT!!! When our mouths are filled with praise and the Word of God, we will send the devil packing whenever he comes calling and we’ll most definitely be blessed and encouraged!

Posted Thursday, August 7th, 2008 at 12:41 pm in Seeds Of Faith.