“But though he (Satan) is cast out of heaven, he is not out of our lives. . . . He is the enemy of your God-given destiny and longs to be the destroyer of your soul. Don’t dismiss him.”- Max Lucado (emphasis author’s)
“Your rich commerce led you to violence, and you sinned. So I banished you in disgrace from the mountain of God. I expelled you, O mighty guardian, from your place among the stones of fire. . . . So I threw you to the ground; and exposed you to the curious gaze of kings.”- Ezekiel 28:16-17 (NLT)
Max Lucado concludes Chapter 3 of Unshakable Hope as he urges us to agree with the witness of Scripture concerning Satan. From the first page to the last, the Bible confronts us with “an arrogant, anti-God force of great cunning and power. . . . Satan appears in the garden at the beginning. He is cast into the fire at the end. . . . Serious students of Scripture must be serious about Satan.”
Therefore, we play into Satan’s hand when we ignore or deny his existence. However, even though the devil’s real, the devil is a defeated devil (emphasis author’s). We must be alert to the devil. However, we must not let him intimidate us. Rather, Max exhorts, go immediately to Scripture! Stand on God’s promises.
In addition, Pastor Lucado explains, God’s given us three spiritual weapons of warfare:
- Prayer – in prayer we engage God’s power against the devil.
- Worship– when we worship we place God on the throne, something Satan himself refused to do.
- Scripture – in the wilderness, Jesus responded to Satan as He proclaimed truth. Because Satan has a severe allergy to truth, He left Jesus alone. We reflect Jesus’ actions when we pick up the sword of Scripture.
In conclusion, Max observes, we possess certain victory over Satan. For we know the final score.
Today’s question: How do you employ prayer, worship, and Scripture to repel the enemy of your God-given destiny? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: “Divine resources deposited in you”
