Barnabas Bulletin ~ 0005
RECOGNIZING SATAN'S STRATEGY
AGAINST YOU
Over the last decade there has been a lot spoken on the subject of spiritual warfare. But have you ever considered what Satan's No. 1 strategy is in order to prevent you from fulfilling your destiny in the Kingdom of God? I have thought about this a lot, and have come up with an answer that may surprise you. I now personally believe Satan's No. 1 strategy against us is to simply make us doubt the voice of God to our lives. When he makes us doubt that, then it defuses us, and we do nothing. It renders us powerless and inactive! That is not God's will.
In Genesis 3, Satan's first strategy against Eve was to make her doubt what God had said. He turned the positive "God has said" into a negative question, "Has God said?" Once Eve subjected herself to that doubt, she commenced a series of decisions and actions that robbed her and Adam of their inheritance in God. If Eve had steadfastly believed and stuck to what God had said, things would have turned out quite differently for her. In fact her doubting what "God has said" had repercussions that have affected the whole of the human race ever since! (That was a "king hit" strategy of the devil!)
In Matthew 4:1-11 (Mark 1:12-13; Luke 4:1-8), Satan used the same strategy against Jesus in the wilderness: "If You be the Son of God . . . ?" (v. 4, 6). Satan tried to make Jesus question and doubt the truth about Himself. Yet, in the last verse of the previous chapter, the voice from Heaven had powerfully and positively declared Jesus to be the beloved Son of God! Satan is the master of the power of doubt. Jesus overcame his strategies by sticking to the truth of the spoken and written Word of God. It is the same for us today. We have the power of choice. We choose to believe the positive Word of God to us, or we can choose to doubt it. The difference in attitude and life-style as a result - is huge!
Christian, do not doubt the Word of God to you! It is THE TRUTH! It carries the power to release us into all that God desires for us. It enables us to live above the negative alternative that the devil wants us to settle for. The voice, the Word of God to us, is the inspiration, the motivation, the authority we need to rise above the "humdrum" of natural living, to enable us to accomplish great things for God. The whole Bible is all about the voice of God to His people. What He says is what we need to overcome the obstacles, heartaches and disappointments in life's journey.
He speaks today. He longs for our fellowship. He longs for a meaningful relationship with us. He wants to talk to us today and give us the keys and strategies to baffle the enemy's plotting against us. Far too many Christians doubt the voice of God to their heart and their spirit, and settle for a "second best" existence. That's exactly what Satan wants you to do. Don't be fooled any longer. Rise up in the power of the truth of the Word of God and defeat Satan, and all those doubts he seeks to sow into your mind. Believe God! Believe Jesus! Believe the Holy Spirit! Believe the Word of Truth!
Decide today to believe God! Decide today that every doubt that has robbed you from going forth in the power of the Holy Spirit is a lie from the devil. Be awake to his strategy to make you doubt. It all comes down to our believing. We live according to our beliefs. Make sure we believe what God says, for that is the whole essence of the Christian faith. Don't doubt God any longer! Don't doubt your ability as a man or woman of God! It's time to rise in the power of the positive belief of what God has said to you! And, "GOD HAS SAID"! God bless you! - Rodney W. Francis.
Bible Readings: 1 Kings 8:56-61; 2 Chronicles 20:20; Joshua 21:45; Psalm 111:7; Ezekiel 12:21-28; Matthew 4:4; 2 Timothy 3:14-17.
Please Pray This Prayer:
"Dear God, I come to You in Jesus' All-Powerful and Mighty Name! I confess to You today my choice to believe what You have said in Your Word, and to my spirit. Forgive me, Lord, for all the doubts I've had about Your Word to me, and all those doubts I've had about myself. I desire to be the person You have ordained me to be! I declare today that You are THE TRUTH and what You say I will accept as THE TRUTH. I declare the devil is a liar and I resist his doubts in my mind! I rebuke his strategy against me, and I say today, 'I AM GOD'S PROPERTY, and the enemy has no rights over my life!' In Jesus' name I walk out to face life in the victory which JESUS THE TRUTH gives me each day. Amen and Amen!"
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