When You're in the Devil's Crosshairs
Let’s face it. If we make it our goal to seek more in Jesus and not seek more in the world, Satan is going to attack. Further, if we have a desire to see others experience the power and love of Christ, we just put ourselves in the center of Satan’s crosshairs.
I don’t say these things to frighten you. I just want you to know the reality of it. The devil hates Jesus Christ and wants nothing less than everyone spending eternity separated from the Lord’s presence. Heaven to be empty and Hell to be full is Satan’s goal.
When we purpose to center on Christ and lead others to do likewise, we set ourselves in direct opposition to that goal.
Since this is true, you can take it to the bank that the devil will assail you with doubts and questions. He wants you to question God’s love for you. He wants you to distrust God’s will. He wants you to wonder if Jesus is really who He said He was. He wants you to be skeptical of the Bible’s accuracy and authority. He wants you to be uncertain of your convictions. He wants you to be filled with pride and hesitate to trust that Christ can manage your life much better than you can. He wants your faith to be an embarrassment to you so that you will have misgivings about standing for Christ or sharing Him with others. He wants you to stop reading this and turn on the TV! He wants all that and much more.
Again, I don’t tell you this to scare you but to make you clearly aware of how Satan works. The Apostle Paul told the Corinthians to be aware of these things so that Satan [would] not outsmart us. For we are very familiar with his evil schemes.
It is important that we too be “familiar” with the devil’s evil schemes. That way, when doubts, uncertainty, pride, or embarrassment well up within us, we will know the source of that flow.
Satan has been working this way since the days of Adam and Eve. His first recorded words in the Bible were meant to cast doubt in the heart of Eve. With Eve standing before the forbidden fruit, Satan cunningly whispers, "Did God really say you must not eat any of the fruit in the garden?"
See how he brings uncertainty.
Eve must have thought to herself, “Did God really say that? Or was I mistaken?” Then, thinking it through, she remembered what God said. “No, we can eat from any tree except for this one. If we eat from this one, we will die.”
Satan was waiting for those words, "You won't die!" the serpent hissed. "God knows that your eyes will be opened when you eat it. You will become just like God, knowing everything, both good and evil."
There is nothing new with Satan’s tricks. He has been working this way ever since. Throughout history, soul after soul has been led away by doubt and pride.
So be prepared! Draw close to God. In His great strength, you can overcome. Draw close to Christ. He defeated Satan at the cross 2000 years ago, and He will defeat Satan again today in your own heart. Continue to seek more of Christ. The more your heart fills with Christ, the less room there is for Satan’s ploys.
Trust Christ to do an awesome work in you. Trust. I like that word. You know why? It is the opposite of doubt. Therefore, the more you trust Christ, the less you will doubt Him.
That’s why it is what we will be discussing in the next blog!
