Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings. ~1 Peter 5:8–9 (NIV)
We must resist our enemy and stand firm in our faith if we are going to defeat him. Unbelief is one of the tactics the enemy uses to try to get us off track with God. When we stop believing God loves us and has a good plan for our lives, we are essentially calling God a liar. He tells us in Jeremiah 29:11 “’For I know the plans I have for you,’ says the Lord. ‘They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.’” (NLT) The devil throws questions at us all day to try to get us to doubt the promises of God. He tries to destroy our faith with lies such as “If God really cared about you, would He make you go through this trial?” or “If God truly loved you, would He treat you this way?” Or even “God could give you what you’re asking for right now, if He wanted to. If He really loved you, why would He make you wait?” If we don’t stand firm in our faith and content that God knows what He is doing and knows what would be the best for us, we will let the enemy convince us that God doesn’t love us or have our best interests at heart and we will allow him to plant seeds of doubt and unbelief into our hearts. This is exactly why we have to grab on to the promises of God, we have to know His word to us. Even Jesus knew the word of God was the only way to fight the enemy and after three times of declaring God’s word. The enemy left the Lord and angels came to minister to Him. The Lord teaches us in James 4:7 “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” (NIV) We resist the devil by clinging to the promise. To the word that God has spoken over us and to us.
God wants us to remain strong and true like Abraham and other believers who have been great examples of faith for us. The Lord tells us in 1 Peter 5:6-7 “Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that He may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.” (NIV) When struggles, trials, and hardships come our way—and they always do—we have a choice. We can let ourselves worry and doubt in the love of God or in His goodness and mercy towards us or we can heed Peter’s words and give God our cares and concerns trusting that He truly loves us and will make a way where there appears to be no way. Our job is to be vigilant during the difficult times. We must resist the devil, standing firm in our faith, knowing this same kind of suffering is going on all over the world. There is a good chance God is using you today to be a light for someone who is watching to see if you are going to go forward with God in faith and succeed or shrink back and suffer defeat. We have been born again into a family of believers and it is time we start acting like it!
But my righteous one will live by faith. And I take no pleasure in the one who shrinks back. But we do not belong to those who shrink back and are destroyed, but to those who have faith and are saved. ~Hebrews 10:38-39 (NIV)
What anxieties do you need to give to the Lord today and rest in His love?
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