Becoming a Christian expands our intellect in terms of how the world operates. We understand that the devil roams through the earth causing chaos, confusion, and destruction. From God’s Word we also comprehend that we are His chosen people. We know that God has a plan for us, and He will protect us as we maneuver through life. It is very important for us to understand that in order to obtain continuous momentum toward the plan that God has for us, we must keep our minds stimulated with His Word. We must read the bible to build our relationship with Heavenly Father, so that we are able to handle whatever the enemy throws our way.
Jesus Christ told us that we are going to face trials and tribulations. In John 16:33(NLT), He said “I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” While Jesus carried forth his ministry here on earth, people despised him to such a degree that they crucified Him. Jesus Christ is the light, and when he walked upon this earth, people loved the darkness more than they loved the light.
Some of us might want to believe that people despised Jesus because they didn’t like his personality, but in actuality they hated the truth that he represented. Romans 8:17 says that we are joint heirs of Christ Jesus. We are his body, and his brothers and sisters. We have his light shining forth within us through the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit. So it stands to reason that if people hated Jesus because of his pure and perfect light, they will hate us as well. They will try and come for us because we represent Jesus Christ.
That is why Jesus made it crystal clear to us that we are going to have some opposition. But he also told us something else that is very important. Jesus told us in John 10:10 (NLT) “the thief purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.” Jesus Christ gave us access to a rich and fulfilling life, but the devil is a thief, and his purpose is to steal, kill, and destroy. The greatest way that he does this is through people. The devil uses people to disrupt our lives.
Now we might hear this and get very angry at those who have come against us. We might even want to battle it out with those who have spoken against us or lied on us. This would not be the way of Christ. He has made it possible for us to have a greater knowledge and intellect regarding the way to handle matters through our spiritual power and strength.
In God’s Word, Ephesians 6:12(NLT) tells us, “For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.” Think about something; what if you were sitting on your porch, and you saw a thief scoping out your neighborhood. You asked him, “Thief, what are you doing around here?” It is very unlikely that he would say, “I am a thief, and I am here to rob your house.” He is too dastardly for that. He will disguise himself so that you and others cannot recognize him for what he is. This is what the devil does to people that do not know God’s Word.
2 Corinthians 4:4 (NLT) tells us, "Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God.” Some people are blinded so much by the devil that they are used by him to steal, kill, and destroy, but they do not know that are being blinded and used.
So the devil uses people and the distractions they cause to take out as many Christians as he can, because he does not want us to follow God’s Plan. His tactics is to cause trouble and chaos so that we as Christians lose heart. Losing heart causes us to regress, because our minds are so consumed with the trouble the enemy causes that we lose faith.
We must be clear about this, because in order to make a plan for dealing with tribulations and turbulence, the first thing we must comprehend is where the opposition is coming from. 1 Corinthians 14:33(KJV) makes it very plain, “For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of all saints.” God is not the source of our discord; it is the devil.
1Peter 5:8(NLT) directs us to “Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.” Understand why the bible compares the devil to a lion. When a lion roars at its prey, sometimes the prey will freeze in its tracks because of the loudness of the roar. This is what the devil tries to do to us. Again, he sends distractions, so that our minds are so saturated with deterrents that we freeze. We allow things to take us so far away from God’s Will and Plan that we become paralyzed by the magnitude of our problems. This is why God tells us to stay alert, and know our enemy. We cannot be consumed with fear, but instead we must trust completely in the Lord.
This is the best plan we can have. We can’t be rocked by what the enemy is doing, but we must trust God with everything that is within us, because He has already given us victory over every demonic force we might face. John 4:4(NLT) explains “But you belong to God, my dear children. You have already won a victory over those people, because the spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world.”
We are the chosen children of God. Our lives are in His hands. God has given us victory over those who will allow the devil to work through them. The spirit that abides in us is greater than the one that works in the World, so we must maintain confidence in the Lord. Psalms 46:1-2 (NLT) affirms that “God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble. So we will not fear when earthquakes come and the mountains crumble into the sea.” We have help with whatever we are facing. We can lean on God, and He will help us.■