Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Something to ponder from Joyce Meyer

How to Put the Devil in His Place by Joyce Meyer It’s tragic when people receive Jesus as their Savior and then never have any victory in their life on this earth. Jesus didn’t give His life on the cross just so we could barely get by and struggle through life until we get to heaven. He came so we could have life and enjoy it! (See John 10:10.) The devil, on the other hand, wants to steal, kill and destroy – that’s his sole purpose. He’s a liar, deceiver, destroyer, controller, manipulator and accuser. He wants to take from you and doesn’t want you to enjoy anything. And he’s the source of evil in this world. What Gave the Devil the Upper Hand in My Life For many years I went to church every Sunday and didn’t realize the devil was a problem in my life. I read about him in the Bible and knew he had a few arguments with Jesus, but I really didn’t get it that he was directly affecting my life. Like most people, I believed my problems were just the way life is, and I had to muddle through things day by day, just hoping to make it. I was deceived. “ Jesus didn't give His life on the cross just so we could barely get by and struggle through life until we get to heaven. ” I believed I would always have a second-class life because my father had abused me. I believed every time I made a mistake God was mad at me and I had to work my way back into His good graces. I felt like it was ungodly not to feel guilty and it was “spiritual” to feel bad about myself all the time. It was pitiful. It seemed I would never get over my past. I knew nothing about righteousness, had no peace or joy, and was hard to get along with. I was going to church every week but I wasn’t learning how to live the Christian life. But I eventually learned the truth! How the Truth Will Set You Free You see, the devil is real. He’s against anything and anyone who is for righteousness, peace, love, joy, generosity, compassion and kindness. He vehemently opposes our progress or spiritual growth. While we don’t need to pay an excessive amount of attention to him, we do need to understand his strategies so we can live victoriously and not struggle all the time. The Word of God is a powerful weapon we must use to overcome the enemy. It shows us who we are in Christ and that we’re fighting our battles from a position of victory, not for victory. What I mean by this is we don’t have to strive to get victory – we already have it in Christ. Here are some great scriptures that confirm this truth: •1 John 4:4 •Romans 8:37 •Colossians 1:13 •Luke10:19 Our protection is the Word of God. We must know it, love it, obey it and use it against the enemy when he comes against us. Just as Jesus responded to the devil by speaking God’s Word), we need to speak out the Word of God against the enemy’s lies. As you do, the truth will set you free! I want to encourage you to be aggressive, not passive, in living the Christian life. When people do nothing, that’s when evil takes over. But if we will actively choose to learn the Word and be determined to trust the Truth it brings, we will be free to live the abundant, victorious life in Christ!

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