"The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly." (John 10:10)
Each and every one of us is filled with purpose from the day that we are conceived in our mother's womb. God has a plan He has called us to walk out in it's entirety for His glory. The road will not always be easy (James 1:2-4) and the burden will not always be light. There will be struggles, doubt, temptation, fear, haters and more. But there is good news; with God all things are possible and He wants us to be confident that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ (Philippians 1:6). Just as we have purpose, the enemy has a purpose as well. John 10:10 (above) tells us that Satan comes to steal, kill and destroy. He wants to steal your joy, kill your purpose and destroy your life! Satan can only do what we allow Him to do and he will be successful when we are not connected to Christ through a true relationship with Him. Jesus desires to bestow upon us a gives us a rich and abundant life. Part of that abundance is guidance into what He has called us to do.When things are going well the road is easy. When you have discovered your purpose and have begun to walk in it, be prepared for the attack of the enemy.
I have discovered my purpose and have been obedient to the leading of The Holy Spirit. God placed in me the gift of encouraging others through my gift of writing which has extended to speaking as well. I didn't always know what to do, but as I took one step, God stepped in and began to lead me down the trail He created just for me. As I followed his guidance, He began to place clear direction within my heart. It seemed as if right when God began to speak, the enemy began to attack. He has come in more ways that I could have imagined. He is conniving and sneaky. Persistent to steal, to kill and to destroy. What Satan doesn't know is that I am equipped to win the war, not just the battle...and you are too!
If you have been in a fighting battle with Satan, I want to encourage you today! Jesus Christ gave each and every one of us the victory when we was crucified and rose again for our salvation in Him. Each and every Christian will be under spiritual attack at some point in their life. Satan wants our purpose, our success, our minds and our hearts. He wants us to become discouraged and feel defeated. He wants us to doubt God and lose faith. He is constantly working to keep us from getting all that Jesus Christ has stored up for us! We cannot allow Satan to steal the victory that Christ died to give to us!
Satan is an intelligent enemy! His cleverness tricked Adam and Eve into sinning against God. He will always tempt us with something that we enjoy - that thing that he knows we struggle with or want so badly! If he knows that you desire a husband, be careful because Satan will send an Ishmael and make you think it's Isaac! God allows Satan to bring affliction into our lives just as he did with Job but he is never allowed to win the ultimate victory (John 16:33). Often times, God wants to remind us that our total trust and dependence should be in Him. Our faith will be tested over and over again!
"Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." (James 1:2-4)
In order to win against satan, we must Get Equipped! How do we do that? Below are 5 ways to get equipped for victory in any battle! If these things are non-negotiable in your life, satan can try to fight you but he will never succeed!
- Develop an intimate relationship with Christ - God wants every part of you on every day. He doesn't want to hear from you just when you need something. He wants to walk with you, talk with you and live within you. Follow Christ with your whole heart in EVERY area of your life.
- Be knowledgable in The Word of God - We can't know the true character of God without reading His living Word! The only way to know how to walk through life and embrace holiness is to know what is required of us. As we get deeper in the Word, we are able to discern what God requires of us and know the purpose that He placed within us.
- Feed Your Spirit daily - Just as we must feed our bodies with physical food we must feed our spirits. Listen to sermons, read scriptures, worship God in song. This brings us closer to Him and fully equips us to win against the enemy.
- Choose your circle wisely - "Do not be misled: Bad company corrupts good character” (1 Corinthians 15: 33) - surround yourself with brothers and sisters in Christ that will spiritually lead you and hold you accountable to live a holy and pleasing life. Continuously being in close relationship with negative people or people that aren't living a Christian life will slowly lead you astray.
- Develop a life of Prayer - A prayerful life is a peaceful life. Going into the presence of God daily is so important to being equipped for any attack of the enemy. He wants us to pour out our hearts to Him. We must consistently spend time on our knees before God.
Tell Satan that you are God's elect and part of His chosen few! Tell him that he must come with more than that to get to you! Take these steps and make them the intricate design of your life. You have the victory and satan is defeated!