Most Caring Lord, in my Christian life I battle with forces of evil who want to diminish Your influence in my life and lead me into captivity and bondage. To withstand their onslaught, I must plug in to Your strength and don the full armor You gave me … truth, righteousness, the gospel of peace, faith, salvation and Your Word. You warned me that I should guard against the wiles of the my enemy because what I face are not “war games” but very real battles. The Devil and his band of fallen angels are not fantasies, but very real and powerful foes that use every device in their arsenal to destroy my faith and hope. My enemies will use every deceptive means to turn me from you and back to sinful ways. You died so I could choose freedom, but they come with counterfeit promises to lead me back into captivity. I need the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit to overcome those who would subvert Your will.
How very devious are the ways of the evil one. Many times I have heard him say “did God really say that” when I am convicted of a wrong and want to repent. He tries to counteract Your call to repentance by making what is wrong seem right or not as serious as it seems. He preys on my weaknesses and encourages me to rebel against You. Or, he may try to give me justification for violating Your commands by offering the promise that surely You will understand and give me a break because I am weak. I must reject these thoughts by turning to Your Word for direction so I can fulfill Your call “to be holy as You are holy.” The schemes of the Devil are clever … his deceptions are made to sound like my own thoughts … he beguiles with words that are seductive and convincing … and, the allure of what he offers draws me from light into darkness.
To overcome the attractiveness of temptation and sin, I must realize that I am weak and do not have the power to overcome them alone. What I must rely on are Your gifts of love (the assurance of Your personal affection for me and Your concern for my well-being), power (an infusion of power from the Holy Spirit that will allow me to stand and resist the wiles of the Devil) and a sound mind (that is rooted and grounded in the precepts found in Your Word). When the forces of evil come to subdue my flesh and untrained mind, I must draw close to You, seek the counsel of Your Word and apply Your precepts to my situation so that my enemies do not overrun my life. I must stand with You, believe Your words and obey Your commands. You never promised my life would be easy … just that You understood what I would go through and wanted to help me overcome the schemes of the Devil. And it’s in Jesus’ name I pray. Amen!!
James 4:7 Submit yourself to God. Resist the Devil and he will flee from you.