Tag: Devil

Posted in Bible Journaling, Christian Service, Faith, Fear, Life Inspiration

The Devil is Looking for Trouble

Written by talk2shari Published Discussion Leave a Comment on The Devil is Looking for Trouble

It usually takes multiple attacks, tears of frustration and self blame, nausea and a weakened spirit to the point of utter despair before I finally hear the Spirit of God say to me, “Shari, You’re under attack.” It wasn’t that He probably hadn’t said it several times. He may have even nudged me or spiritually slapped the back of my head but as always, I’m distracted. I could chock it up to being a slower learner, but that would imply I’d “learn” and do better next time. That is probably not the case. 

Attacks come in many forms and are usually quite unique to our own vulnerabilities. Our weaknesses are not hidden from Satan and his minions; they know what captivates our attention and what will feel like we’ve been struck by a violent blow to the gut. Dramatic? But of course, Satan loves drama! And he’s an excellent actor. His first stage was the garden, deceiving Eve, and he’s been adding acts to the same old show since then. We are not slow learners, we’re no learners. At least in my experience. 

So what’s the point of me telling you something you likely already know? Because I know it too, but as I drew the image for this post, (before I wrote the post) it was so obvious that I was in the midst of an attack and hadn’t even realized it because I was so wrapped up in my drama. 

Peter tells us in 1 Peter 5:8 KJV

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

The Devil has one job until all of Hell breaks loose during the tribulation… having God’s people for lunch. That’s why Peter tells us that we need to be sober and vigilant. Seriously on the lookout! Satan is slinking around in the shadows waiting for an opportunity to pounce. 

He did not miss that snarky little comment your husband made… and so he replays it in your mind again and again until it’s blown so far out of proportion from it’s intent.

He did not miss that you felt like the fifth wheel at the last dinner. You’re never in the click. And so you’ll avoid them all. Yay! Now Satan now has even more time to mess with your head.

The images on social media look so perfect. And so silent. They do not tell the storylines behind the smiles of the broken families and imperfect relationships. You just know your life is no where near as great, and then the comparison starts. 

Everyone of those examples and countless more have happened to me. I’m a full course dinner for Satan anytime he wants to have me for lunch. He knows that all he has to do is bring attention to an issue and then I’ll take over from there, making a mountain size problem out of it. Call me gullible. It’s okay.

So what’s the answer? Read Peter’s advice to his friends…

1 Peter 5:9-11 KJVS

[9] Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world. [10] But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you. [11] To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

Resist Him. Satan loves to be the center of attention. That’s what his entire life has been about. Trying to get himself into the place of God. Ignoring him and focusing on your faith and your relationship with God will be what wins the victory over these battles.

Remember you’re not alone. Everyone faces theses same battles, it’s just that theirs are geared to their vulnerabilities. You may never struggle with what they do, or vice versa, but the struggle is every bit as real and hard to overcome for each of you. If only our focus could be on that rather than on the comparison of how easy their life assuredly is. I have this conversation with myself all the time when I look at the “perfect” lives of others. I’m only seeing a snapshot, not the full story. Their life might break me completely if I knew the truth of it. 

Refuse Satan’s words. God has not called you to have the spirit of fear, or frustration but rather there is a work God has called you to do. Which is what Satan is trying to get you off task from. By refusing and rebuking him for lying and manipulating your world you can take charge of the situation. But you have to turn him off like a staticky radio station.

Refresh yourself. Take time to read and study the word of God. Get in the presence of God’s people and focus on what you can do for them. This is my advice for me. Do with it what you will, but I know for certain if I don’t follow my own advice, I’m going to have a miserable day. 

Posted in Eternity, Life Inspiration

Life on Trial

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chick what

I want to say to them, “Your body is a liar.” Those people I meet who fail to see the need for God in their lives. It’s no coincidence that a bad doctor’s report comes in and all of a sudden there is a need to know and speak to God. And even then sometimes that need is overshadowed by an unwillingness to admit they are dependent upon the Creator. As if that somehow means He doesn’t exist and that they are in control. I guess it may be easier for me because I know that I need somebody else to control my world, else it will spin off its axis and go hurling around hurting people, the same way I do if God doesn’t control me, my mouth, my mind and hands. You’re probably better… Me, I a mess on a good day.

1 John 5:10 says “He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son.”

That Witness

The intricate functioning of the body cries out that there is a Creator. To think that we one day just were? Come on! That an explosion would create emotion and conscience in the human and a lack of conscience in critters? That we evolved into who we are today, yet monkeys are still monkeys, and dogs and cats are still arch enemies, a rodent is still disgusting and a gnat is still a gnat. And why on earth would you even want to believe that at the end of time there is nothing? Where is the hope in that; or the intelligence? But I’m pretty simple. The Witness within me cries out for the Creator! I long to be in His presence and enjoy His company; I see the evidence of Him in my life and I see the lack of Him in others.

The Liar

He’s good at his job. He tells the wealthy they are self-made, the strong they are invincible, and the powerful that they are in control of their destiny. He tells the destitute that nobody cares, the poor that poverty is deserved, and the hurt and abused that staying is better than the unknown. He convinces the sick that there is no hope or need to search for it, and the well he makes believe that their health is completely controlled by their decisions. And then his breath breathes victory at their refusal to listen to the Witness within.

The Evidence

It’s around us and within us and it’s amazing! And the day that I accepted Christ and the record of God (the Bible) as the undeniable truth, the evidence became evident. I couldn’t look at anything and not see God. Science has proven the same theory when unbiased scientist search it out. The liar screams and the stillness of God sets in the heart of a Christian and they are at peace when the whole world is chaos. Explain that without God.

Are you searching for evidence? Look in the mirror, God created you in His image and likeness, don’t you see it? Are you a child of God? You are the evidence that someone is looking for, what is your testimony saying?

Posted in Uncategorized

Frustrator’s: the Devil’s hirelings

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Most days I feel like I’m spinning my wheels, some worse than others…frustration mounts, Satan’s a liar and unfortunately I’m often a believer. Much like a comment by Apostle Paul, mine is “That which I want to get done, I don’t; that which I don’t want to do, I do.” Definitely an adlib and creative licensing but I’m sure you get the gist. My goal of working for the Kingdom seems to get thwarted at every turn. I fail (chastise myself) and move on. I fall (dust myself off) and go on. I faint (nourish myself on the Word) and begin again. So when I read the words in verse 5 of this passage, I understood their anguish…

Ezra 4:1-5

1Now when the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard that the children of the captivity builded the temple unto the Lord God of Israel;

2 Then they came to Zerubbabel, and to the chief of the fathers, and said unto them, Let us build with you: for we seek your God, as ye do; and we do sacrifice unto him since the days of Esarhaddon king of Assur, which brought us up hither.

3 But Zerubbabel, and Jeshua, and the rest of the chief of the fathers of Israel, said unto them, Ye have nothing to do with us to build an house unto our God; but we ourselves together will build unto the Lord God of Israel, as king Cyrus the king of Persia hath commanded us.

4 Then the people of the land weakened the hands of the people of Judah, and troubled them in building,

5 And hired counsellors against them, to frustrate their purpose, all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius king of Persia.

Israel had begun working on the temple when the Samaritans, their enemy, offered to be partners in the construction in order to obstruct the builders. When they were denied they hired “frustrators.” I had no idea that was a job description, although I personally know of a few who remain untitled as such and are likely working for free in my world. How true it is though that secular movements want to “help us” run the church by inflicting world views onto the church in order that they might frustrate the building of the Kingdom of God. Moral atrocities that in no way fit the Kingdom of God’s standards are supposed to be accepted as right and the holiness of God is to be cast aside because it discriminates against the world.

Frustrator’s are no respecter of person or position. Anyone working for the Kingdom at any level has an adversary. So you’re a housewife trying to be the best wife and mom you can be… you have your frustrators. You’re the fella or gal at work trying to live holy, share the gospel and be a witness for the cause of Christ… you have your frustrators. You are the missionary or Pastor and serve full time in the ministry… you have your frustrators. The list goes on. Anyone and everyone from the dishwasher to the doctor who has a desire to serve God has daily frustrations and things that get them off track.

This morning before my feet hit the floor I had lost focus on my design. It’s a good thing I’m not called to be perfect I’m called to be a partner. I need to do what I can do, and allow Christ to put the finishing touch on my life.  I can’t fix other broken people… I can only partner with Christ to show them my Lord. I won’t ever be the perfect wife, mother, employee or servant.

So how do we fight off the frustrators? Slowly but surely. That battle is ongoing, it’s not likely to let up, but we must keep on. Keep reading and you see that Israel did get frustrated and almost quit, but God intervened.

I pray today finds you shielded from the frustrations of life. But if not, please keep on. God is worthy.

Posted in Life Inspiration

It may be his job… but you can send him packin’

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A week filled to the brim with blessings… a new little sister in Christ,  getting to know our new Pastor & and his family, rekindled friendships, falling to sleep to sounds of children laughing and the Floridian Pastor, outside my dorm room, playing the guitar with camper Connor Boggs and singing Almost Heaven West Virginia, Country Roads, take me home… what a sweet week! But now I’m home… and happy to be so; there’s only so much fun one chick can take, and I think my husband may have missed me a little.

Satan had done his best to steal the joys of the week before, during and after camp. It’s his job and he’s really good at it!

John 10:10

The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

A verse that should be written on the outside of every suitcase, vanity mirror, coffee cup,  even the toes of our shoes… upon the places we’ll look before, during and after our destination. To serve as a reminder that the joy God has set before you on your journey is on the verge of being dismantled if you allow it. The last thing he will willingly allow is for you to have a joyful time. He’s been on me like white on rice since I walked in the door of the house. Messing with my mind, placing discouraging and attempting worrisome thoughts in my mind.

I determined that I needed to:

Thwart the thief

Matthew 6:19 says – Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:

He cannot steal what he does not have access to. The joys that I have experienced and that the Lord has in store for me today are laid up in Heaven. They weren’t at camp, they aren’t in my home, car or any other physical place on earth. They are in the spiritual possession of my LORD. What I can do though is allow Satan to get my eyes off of the spiritual side of the blessing and onto the tangible side. The part that moths and rust corrupt. Things break, (hearts included), plans change or fall through, personalities clash, things don’t always work out, but the blessings that God provides in abundance are those joys within our soul that Satan can’t touch!

Take captive the killer

Oh my stars! I don’t know how many times during camp Satan would try to kill the Spirit of the service, or the relationships of the kids and counselors. I spoke to the kids one morning of a vision that God had put into my mind of two wrestlers by the camp fire; the host of heaven on one side and the host of hell on the others cheering the wrestlers on as they struggled on the brink of falling into the fire. That’s what our services were like. Satan did his best, but God is better! Hallelujah!

Dismantle the destroyer

If you want to dismantle Satan’s ill intentions you’ve got to take some pieces out of play.

  • Pride’s got to go.
  • Self has got to go.
  • Your plan has got to go.
  • Your way has got to go.

Those are game pieces that Satan can manipulate on the board to his advantage. Those things take your focus off of the Lord Jesus Christ and put it on to the things of earth, where our treasures are not.

IN GOD THERE IS LIFE ABUNDANT! God is good, all the time. Even in a storm the goodness of God can be found. Stop settling for less.

Following the news of God’s abundance is the news of God’s goodness:

John 10:11

I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.

He has His life for us so that we could have life in abundance… don’t turn it down.