WHAT THE DEVIL WANTS FROM YOU (Part Two)

WHAT THE DEVIL WANTS FROM YOU (Part Two)

It is time to clean the house! No joke! The devil cannot be your friend! He is a thief and he is a killer.

The devil’s plan for your life is three-fold:  To Steal… To Kill… and To Destroy….. He has NO good plan for You and Your life!

Here I want you to understand the words of Jesus in this text. Jesus said, “the thief comes ONLY to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” John 10:10 (emphasis mine). He said; the thief will come. No doubt about that. In fact, read what Peter says in 1 Pet. 5:8 “Be alert, be on watch! Your enemy, the Devil, prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” The devil has no plan for you except to steal, kill and destroy. Jesus said, “he comes ONLY… That means; surely the devil will come, but when he comes he has no other interest or purpose for you but ONLY one thing. He comes turn everything upside down in your life. By nature, the devil doesn’t know any order. Actually, he doesn’t even want order.  He is the architect and the source of all chaos. There is no goodness in him at all!

WHAT THE DEVIL WANTS FROM YOU
The devil wants to devour you, in other words, he wants to kill you. He wants to kill your joy, confidence, peace and happiness by any means necessary. That is his ultimate plan for you.

As the matter of fact, if you are a Christians, he cannot do anything to you directly but he will use any thing and every thing to disappoint you, to scare you, to take away your confidence, to shake your strong foundation and fill your soul with fear and doubt —even he can collaborate all his demons to the point of taking your life. He’s your enemy and his plan is to take you out. He’s not your
friend and definitely not your buddy!




To carry out his goal he will use every opportunity as well as time. That is why the scripture says, “be watchful” 1 Peter 5: 8-11. 1 Peter 5 gives the “why” for watchfulness, because “the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.”  If you  try to keep your head in the sand and pretend there is no such thing devil in the world who is active and focused to steal, kill and destroy, you will not survive.

Listen! Christianity, I mean true Christianity is not fun. When we are called to follow Christ, we are called into the battlefield. God called us soldiers not spectators. He never calls people into picnic, pastime, or pleasure. From start to finish, it is war, compelled to “endure hardness like a good soldier.” We are called into the spiritual military boot camp. As you know, in any boot camp training is serious. It’s not fun; it’s not comfortable; but it’s necessary. Because God’s ultimate purpose is to make an army out of you. He wants to make a warrior out of you! We have been called into this army for a purpose, God’s purpose. The purpose of an army is to insure freedom and liberty. In addition, soldiers must go into battle with the proper training and equipment. The purpose of all this discipline and training is not to wear us down but to make us ready and strong for the battle. Because only well trained soldiers stand strong and bring victory.

And one of the best characters of a strong soldier is his watchfulness. He is always on guard. The cost of carelessness in this call is so high. Why? Like the scripture says, “your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour (I Peter 5:8)”.  My friends, the devil doesn’t sleep on your case. He is always watching. He is always hunting.

I don’t know if you like to watch NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC DISCOVERY or something about animals and their amazing characteristics. Think about a lion for a moment. Even though, the symbol of lion characterizes strength, majesty, and leadership in the Bible. Here, in 1 Peter 5: 8-11 the symbol is for one who is ruthless, stealthy, and powerfully aggressive animal often working from ambush. Lions by nature will stalk and attack animals even larger than themselves. Lions usually look for and attack the animals that are alone, exposed and wandered away from the others.  And that is the wonderful opportunity for lions to attack from every side and put him in a slow and painful death. Lions are good predators. They have good eyesight at night, which helps them prowl around their prey. Since they don’t run as fast as cheetahs, they tend to get as close as possible to their prey and dart out.

The enemy frequently strikes in our darkest times. In the daylight, when everything is good and powerful, and when our life is right with God according to the scripture, he can do nothing. So, He is waiting and waiting for that perfect time, for the better chance to make his surprising attack us.
Peter says Satan is prowling. He is seeking. He is devouring. Like a hungry, roaring lion. That’s is why Paul says in Ephesians 4:27, “do not give the devil an opportunity.” Don’t allow Satan to maneuver you into a vulnerable spot.

SATAN’S CONDTION/POSITION SINCE THE CROSS-

As the scripture says, Jesus Christ came to destroy the works of the devil in 1John 3:8. Now what are “the works of the devil”? Read v.9 and you will see what the works of the devil are, sin, rebellion, temptation, accusation, fear, and etc. According to v. 9, “The Son of God appeared to destroy the works of the devil. Therefore no one born of God commits sin.” Sin is a the works of the devil and any one who commit sin is participating in the works of the devil. Sin is what destroying humanity. And the devil is always use sin as a weapon to persuade and control people to work contrary to the will of God. So, the bible says for this purpose, for what? To destroy the works of the devil Jesus came.  To destroy means to loosen or to make powerless. And remember what Jesus said in Luke 4:18? He said “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised.” So, what is the condition of the devil then?

First of all, we have to know that the devil is a defeated foe. Read Colossians 2:14,15, “Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.”

The New Testament uses “principalities” of spiritual beings that exercise rule: angels (Eph. 3:10); evil angels (Rom. 8:38; here). Jude 6 refers to the authoritative power of fallen angels.

“Principalities” is a term of dignity (dignitaries) whereas “powers” is a term of executive authority.

“Powers” is authority to do anything right?

This word combines the two ideas of right and might.

The words “principalities and powers” therefore refer to demons operating under Satan, fallen angels.
The words “triumphing over” mean to lead prisoners of war in a victory procession. The picture is of a military procession leading captives of war. It means to demonstrate one’s successful conquest of the opposition. A general could lead his captives through the streets of Rome. Behind him the wretched kings, princes and people of the defeated nation would follow. They were openly branded as his victims and spoil. This one of the highest honors Roman general could achieve. This was a common cultural phenomenon in the Roman period of history.

Jesus gained an immortal victory through his death. The last word “it” refers to the cross. The fight was fierce; the combatant died; but in dying he triumphed (I Cor. 15:57). His enemy did not count on his resurrection. Jesus routed the enemy by the resurrection (Rom. 8:37; Heb. 2:14,15; I Jn. 3:8).

Satan is defeated, yet alive and well…

Now, in many people’s mind there is this question; if Satan was defeated at the cross; why does he supposedly still have so much power and process people? My friend, read Ephesians 4:26-27. When Jesus died on the cross, a cataclysmic thing happened: Satan was soundly and completely defeated.
He was beaten beyond hope of recovery and he knows it. Stan is still exists. He is still alive but his power is weak. But this doesn’t mean he is no longer active. It simply means that he cannot have victory over a person who is “in Christ”. But, Satan is still angry and still furious for every thing that he lost in heaven and on the cross. Because of this reason, in his rage he prowls around searching for any way he can find to get even with God. He is always looking for a weakness or vulnerability in us to take an advantage of it. He strategically uses our strengths and gifts to pervert and destroy them. He causes fear, defeat, hopelessness, anger, failure, he can plan a lie or envy in our mind, he also inflicts pain, guilt and wound etc. That is why the bible encourages us not be ignorant of the enemy’s devices (2 Cor. 2:11, 1 Pet. 5:8-9, 2 Cor. 11:14, John 8:44).

Friends, Satan’s works are manifold. In order for a YOU to walk well before God, you must learn how to resist Satan. In order to do that, you must discern what is the work of Satan. You must discern how he operates in human thought’s life, body, mind (conscious), and environment. But no matter how strong and powerful he looks like, if you are “in Christ” fear not!

1 John 4:4. Resist him in faith and authority James 4:7;Luke 10:19.  Believe that the blood of Jesus has covered you and yours! Stand on the promises of God and declare to him in faith, “Satan, you are already defeated! You are finished. I am now in the heavenly places. I defy you and I resist you.” He is just a fugitive who is in fear and put in shame on the cross, but he is trying to deceive you that he is mighty and powerful. You should tell him who he is; then he will run away. Amen?I think the problem that people have is in understanding the nature of that defeat. It doesn’t mean that Satan ceased to exist. It doesn’t even mean that satan is no longer active. It simply means that he can not have victory over a person who is ‘in Christ. And that’s why We are told to put on the armor of God so we can stand 1 Thessalonians 5:8 (Eph. 6:16)

 Eyob B Kassa
April 7, 2011