For this purpose, the Son of God was manifested that He might destroy the works of the devil. I John 3:8
Evil spirits cannot enter a person without their free will;
but persistent, deliberate sin always opens the way for them to enter. For example, the devil gained access to Judas
through his love for money and his determination to betray Jesus.
Acts 5:3 and 13:10 show that some people can reach the point
whereby satan fills their hearts completely and they become his children. We don’t know the extent of Jezebel’s control
by the Jezebel’s spirit, but it was plainly the dominant force in her life –
and through her in the nation at that time.
One of the most striking things about Jezebel was her sheer
persistence in opposing the prophet Elijah, she didn’t give up when her false
prophets were defeated and slaughtered on Mount Carmel; she simply redoubled
her efforts to destroy him.
The devil showed the same persistence in his attacks on
Jesus. He tried to kill Jesus at birth
through King Herod. He tried to kill him
through the crowds and priests. And he
kept on tempting Jesus right through His ministry, even though Jesus thwarted
him at every turn. Even at calvary, the
devil prompted a man to tempt Jesus to save yourself and come down from the
cross.
The forces of evil are just as persistent in their attacks
on the people of God. Revelation 12
makes this point very clearly.
First, the dragon tries to devour the man-child when the
woman gives birth. When this fails and
the child is caught up to God and His throne, it turns its attention on the
woman and her offspring – on the church and individual believers who are
faithful to the Lord Jesus.
Be warned, you are facing a life-long struggle with the
forces of evil. Every time you resist
them, every time you overcome them in one area, they turn around and start
tempting and attacking you in another area.
You have most persistent opponents. You just have to be more persistent in
resisting them than they are in attacking you.
And, in Christ, clothed with the full armor of God, depending on the
Spirit’s anointing and gifts you can be.
Remember, on your own you’re no match for any demon. They are more cunning than you. They are more intelligent than you. They are more powerful than you. They can deceive you. They can seduce you. They can enter you. They can ensnare you. They can overcome you. They can murder you.
If you were left to your own resources, you wouldn’t have a
hope. Thank God that you’re not required
to rely on your wisdom and strength! Thank God that you have the victory of
Christ. Thank God that He has given you
His personal armor to wear. Thank God
that He has equipped you with all the spiritual resources you need to overcome
your enemy. Now it’s up to you to become
skilled in using them.
To be continued…
Hope this has been a blessing to you and will continue to
share with you the portions the Lord leads…..
God Bless You and Keep You!!
