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When You’re Not Expecting It (2)
‘We are not ignorant of [Satan’s] devices.’ 2 Corinthians 2:11 NKJV
On the heels of a spiritual victory it’s tempting to let down your guard, but that’s when you’re most vulnerable to Satan’s attacks. You can’t afford to be ‘ignorant of [Satan’s] devices.’ Even Jesus wasn’t exempt. In a display of supernatural power, He fed five thousand people with five loaves and two fish. After a miracle like that most of us would have decided it was time to kick back and take it easy for a while. But instead of basking in the afterglow, Jesus ‘departed to the mountain to pray.’ (Mark 6:46 NKJV) It wasn’t apparent at the time, but He was about to face one of the fiercest storms of His ministry (see Mark 6:48).
Henry Blackaby observes: ‘The disciples raced headlong into the tempest unprepared, but… Jesus entered the storm prepared and met the crisis with all the power of God… Stand guard over your high points… when you experience God mightily… go immediately to a place of prayer so the Father can prepare you for what’s to come.’ Times have changed but human nature hasn’t. We’re still our same old predictable selves—and Satan knows it. That’s why he ‘prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.’ (1 Peter 5:8 NLT)
To stop him from gaining an advantage: (1) ‘Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you'(James 4:7 NIV); (2) Surround yourself with godly companions (see Psalm 1:1); (3) Stay connected to God through His Word and prayer. Vern McLellan said, ‘In the morning prayer opens the treasures of God’s mercies and blessings, and in the evening it shuts us up under His protection and safeguard.’ That’s a fail-safe strategy you should adopt.
written by Bob Gass
‘We are not ignorant of [Satan’s] devices.’ 2 Corinthians 2:11 NKJV
On the heels of a spiritual victory it’s tempting to let down your guard, but that’s when you’re most vulnerable to Satan’s attacks. You can’t afford to be ‘ignorant of [Satan’s] devices.’ Even Jesus wasn’t exempt. In a display of supernatural power, He fed five thousand people with five loaves and two fish. After a miracle like that most of us would have decided it was time to kick back and take it easy for a while. But instead of basking in the afterglow, Jesus ‘departed to the mountain to pray.’ (Mark 6:46 NKJV) It wasn’t apparent at the time, but He was about to face one of the fiercest storms of His ministry (see Mark 6:48).
Henry Blackaby observes: ‘The disciples raced headlong into the tempest unprepared, but… Jesus entered the storm prepared and met the crisis with all the power of God… Stand guard over your high points… when you experience God mightily… go immediately to a place of prayer so the Father can prepare you for what’s to come.’ Times have changed but human nature hasn’t. We’re still our same old predictable selves—and Satan knows it. That’s why he ‘prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.’ (1 Peter 5:8 NLT)
To stop him from gaining an advantage: (1) ‘Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you'(James 4:7 NIV); (2) Surround yourself with godly companions (see Psalm 1:1); (3) Stay connected to God through His Word and prayer. Vern McLellan said, ‘In the morning prayer opens the treasures of God’s mercies and blessings, and in the evening it shuts us up under His protection and safeguard.’ That’s a fail-safe strategy you should adopt.
written by Bob Gass
