What was Jesus doing in His final week before the cross?

Teaching - Mark 12:1 "Then Jesus began teaching with stories..." Jesus was focused on His final sermons, parables and even conversations to impart closing words to the Pharisees, crowds and His disciples.

Healing - Matthew 21:14 ' "The blind and the lame came to Him in the temple, and he healed them." Jesus continued to extend grace, mercy and verify His identity by signs and miracles.

Fellowship - Mark 14:3 "And while He was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he was reclining at table..." Jesus spent some special time with Lazarus, Mary, Martha and even Simon who had been a leper (healed?).  I'm sure the fellowship was for their benefit but also a comfort for Jesus in His last days.

Worshiping- Although no scripture that I found specifically mentions Jesus worshiping at the Temple, I assume He came to worship, as well as cleanse the Temple, teach, heal and proclaim the coming of the Kingdom! 

Preparing- Mark 14: 8 "She has done what she could and has anointed my body for burial ahead of time." Jesus was preparing Himself for the cross; and by divine coincidence, Mary pouring out her precious ointment on Jesus' feet was a prophetic preparation for Jesus' imminent death.  

Praying- John 17 is the classic passage of Jesus' prayer for His disciples, and for us, His future followers.  How beautiful to have a record of His actual words of prayer!  And the scene in the Garden of Gethsemane - the poignant pouring out of pain and drops of blood as Jesus wrestled with the cup of suffering.  

Submitting- Mark 14:18 "I tell you the truth, one of you eating with me here will betray me."  Jesus knew and yet submitted to the Father's will that He be betrayed, beaten, mocked and ultimately executed on a Roman cross.  The Good Shepherd laid down His life for the sheep.

***** 

Jesus was doing the Father's will in everything. His intentional approach to every moment during his last days on earth speaks to me.  Am I using every opportunity to reach people, to listen to the heart of my Father, to pray without ceasing, to give my all?  

At the same time, He continued to connect with people.  How tempting it would be to withdraw, to process what He knew were His last days! Jesus continued to preach and teach.  He seemed to ramp up the intensity in confronting the Pharisees and opponents to His mission. 

Jesus also continued to invest in His disciples and spend time with those who loved Him and cared for Him.  Jesus laid aside His own inner turmoil to minister to those close to Him.  Knowing He was leaving them to carry out the biggest mission in history, the Lord Jesus must have felt the intensity and urgency of training the future leaders of His Church.  He made every moment count.

Are you and I follow our Lord's example in making our every moment matter for His cause? 

 Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. Psalm 90:12

 

  

 1 KINGS 19 - Elijah's Battle

 What an incredible manifestation of the power and authority of God!  Through a humble prophet who simply called on the name of the Lord God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, God vindicated His name and the ministry of Elijah, His prophet.  

But the battle wasn't over.  Although the people who witnessed this divine fire were proclaiming "The LORD - He is God! The Lord - He is God!" (1 Kings 18:39), the king and queen of Israel were still functioning in their evil ways and had in no way shown repentance towards Jehoveh God.  Only by the power of God did Elijah travel to Jezreel, following King Ahab as he returned to Jezebel to report all that had happened on Mount Carmel.  Actually, by the Spirit of God, Elijah outran Ahab's chariot to Jezreel!

 The king told his wife all that had happened and her response was to send a messenger to Elijah:  "May the gods deal with me...if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like that of one of them [the dead prophets of Baal]."  (1 Kings 19:2) Elijah was no fool!  He ran for his life.  He left behind his servant and went alone into the wilderness near Beersheba in Judah, the southern kingdom - a distance of about 100 miles.  

After facing down over 900 idol-worshiping prophets and King Ahab, calling fire down from heaven and orchestrating the murder of these evil prophets, why did the threat of Queen Jezebel terrify the mighty Elijah?

Some would say that any man would run from an angry woman! Her wicked scheming and manipulating controlled her husband and the nation of Israel - she wielded power that had kept God's people from fully turning back to Him.  

Not only the fear of Jezebel, but some scholars say that complete exhaustion overtook Elijah.  After the showdown on Mount Carmel, he was emotionally, physically and spiritually spent.  Even though God had prepared and equipped His servant for this huge spiritual event, it required all Elijah had in terms of strength and stamina.  

Another factor that may have played into Elijah's collapse in the wilderness was the incompleteness of his mission.  Could it be possible that Elijah hoped for a complete return of the people of Israel to worship the One true God, including King Ahab and Queen Jezebel?  Or maybe he expected God to smite the rebellious royal couple on the spot.  The huge disappointment that the battle wasn't over could have sent Elijah over the edge.

"I have had enough, Lord," he said.  Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors." (verse 4)  Elijah somehow feels like a failure and wants to die.  In the very next sentence, the Bible records that Elijah lay down under a bush and fell asleep. The Lord allowed Elijah rest; then He sent an angel to bake some bread and give the prophet some water.  Just like by the Cherith brook, God provided sustenance and rest for Elijah. Once revived by food, water and sleep, Elijah traveled to Mount Horeb and sought shelter in a cave.  (The journey took 40 days and nights - 1 Kings 19:8)

God continues to meet Elijah where he is at by asking him:   "What are you doing here, Elijah?" (verse 9b)  This question reminds me of when God asked Adam:  "Where are you?" when he and Eve were hiding from God in the Garden after they had sinned.  God doesn't ask these questions because He needs to find out the answers.  He wants to know if we know where we are, or why we are running? Elijah expresses his feelings and reason for running: I have been faithful to You, but Your people continue to do evil.  They have rejected Your covenant, killing Your prophets. " I am the only one left." (verse 10 & 14)  I fear for my life!

*Just a note - Elijah had met Obadiah before the 3 1/2 years of drought, and Obadiah told him that he had hidden 100 prophets who had NOT bowed their knees to Baal (1 Kings 18:4 & 13).  Somehow Elijah had the misunderstanding that he alone was faithful to God.  How often do we feel all alone in our circumstances, that no one knows our troubles and no one cares?  Elijah found himself in that place even when the facts told him otherwise.

As the Lord hears Elijah, He knows how to encourage and renew His servant.  He reveals Himself personally.  Not in the wind and storm.  Not in the earthquake.  Not in the fire.  Remember that God had sent fire down a month or more ago on Mount Carmel!  No, God wasn't in these powerful demonstrations.  The Almighty was in the gentle whisper, the still small voice.

"Be still, and know that I AM God."  (Psalm 46:10a)

Then the very next thing God does is to give Elijah work to do.  He is to anoint Hazael the next king over Aram  (Aram is connected to Sidon, where Jezebel's father had been king).  He is also to anoint Jehu over Israel, to replace Ahab.  Finally, Elijah is to anoint Elisha to succeed him as prophet.  

In short order, God has replacements for those who have done evil.  He would use both Hazael and Jehu to kill those who still remained in the land as rebels.  And He was providing Elijah a helper, successor to carry on the good fight.

 God also establishes that He had reserved 7,000 in Israel who had not bowed to Baal or kissed him!  (verse 18)  Without reprimanding Elijah, or condemning his belief that he was alone in faithfulness to the Lord, God gently but firmly guides Elijah back into active service.  

This same God can encourage you, establish you, bless you, lift you up from whatever circumstances have you feeling defeated.  God can and will help us fight the battle within!

 

 LUKE 9 - Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem.

As I prepare for the Holy week, my thoughts go to this scene that Luke recorded in his Gospel.  Jesus had been traveling, teaching, performing healings and all kinds of miracles.  Crowds were following Him and His popularity was growing immensely. None of these things distracted Jesus from the task He was sent to earth to accomplish.  Nothing sidetracked the Son of God from His divine assignment.

In Luke 9: 22, Jesus spoke of the events that were soon to happen: "The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and He must be killed and on the third day be raised to life."  The words seem very straightforward and leave no doubt as to His coming demise. Later in the same chapter of Luke, Jesus again warned the disciples of His death:  "'Listen carefully to what I am about to tell you; The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men.' But they did not understand what this meant.  It was hidden from them..."  Although we can read them today and see the meaning, the disciples could not grasp what Jesus was saying.  Denial, blindness, wishful thinking all play into the disciples' lack of understanding.

The prophet Isaiah wrote in chapter 50 about the Servant, the coming Messiah.  His prophecy in verse 7b says, "Therefore have I set my face like flint, and I know I will not be put to shame."  How does that connect to Luke's account of Jesus' life and ministry?  As Jesus was teaching, training and mentoring the disciples, His focus was on one thing: the cross.  In verse 51 of Luke chapter 9, Luke wrote:  "As the time approached for Him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem."  

In Jerusalem, Jesus would face the worst and most intense season of His life.  The Jewish religious leaders, priests, scribes and Pharisees were waiting for an opportunity to accuse, charge and execute this threat to their popularity and power.  He sensed the time drawing near but did not skirt the city or avoid the dreaded cross.  Hebrews 12:2b says of our Saviour: "...For the joy set before Him He endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."  He had to bear sin and shame on our behalf, but as Isaiah wrote, the Messiah would not be put to shame in that He would be sinless and innocent.  He was willing to endure the cross.  He could see the joy on the other side!

Jesus, I can hardly think of such things, that You were willing to go to the cross for me!   How can I tell You how much I love You for taking my sin and shame on Yourself?  Your love and sacrifice are too much for me to comprehend.  Thank You! 

 

 

1 KINGS 18 - The Battle with Baal  

How long did Elijah wait in Zarephath, living on the good graces of the widow and her son?  Chapter 18 of 1 Kings opens with this time stamp: "After a long time, in the third year, the word of the LORD came to Elijah..."  God saw fit to keep His prophet hidden away from the heat King Ahab's anger until the time was right. During that season, I believe the Lord cared for Elijah's needs and strengthened him for the next steps of his ministry.  Not only did Elijah see God's hand at work to provide for himself, he witnessed God's miracles for the widow and her son.  God was equipping Elijah, establishing his faith even deeper and preparing him for the great contest on Mount Carmel.

The Lord told Elijah:  "Go and present yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain on the land."   This was the dreaded confrontation, the inevitable meeting of the evil king and the prophet of God.  Did Elijah know how God would exalt Himself and bring Ahab to his knees?  All we as the readers of the account in the book of 1 Kings are privy to is God promised to send the rain.  When?  Why this showdown of the prophets of Baal and Asherah against Elijah, the prophet of El Shaddai, Yahweh, the God of Israel?

When King Ahab and Elijah meet, the king's anger has not subsided over time.  "Is that you, you troubler of Israel?" While Jezebel was killing off the Lord's prophets (1 Kings 18:4), the king's anger was constantly fed by his wife's wicked schemes.  The years of drought did not seem to soften their hearts nor cause them to recognize God's sovereign power over nature and the whole world! Therefore, God arranged this meeting on Mount Carmel to settle the issue.

The prophet's reply to Ahab's greeting: "I have not made trouble for Israel...But you and your father's family have.  You have abandoned the LORD's commands and followed the Baals." Ahab's blame-shift doesn't stand and Elijah declares the king's guilt for having abandoned the Lord and worshiping idols.  Then the stage is set for the greatest showdown in biblical history:  Ahab is to assemble the 450 prophets of Baal and 400 prophets of Asherah.  Elijah appears alone.  The people of Israel are given the challenge: who are you going to follow? "'How long will you waver between two opinions?  If the LORD is God, follow Him; but if Baal is God, follow him.'  But the people said nothing." (verse 21)

As the idolatrous prophets bring the oxen and wood for the offering, Elijah gives the instructions.  "Then you call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the LORD.  The god who answers by fire - he is God." (verse 24)

Talk about faith!  Elijah, whose name means "Yahweh is God", demonstrates all-in trust in God to do a miracle and send down heavenly fire to light the burnt offering.  All the prophets agreed to this plan.  For hours, the prophets chant, pray, call on Baal and invoke all manner of incantations, to no avail.  They shouted, danced and even slashed themselves to plead with their god.  While Elijah began taunting them, their frenzy grew! By evening, there had been no response from Baal or Asherah.  The meat laid upon the wood was dry and flameless.

With some theatrics, Elijah has some of the Israelites assist in repairing the altar, taking twelve stones symbolically representing the twelve tribes of Israel.  He has them haul up twelve jars of water to pour on the offering and on the wood, until a trench that had been dug around the altar was filled.  The odds were stacked against the God of Israel.  "At the time of the sacrifice, the prophet Elijah stepped forward and prayed:  'LORD, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, let it be known today that You are God in Israel and that I am Your servant and have done all these things at Your command.  Answer me, LORD, answer me, so these people will know that You, LORD, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again.'" (verses 36 & 37)

Fire immediately feel from above and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, stones and soil as well as completely dried up the water in the trench.

And shortly after, Elijah's servant spotted a small cloud on the horizon.

Rain was coming.

 

 

 Elijah-1 Kings 17

"As the LORD, the God of Israel, lives, whom I serve, there will be neither drew nor rain in the next few years except at my word." 

What an opener for the prophet Elijah to begin his public ministry!  As far as we read in Scripture, this is the first mention of Elijah, who ministered during the reign of King Ahab of the northern kingdom of Israel.  Ahab is notorious for being one of the most wicked kings, having married Jezebel who was also renowned for her evil plots and worship of Baal and Asherah.  (1 Kings 16:31-33) Among Ahab's rebellious and hideous sins, he set up an altar for Baal in a temple built in Samaria.  He also erected an Asherah pole..."and did more to arouse the anger of the LORD...than did all the kings of Israel before him."  (1 Kings 16:33)  God was bringing this drought as a judgement on these evil deeds.

The message Elijah had for King Ahab was so devastating that God immediately told the prophet:  "Leave here, turn eastward and hide in the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan." (1 Kings 17:3)  Elijah obeyed!  His life was in imminent danger and God directed him to a safe place.

King Ahab's reaction isn't recorded, but implied.  At the beginning of chapter 18, three years had passed and God's Word had proved true.  There had been no rain in that time, 36 months!  This was already an arid land so we can imagine the desperation of a king whose people would be hungry, thirsty and unhappy.  His leadership was at risk and he needed to do something to keep peace and ensure his control of the throne.  Elijah would be to blame for these dire circumstances!

Meanwhile, Elijah hides in the Kerith Ravine. As promised, God provided through divine means: "The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning and bread and meat in the evening, and he drank from the brook."  Where God guides, He provides!  But it couldn't have been all fun and games for Elijah.  He must have felt levels of anxiety.  Would King Ahab send armed men to search for him?  What about his family, friends, fellow prophets?  No one seemed to know his whereabouts and he had no way of communicating with them.  He must have felt alone.  He also had no way of hearing news and the waiting must have been agonizing!

"Some time later the brook dried up..." (verse 7a)  The drought affected all of Israel, not just where King Ahab lived!  This affliction impacted the righteous and the unrighteous and, Elijah's water source disappeared.  So God spoke to Elijah:  "Go at once to Zarephath in the region of Sidon and stay there.  I have directed a widow there to supply you with food."  God provided by sending Elijah into enemy territory!  Back in 1 Kings 16: 31, we read that Jezebel, the evil queen, is from Sidon, the daughter of the Sidonian king, Ethbaal.  Elijah would be cared for by a heathen widow in the land of his enemy.  By faith, Elijah obeyed.

When Elijah arrives at the widow's home, he finds her situation as bad as his previous one at Kerith!  She is gathering sticks to prepare a final meal for herself and her son.  She has enough flour and oil for one last loaf of bread and after that, she sees no hope for survival.  Elijah gives her hope through this promise from God.  "Don't be afraid.  Go home and do as you have said.  But first make a small loaf of bread for me from what you have and bring it to me, and then make something for yourself and your son.  For this is what the LORD, the God of Israel says: 'The jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the LORD sends rain on the land.'" 

The woman believed the prophet and did what he directed.  God's promise sustained the three of them for some time - we assume until rain fell again -  so up to three years. The widow from Zarephath had a miracle from the God of Israel - that had to impact her!

But tragedy strikes this woman at her most vulnerable point.  Her only son becomes ill and dies.  She blames the prophet.  "What do you have against me, man of God?  Did you come to remind me of my sin and kill my son?"  She acknowledges God and His prophet, but  she believes that her son has died because God is punishing her for sin.  Her fear of God was deep and she hadn't quite seen the mercy, grace and love of God, even though the miracle of limitless flour and oil was very real.  God shows the widow a personal act of grace by empowering Elijah to raise her dead son to life!

The woman declares by exuberant faith that she knows "...that you are a man of God and that the word of the LORD from your mouth is the truth."  (verse 24)

I believe this miracle was for the widow and her son, as the results were shown in her faith.  God provided food on the short term, and also provided a means of support through her only son being restored to life to care for her in her old age.  But I also believe this miracle was for Elijah.  It had been almost 3 full years of no rain.  Elijah was hiding from the angry king in the land of Gentile enemies.  Through raising the widow's son from death, God demonstrated:

*God keeps His promises - He did not abandon the widow but provided for her as she provided for God's servant, Elijah.

*God has all power and authority - to stop rain, to provide food through ravens and widows, and to raise the dead.

*God uses His servants - even when they feel set aside from active ministry  (Elijah had been in hiding for years, feeling useless and afraid - how long, O LORD?)

*God was preparing Elijah for something big!

In the next blog entry, we'll explore what God was about to do through Elijah and how chapter 17 was truly a season for Elijah to grow in trusting his God. 

 

 

 

 "I'VE BEEN CRUCIFIED WITH CHRIST..." (Galatians 2:20)

Crucified?  That's an old-fashioned word that signifies a barbaric time in history, an archaic method of punishment for crimes.  Historically, Jesus was crucified, along with thieves, murders and rebellious traitors.  The Romans had perfected crucifixion to an art.  The trained executioners knew how to maximize the pain and torture, stretching out the physical and mental suffering until the one being crucified begged to die.  We in modern western cultures cannot imagine such a form of justice, let alone that human agents would inflict this on another human! 

When we read Paul's letter to the Galatian church, how can we understand his statement "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer lie, but Christ lives in me.  The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me" ? Paul knew firsthand the practice of crucifixion and also understand capital punishment through the Jewish law of stoning those who had transgressed God's commands.  Putting a lawbreaker to death was common in that day.

Dying to self is not a common cultural practice for us today, especially in North America.  We are encouraged and persuaded that "I" am the most important person.  My pursuits should be for my own happiness and pleasure.   Although self-sacrifice is honoured, ( ie Mother Theresa and Ghandi, who denied their flesh and gave up worldly riches for great causes), the average person isn't recognized for the everyday sacrifices for the good of another.  

In fact, the opposite is true: self-preservation.  We would do almost anything to save ourselves, not kill our needs and desires.  And yet, Jesus asks us to choose the hard path to know Him.

Jesus said, "  (Matthew 16:24)  To be a true follower of Jesus, we must give up our comforts and choose to do what Jesus Himself has done.  He did not amass wealth; He did not pursue pleasures physically, emotionally or even socially.  The life of Christ was characterized by self-sacrifice, discomforts, homelessness, fatigue, hunger and thirst, giving of His time and energy for others, always for the sake of their souls. So when Paul, an Apostle of Jesus Christ, says to be crucified with Christ, we are to follow that example!

Romans 6:4 gives us another word picture of dying to self:  "We were therefore buried with Him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead...we too may live a new life."  The pattern of following the way of Jesus is to die.  Only then can we be raised up - like Jesus was - to a new, resurrected life.  There is no short cut to spiritual perfection and acceptability; the path of Jesus is death first, then being made brand new.

A choice is involved.  We cannot love the world and follow Jesus.  We cannot love sin and please the Lord.  We must choose to love Him more and actually hate the ways of the world (1 John 2:15-17).  In Romans 12:2a, Paul gives this instruction: "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind..."   This verse is a command, an imperative.  This means we have a choice and our will must be engaged.  Our will is influenced by our mind; our mind needs a complete overhaul, a renewing.  

How can this be possible?  In Ephesians 4:22-24, Paul is writing to the believers in Ephesus with clear directions for their life as Christ's disciples.  "You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self..." The old, former way of living is done with, finished.  To truly follow Christ is to deny the flesh, to say no to the old self and its desires.  Then the new life can be lived!  "...to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness."  An act of the will - influenced by the mind that is transformed - is also required to put on a new self, a new attitude.  Again, you may ask, how?  Back to the letter to the Galatians:  "So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh...Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.  Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit." (Galatians 5:16, 24 & 25)

We die to ourselves.  As the selfish flesh is being crucified, the Holy Spirit is replacing, renewing all that is old and dead.  He brings fresh life by His presence to empower us to live for Christ.

As we approach Good Friday and Easter Sunday, let's consider our own crucifixion and our resurrected life as followers of the Christ! 

 

Do you ever feel like your whole life is a battle?

Work is a battleground; home is a fight waiting to happen. And even when you are alone, your mind is at war with you!

 Isaiah 54:17 is a promise in Scripture and maybe this will give you aid against the constant warfare you are facing.

The historical context of  the book of Isaiah is that the nation of Israel (including the southern kingdom of Judah, as well) has been punished for their disobedience and rebellion against God, their King.  He warned through many prophets that if they continued to worship other gods and relied on other kings for defense from their enemies, they would face consequences.  The Israelites pushed God until He did what He said He would do: send them into exile and give their land over to their enemies.

So we have a battle scenario here.  Israel is surrounded by their strong enemies.  The kings of the northern and southern kingdoms that made up the nation of Israel were both fully engaged in evil and not interested in seeking God's help!  But in the midst of a hopeless situation, God makes a promise that He will keep:

" '...no weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you.  This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and this is their vindication from Me,' declares the LORD." 

At first glance, this appears to be a contradiction.  God is bringing about judgment on His own people; yet He says that no weapon forged (formed) against them would prevail (prosper). What is God really saying?

Earlier in chapter 54 of the book of Isaiah, God says this about His relationship to Israel:  "Do not be afraid; you will not be put to shame...For a brief moment I abandoned you, but with deep compassion I will bring you back....Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet My unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor My covenant of peace be removed..."  Although God follows through with His promise of punishment and exile, He promises to rebuild and restore His people.  If you research history, you will discover that God did bring back those exiles 70 years later.  (He also rebuilt the nation of Israel in the middle east in 1948).

The reality for Israel - and for us in the 21st Century - is that the battle is not just a physical, geographical or political conflict.  In the New Testament letter to the Ephesian Church, Paul wrote: "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms."  (Ephesians 6:12) The battle is a spiritual conflict; our enemy is unseen, ruling with evil intent. The devil, or Satan, is against God in every way and therefore is attacking God's people with every method and strategy possible!

Isaiah may have been referring to physical weapons, literal metal swords, shields and armour.  But in Ephesians, Paul describes the spiritual armour of God for the Christian to wear as our uniform into battle.  (Ephesians 6:14-17)  Here is the list:  

*belt of truth - (John 14:6)

*breastplate of righteousness (Romans 3:22a)

*shoes of the Gospel of peace (Isaiah 52:7)

*shield of faith (Psalm 28:7)

*helmet of salvation (Isaiah 59:17)

*sword of the Spirit (Hebrews 4:12)

As we put on these pieces of armour spiritually - through prayer and faith - we will be able to stand against whatever the devil throws at us.  What does he throw?  What are his strategies?

*to steal, kill and destroy (John 10:10a)

*lies (John 8:44)

*spiritual blindness (2 Corinthians 4:4)

* counterfeit/disguise (2 Corinthians 11:14)

*division among believers (Romans 16:17 & 1 Corinthians 1:10)

Satan isn't creative; he will recycle strategies in every generation and even against you and me if he can be effective in reusing the same old tricks.  "Be alert and of sober mind.  Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour." Don't be fooled by his schemes.  They are deceptive and sneaky, but once we have eyes to see and recognize those traps, we can be alert to avoid them.

How do we stand up against this invisible and dark enemy?

1. Submit to God (James 4:7a) - confess any sins, submit your will to God's will.

2.  Resist the devil (James 4:7b and 1 Peter 5:9a) - once we have submitted to God, we are under His authority and protection.  From this place of safety, we can resist the devil and say NO to his temptations and attacks.  Satan must flee as we stand against him in the name of Jesus Christ. (Acts 4:12 and Romans 10:13)

3. Live in obedience to God's Word (John 15:10 and Psalm 119:168) - if we follow the ways taught in the Bible, we will not sin.  Sin is what gives the devil opportunity to attack us.  When we do sin in a moment of weakness, we simply confess to God, repent of our sin and submit again to God and His Word.  

4.  Fill our lives with truth and combat the lies (Psalm 119:11) - take in spiritual food daily and your mind will be renewed and your heart full of what is healthy and good.

5.  Be filled with the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 5:18b) - our power to overcome the evil one is by the Holy Spirit.  Ask daily, or more often as needed, for the Spirit to fill you up and live through you.

6.  Worship the Lord (Psalm 100 and Colossians 316) - praise is a powerful weapon against darkness and discouragement.  The "JOY of the Lord is our strength" (Nehemiah 8:10b) Learn to rejoice even when your emotions aren't in it!  We live by faith, not by feelings.

When you are feeling overwhelmed by the battle, remember that "no weapon" that the enemy uses can overcome you as you live under Jesus' authority.  You can stand against the devil by faith; you are able to refute every lie and accusation by the enemy with the truth of God's Word!  God is for you, not against you!