GOD’S WORD FOR FEBRUARY 10 ~ ~ 1 Peter 5:8~ ~ “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walks about, seeking whom he may devour…”

A real monster prowls the ocean floor from the Aleutian Islands to Southern California. It is a terror to even relatively large bottom dwellers. It eats many things, including hermit crabs, clams, sea cucumbers, sea urchins and even abalone. This monster goes by the seemingly innocent name of the Sunflower Star.

The Sunflower Star begins life as a microscopic larva, much like other sea stars. But as it grows, it surpasses anything that other sea stars can achieve. Its five arms become more arms as it grows until it finally has 24 arms. By this time it can be 39 inches across. But its size does not limit its speed. It uses 15,000 tube feet to move over 5 feet per minute. This is possible because, like other sea stars, the Sunflower Star’s skeleton is made up of just a few pieces of skeletal mesh, making it more flexible. It is such a terror to other creatures that when they sense its approach they flee at surprising speed. Even the Northern Abalone, which normally moves sluggishly, flees in the hope that the Sunflower Star will not capture it.

Spiritually, we have an enemy with many arms, so to speak. He will reach into many areas of our lives with deception, while affecting other people in our lives to work out his evil schemes to keep us from achieving our full potential in our walk with the Lord, or to be saved if we’re not.

The following is addressed to those who know the Lord, who have acknowledged Him as Lord and Savior.

Like the starfish’s potential prey, we need to run from his lies. Run to take time with the Lord Jesus, and in his Word and promises. It’s a good idea to put promises on cards, so they’re easy to find when we need them. And, need them we will! We all do, because the enemy never gives up, but our Savior doesn’t either. He is always there to show us the Truth and comfort us.

When you get depressed, aggravated, or you have that “dark” and uncomfortable feeling deep inside, and you don’t know what it is, that could be the lion “coming a’callin’”

1 Peter 5:8 tells us who and why and what we can do about it:

“Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.”

We need to talk to Jesus, but at those times, we need to first confess to Him any sins and repent of them before anything else. Then we also may need to talk to the enemy, but ONLY using the Word of God. Never think that you can talk to him in your own strength or wit. That’s why we need the verses handy. Even when Jesus was tempted, all He did was use the Word, even though He certainly could say what He wanted. That was to show us how to act.

The promises and praise will send the enemy fleeing from you, and you’ll feel the peace that only Jesus can give.

Ephesians 6 is the armor chapter. Vs 10-18 sum it up:

 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might.  Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.  For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist on the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.  Stand firm therefore, having belted your waist with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having strapped on your feet the preparation of the gospel of peace; in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. With every prayer and request, pray at all times in the Spirit, …”

1. stand firm with the belt of truth—-against the schemes—whatever he is telling you, (whatever thoughts come into your mind that you know don’t sound good compared to the Bible) find a verse to show him that you know he’s lying. “it is written” This will take time in the Word, which will build your faith and your relationship with Jesus.
2. If he is accusing you of sin, if old confessed sins keep coming up in your mind in guilt, use the breastplate of righteousness—First repent to the Lord Jesus any known sins, then show the enemy that you know in your heart that you have the forgiveness and righteousness of Christ, not your own righteousness. (It is said that the devil is the weakest against the most humble saint.) This is done by the WORD OF GOD, knowing that it’s all about Jesus, and not us. Again, tell the devil that “it is written”. This is where the cards can come in for easy access.
3. Preparation of the gospel of peace…..Have a knowledge of how salvation comes about, so you can tell others. Sometimes he will use unbelievers to try to bring doubt to our minds. Be prepared to turn it around and tell them about salvation through Christ alone. As you do, you’ll be putting on the helmet of salvation to protect your own faith in your salvation, and the shield of faith, that you know that salvation is of Christ alone, as you show others. The shield snuffs out the fiery arrows that were intended for our heart, to make us feel weak, and to question our own salvation and the truth of the Word. The lying arrows are distinguished and broken by faith. How do we get the faith? We’re told that “faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God”….THE WORD OF GOD is always the answer!

4. The only offensive weapon in the armor is the sword of the Spirit which is the WORD OF GOD—- that is the weapon that always defeats the devil.

It’s not always attacks on our stand on our own salvation, it is sometimes temptation to do what we know is wrong. Again, Jesus is always there, and you need to find the pertinent verses to throw at the liar, as well as putting on the armor above.

Here are some general summations to use, if you want to put them on a card, until you can get a personal collection by studying.

JESUS IS MY ADVOCATE TO THE FATHER

Romans 8:34 ~~  who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, but rather, was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us.

Hebrews 7:25 ~ ~  Therefore He is also able to save forever those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.

I HAVE THE ARMOUR OF GOD

Ephesians 6:10-18 (above)

I STAND FIRM

Ephesians 6:13-14 (above)

I AM MORE THAN A CONQUERER THROUGH HIM WHO LOVES ME—Romans 8:37

CHRIST DEFEATED SATAN AND MADE AN OPEN SHOW OF HIM—Col 2:15 ~ ~ “When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through the cross.”

Here is an easy one to memorize and use when those thoughts keep coming up during the night:

“When my anxious thoughts multiply within me, your comforts delight me” ~ ~ Ps 94:19

When we do these things, we are: doing what Paul told us to do in 2 Corinthians 10:5

“We are destroying arguments and all arrogance raised against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ,”

THIS should be the daily goal of every believer!! Because what we think MATTERS!!!

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