Part 2 of Defending Yourself from Devices Designed to Destroy You.
Your Enemy
Stay alert
7. Desire
Here’s the thing about our desires. They can be for good or evil and to serve ourselves, others or God. Desire is defined as a strong feeling of wanting something or wishing for something to happen. So what’s wrong with wanting or wishing for something? The trap with desire is found when our desires tempt us to evil. James 1:14 tells us that we are lured away and enticed by our own evil desires. We need to be careful that the desires of our hearts are not contrary to the word of God. The key to avoiding this tactic of the enemy is longing for the Lord. Ps. 107:9 tells us God “satisfies the longing soul, and the hungry soul He fills with good things.” Our desires can lure us to sin and seek our own pleasure or they can lead us to please God. Choose wisely.
8. Drifting
When we live life by default instead of by divine direction and revelation, we’ll not only end up at destinations we’d never choose, we’ll end up at destinations God never intended. Drifting through life is a sly tactic of the enemy because it appears so harmless. And while it may be true that you can drift through life and still end up in heaven, this tactic uses your lack of vision and divine direction to steer you off course from your purpose. The drift is designed to destroy your purpose and impact. In other words, your destiny.
In order to not fall prey to this seemingly harmless trap, you must discover why God created you (your purpose), and you must discover what He’s uniquely gifted you to do on this earth. Commit to living your life by divine revelation instead of by default or hesitation so you can have the clarity you need for fulfilling your destiny. Do NOT let the enemy steal your destiny because you chose to remain in drift mode. Like David, be determined to live out your God-given purpose, on purpose–so you can serve God’s purposes in your own generation (Acts. 13:36). Be adamant. Avoid the drift.
9. Despair
Despair is when we lose all hope due to the storms, challenges, and trials we’ve faced in life. When get stuck in “always” or “never” thinking. This sounds like “bad things always happen to me“, “things will always be this way for me” “things will never change“, “I’ll never find love and happiness, I’ll never succeed in life or I’ll never reach my goals, accomplish great things or fulfill the God-given dream in my heart.”
Absolute thinking like this will always cause you to lose hope because you’ve convinced yourself of a lie that things are fatal and final. This thinking leaves no room for God to move in what seems impossible to you. I want to let you in on a little secret. Absolute thinking is actually fear-based thinking because it disregards the unstoppable power of faith. Faith says “but with God, all things are possible“(Mt. 19:23). Faith says, “nothing is too hard for God” (Lk. 18:27). And faith says, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Phil. 4:13).
Hold on to the reality of who God always is to you..your helper, protector, provider, sustainer, savior, and redeemer. Hold on the reality that he promised to never leave you or forsake you. And hold on to God’s reality which is FULL of unlimited power and ability to change your circumstances and anything you face. But when it comes to despair, the greatest thing He wants to change is your perspective. Shifting your reality to God’s reality is key to avoiding this deadly device of the enemy. Because God’s reality is a realm of infinite possibilities made manifest in our lives by our faith.
Time to take up your weapons and fight
When we remain ignorant of the devices Satan uses to try and steal, kill and destroy our joy, peace, and purpose, we ultimately will be destroyed. But when we are aware of them, we can have the advantage and defend our lives skillfully and supernaturally. We are at war. So take up your spiritual weapons and fight!
Additional Inspiration
Would you like to know the devil’s most successful scheme? Go check out this brief post by the Billy Graham association.
If you’ve missed all four parts of my GET UNSTUCK series, you can go check out part 1 HERE.
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