Naked and Defenseless Without It

It’s Satan’s job description to condemn you. It is his job description to twist Scripture and beat you to the ground with it. After all, if he twisted Scripture in an attempt to throw Jesus off center (Matthew 4), don’t think he will not attempt the same game-plan with you. 

But you – like your Lord Jesus – but you, wield the word of God. Take it in context, and easily defend yourself (and those you love, because Satan is after them, too) – defend yourself against the devil’s fiery arrows of lies, confusions, doubts, fears. 

It is the shield of faith (Ephesians 6), forged by your knowledge of God’s word – along with the sword of the spirit (which ‘is’ the word of God, Ephesians 6), that extinguishes those devilish arrows. It is your faith in God’s inviolable promises that enable you to stand firm against the trickeries of the evil one. It is God’s promises like: 

“Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. for the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death). (Romans 8:1-2) 

“What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies.” 

“Who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us. Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? . . .” 

“But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:31-39) 

“[Satan] was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him . . . for he is a liar and the father of lies. (John 8:44) 

“But if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. 

If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:7-9) 

“God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, ‘so that you may know” that you have eternal life (my emphasis). (1 John 5:11-13) 

The Devil has his job description, and he does his work well. But our great God and Savior, Jesus, has given us His shield and sword for impenetrable protection. 

Learn to use them effectively. There is no substitute to effectively defend against Satan’s lies than the armor which God alone has given us (Ephesians 6). 

If you do not already regularly read God’s word, do an Internet search for key words such as ‘Bible reading plans” – or try mine at: http://bit.ly/2cv5cee