Excerpts From
THE NAKED CHURCH
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Chapter
8
Turn the Table on the devil
Every Christian has an enemy.
Although unseen by the natural eye, this adversary is not imaginary nor a
mythological character. Satan, the Devil, is a real person... a spirit being,
with intelligence, tangible characteristics, and whose incessant goal and
ambition is to “steal, kill, and destroy” (John 10:10).
Around the clock the enemy
is on the prowl, seeking to cause mayhem and destruction to all believers and
the work of Jesus Christ throughout the world. With military-like strategy and
ruthless hostility, the devil aggressively searches for weakness in our faith
and spiritual life, hoping to devour us with deception, temptation, or
oppression. He is the personification of all that is evil and is the author of
every despicable work.
Regardless of whether you
realize it, Satan has targeted you as a victim. He knows your name and address,
your strengths and weaknesses. Somewhere in the shadows, he and his forces lurk,
waiting, planning for the moment they will strike when you’re caught off-guard.
He desperately hopes that you will, as many Christians, remain ignorant of his
reality so that you’ll blame his assaults on somebody or something else.
His method of operation is
almost always “undercover.” Subtly, he manipulates hindering circumstances and
inspires evil thoughts or temptations, disguising his activities behind the
shroud of people or things. He will always seek to divert attention and blame
for his actions upon others. But make no mistake, he is the real enemy, not your
husband, wife, employer, government or Christian brethren!
“For we
do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against
powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts
of wickedness in the heavenly places”” (Ephesians 6:12).
The good news is that,
although the Devil is described ““like”” a ““roaring lion,”” in reality he has
no actual authority over believers. He is not really a lion, but roars ““like””
a lion would to bluff his victims into fear and intimidation. Satan is a liar
and deceiver and uses deception as his weapon to gain advantage over those who
are ignorant of the limitations of his power.
When Jesus gave his life on
the cross as the sacrifice for the sins of the world, He also redeemed us from
Satan’s power and dominion over us. ““Having disarmed principalities and powers,
He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it”” (Col. 2:15).
““...For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the
works of the devil”” (1 John 3:8). Praise God! Satan is already a defeated
enemy! His legal authority was neutralized by the finished work of Christ on the
cross.