Don't let the devil choke the word of God from you - Friday Praise & Pray (for others) Oct 20, 2023
The devil is an expert at attacking people. It has spent centuries fighting mankind in an effort to contend with the Lord. However, the children of God have been well-armed to defeat this enemy. The Bible provides an overview of the many strategies the devil uses. It's all just a matter of whether we take the time to pay attention and let the Spirit of God provide wisdom. When we do these things, we can see the devil coming and prayerfully remain behind our protector, the Lord God Almighty. That way, all the attacking arrows sent our way will hit our hedge of protection, while we continue on our journey unscathed.
God is a giver and kindly has given us His word to help us walk through life on earth to His kingdom in heaven. Alas, satan strives to choke that word out of people. This is done in an effort to cause individuals to forget the Lord's blessings and promises. It is to make people think God is incapable of handling their most troubling concerns. And how does the devil achieve this feat? We are told in Mark 4:18-19: Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful.
The scripture makes it clear that the enemy fires arrows about the "worries of this life." What does this refer to? This could be the bills you have to pay. How about the stressful boss and coworkers that make your job uncomfortable? Or, this could mean the health issues that tag along, causing distress in your life. But, the devil doesn't stop there. Another weapon the enemy uses is to confuse people with the "deceitfulness of wealth." The devil has convinced so many to seek wealth to the detriment of their soul. The quest for riches becomes an idol that takes precedence over God and the things of God. The devil persuades people to see money as the fix to all their problems, instead of recognizing the Lord as the solution. Meanwhile, the reality is that the dogged focus on wealth, and the unquenchable desire for more of it, is merely a trap. It is the evil spirit of Mammon, which seeks to keep people from reaching heaven.
And before one knows it, "the desires for other things come in" to suffocate the word of God from a person's lips and their very heart. That person would have once been a fervent believer in God who over time, cannot find time or energy to study the Bible, to pray, to worship the Lord, or do what pleases Him. Instead of God's grace improving them, they seek solely to please their flesh - doing what makes them happy - while being unconcerned about the things that make God smile. Mark 8:36 - For what does it benefit a man to gain the whole world [with all its pleasures], and forfeit his soul? (AMP).
We have to be on high alert because satan always applies these tactics against us with the goal of making the word of God unfruitful in our lives. The devil wants us to think that walking faithfully with God is unprofitable. It wants us to abandon our position of authority and victory, which are only obtained in the bosom of God Almighty. However, if we walk away and allow the enemy of our souls to drive us from the safety of our Lord, then it wins. Is that what you want? Never forget that Jesus resisted the devil by speaking the word of God. It is therefore something each of us must be prepared to do. God wants us to stand, head high against all the schemes of the devil, and has committed to help us do so (Isaiah 43:2). Don't let the devil choke the word of God from you. It is the ballistic missile needed to silence and incapacitate satan.
Please join us at Noon EST when we gather for fellowship. God bless you.
For more related content, please read:
Comments