Thinking about Hereafter

The Devil is out to get you, trip you up, anyway he can.

Hello, I'm Clarence, I'm the preacher. The desire of every Christian is to defeat the devil, so let's talk about haw we can gain the upper hand in this battle.

One important thing to remember is that Satan is not going to attack you head on. The devil prefers to hide and attack from under cover. Think of Matthew 16:23. Satan was opposing Jesus through Peter, and Peter did not even know it. Satan plays the same strategy with us.

Peter meant well. His intentions were good, but still contrary to Jesus' mission. Likewise, when the devil attacks you through family members or friends, don't assume that they are being malicious. They are most likely just as sincere as Peter was sincere.

If forget this and launch a personal attack, then Satan won. The other person is going to push back, and the situation is just going to go from bad to worse. Don't assume the worst of other people. That is exactly what the devil wants you to do.

Try to look past the person and remember that Satan is hiding behind the curtain whispering lies. When we forget the devil is behind the curtain, he is free to complicate our lives all he desires.

James told us that if we could resist the devil, the devil will flee from us (James 4:7).

Let's be honest with ourselves and admit that sometimes the devil wins, not because he is so cleaver, but because he is going the direction we actually desire to go. We didn't even put up a fight, oh, maybe a little bit so we could say we tried, but we did not put up a real fight.

Part of learning to defeat the devil is having our mind set on heaven (Col. 3:1-2). This is not just kind of wishing you end up in heaven, but having your heart set on it so intensely that sin looses it's appeal.

Actually, you want more of a dual focus, with the primary focus being on heaven and the joys you will experience when you enter through the pearly gate. But, also keep in mind the consequences if you don't make it to heaven. Think about eternal ruin and how angry you will be with yourself if you land there. You will not be a happy camper, right.

One last point. Learn to see when Satan is pulling your strings. Strings of negative thoughts. Strings of self-rejection. Strings of unworthiness. Follow Jesus example and say, "Get behind me Satan." Learn to resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

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