“And David said in his heart, I shall now perish one day by the hand of Saul: there is nothing better for me than that I should speedily escape into the land of the Philistines; and Saul shall despair of me, to seek me any more in any coast of Israel: so, shall I escape out of his hand.” (1Samuel 27:1)
Never was it recorded that David doubted God would be his help. But in this moment of despair and fear, David thoughts were flooded by the devil’s lies. He had been anointed by Samuel as the next king. He knew God’s Word was sure. He never doubted God’s faithfulness. He’d been helped time and again in the most dangerous situations. But these thoughts came to him. And that’s what happens to us many times when we’re in difficult situations.
Even the most faithful of the Lord’s children are attacked by the devil’s lies when we are vulnerable. What is the point of it? The aim is to get us to speak his lies and declare them as truth. It’s to get us to betray the Lord with his lies and to agree with him. “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:” (1Peter 5:8) This happens at our weakest times.
Not only does the devil want us to agree with him, but to act in fear and in panic. So, we misstep and rush, making the situation worse. But the Lord says, “Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.” (Psalms 27:14) Patiently expect God to help. David knew how to do this. Yet, this did not prevent the devil from tempting him. We shouldn’t condemn ourselves when the enemy bombards us with unscriptural thoughts. The Word of God has given us a strategy to combat this. “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;” (2Corinthians 10:3-5) Be ready because there is a certainty of the devil planting fearful and doubtful thoughts in our minds. This is his tactic from the beginning, and it hasn’t changed.
How do we prepare and protect ourselves? The one thing that is imperative is to know what God has said. We can only know what God has said when we have read the Bible. This is God’s Word, inspired by the Holy Spirit and written by men over the ages, all coordinated by the Lord to bring us God’s Truth. Contained in the pages of the Bible are God’s secret to life. And it’s revealed to us by the Holy Spirit. There is so much in God’s Word that it’s impossible to grasp everything in one reading. We read it every day. The Word of God is “...is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12) The word “quick” means it’s alive and powerful to work mightily in us. And it happens daily, one step at a time and one victory after another. As we read it each day, the Lord gives us “manna” to eat, to digest and to live by until before we know it, our connection to the vine has taken root and we are producing fruit. (John 15:1-12; Galatians 5:22,23)
In those difficult times, let’s remind ourselves of God’s faithfulness in the past; His miraculous deliverance, His protection and His love unto death for us. And let’s use the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God to come against the lies of the devil. Jesus gave us an example when He was tempted. Each time the devil spouted a lie to Him, Jesus countered with God’s Word. (Matthew 4:1-10) We can do the same. When we have read God’s Word and have meditated on His Word it will be in our hearts. And when we need it, we can use it as the Sword of the Spirit to capture those demonic thoughts, cast them down and replace them with the Word of God. (2 Corinthians 10:3-5)
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