Liv
Extracts of Truth & Encouragement from a Growth Journey with God
The Opposition–We’re Being Watched
For years, we watched shows with our kids about animals, especially those in Africa. It was mesmerizing to watch the powerful lions, how they interacted, how the lionesses banded together to hunt their prey, and how the pride male (the king of the pride) controlled the uprising of the younger males. We’d watch as the lionesses camouflaged themselves in the grasses, eyeing a wildebeest herd very intently, identifying the calves or sickly animals; they were weaker, easier to take down, and quickly became a meal for the pride.
Peter tells us a bit about our spiritual opposition (adversary) in 1 Peter 5:8.
- The devil is like a lion!
- This opponent is a strong resistance!
- He uses false, unjustified, criticizing statements to damage our reputations, God’s, and, ultimately, hurt us.
- He wants to punish us by putting a rift in our relationship with others and with God.
As children of God, the devil is seeking US!
Most of us know this…but do we know the Greek word for “seek” in 1 Peter 5:8 means to seek by inquiring?!? The devil is investigating…searching…asking questions to find out if we’re weak and easy prey or if we’re strong in the LORD. Have you ever had questions randomly pop up in your mind…ones that induce doubt, fear, pain, anxiety,…? Can you take a guess where those inquiring questions are coming from? It’s nothing new. The devil started with Eve in the garden and is continuing the same kind of scheme today. How we respond (in actions and/or words) will tell him all he needs to know–if we’re weak…or strong in the LORD.
Many of you may be reading this and thinking, “I know this! I’m good! I haven’t fallen for that!” I truly hope that’s the case! May I ask you some questions, though? They’re ones I’m asking myself…AND my family…to be sure I/we don’t have “blood” running down my/our leg without knowing, we’re not walking with a “limp,” or are completely oblivious to Truth.
Today, we’re going to look at things that can be seen on the outside (we’ll look at things in the heart and mind next post). The Bible gives us a comprehensive list. I haven’t posted in a while, but this is what I’ve been picking apart with the Spirit, piece by piece, in its original language. If you don’t have time to fully ingest it all today, just absorb small morsels at a time, asking the Spirit of God to reveal any areas that need His healing. It’s worth giving our lives a detailed inspection.
What kinds of things could be popping up in your life that can be a welcoming sign to that preying opposer?
- Being a pushover, giving up and giving in (having a moveable, changeable trust in God)–1 Peter 5:9.
- Not publicly making a stand for God–1 Peter 5:9.
- Making sinning a practice, continuing to carry out the same kinds of sin indefinitely. It’s evident that these behavioral/heart decisions oppose who God is and are spurred on by the slanderer…the false accuser…through getting us to focus on us, not God–1 John 3:8.
- Resembling the wrong father (the father of lies, rather than God the Father); spending time with, relating to, obeying, and connecting with the devil intimately, instead of the One Who gives us life–John 8:44, 1 John 3:10.
- Saying something untrue about someone to damage his/her reputation; saying someone’s done something wrong, when he/she either hasn’t or you don’t have the facts to back it up; pointing out someone’s faults publicly in a disapproving, morally wrong way with an intent to hurt him/her, punishing him or her by putting a rift in a relationship–2 Timothy 3:3. Sound familiar? It’s the exact same Greek word used for “the devil!”
- Treating another member of the family of God differently than how God would prefer (without a family affection toward them)—1 John 3:10, 2 Timothy 3:3.
- Destroying others with our lies/deceitful words; using imitations to deceive people, exploiting those without discernment who have a lot of emotional pain (that they brought on themselves), enticing them with their own greed.–John 8:44, Exodus 23:7, Acts 13:10.
- Betraying others–2 Timothy 3:4.
- Pretending to be a messenger of Christ–2 Corinthians 11:13-15.
- Deceitfully teaching others what a messenger of Christ looks like–2 Corinthians 11:13-15.
- Standing with the devil, welcoming him and his ways into your choices; giving him opportunities to act through you; deciding to act under his power and direction, instead of God’s, actively doing what he prefers–James 4:7, Ephesians 4:27, 1 John 3:10. Actively involved with others who welcome him and his ways–2 Timothy 3:5.
- Having no moral values and being unfair–Acts 13:10.
- Playfully misbehaving and making trouble–Acts 13:10.
- Being a bait-stick of a trap, luring someone into a sin, which, then, entraps them–Matthew 13:41.
- Secretly taking something–John 10:10.
- Disobeying–Ephesians 2:2.
- Fully living according to this wicked world’s specific, dark qualities as well as the ruling authority of demonic spiritual forces, instead of the authority God has given you as His saint through faith in Christ, accompanied by His Spirit. Allowing demonic spiritual forces to influence you as the source of your emotions, what you like, what you want, etc., and engage with you, giving the power in a situation to take it from one step to the next–Ephesians 2:2, Genesis 3:1-6, Acts 26:18.
- Jumping into what the adversary is stirring up, instead of talking with God about it first to see if it’s something He wants you to do–1 Chronicles 21:1.
- Rejecting what God prefers and outwardly disobeying (rebelling against) Him and your parents–2 Timothy 3:2, 1 John 3:10.
- Buying into the accuser’s lies and then acting on them; scheming (i.e., lying to the Holy Spirit)–Acts 5:2-4.
- Behaving pridefully and/or appearing arrogantly better or higher–1 Timothy 3:6, 2 Timothy 3:4.
- Saying something’s true without being able to back it up (boasting about your importance or abilities without basis and having an arrogance that goes with that); moving on to others, who will listen, when found out–2 Timothy 3:2.
- Speaking with a lack of respect about God or things connected with Him (i.e., blaspheming); purposely, arrogantly disrespecting the things of God; refusing to acknowledge things that are good (things that would give others a good opinion of God and His extensive worth)–2 Timothy 3:2, 1 Timothy 1:20, Jude 1:8.
- Lacking self restraint–2 Timothy 3:3.
- Being savage–2 Timothy 3:3.
- Being reckless–2 Timothy 3:4.
- Loving pleasure more than loving God; giving yourself over to pleasing yourself completely (aka, whoring, fornication)–2 Timothy 3:4, Jude 1:7.
- Looking like you have a deep respect for the things of God, but saying no to the power you could receive by leaning into God’s abilities–2 Timothy 3:5.
- Having a bad, unattractive character testimony to those outside the family of God…one that doesn’t inspire others to willingly and excitedly accept what’s beautiful and praiseworthy…and, therefore, feeling disgraced by your damaged reputation–1 Timothy 3:7.
- Looking for help from ghosts or people who summon spirits (i.e., necromancer, wizard, soothsayer): 1. of those who’ve died in order to foretell the future, 2. that have the power to affect actions, behaviors, and opinions, 3. for magic (linking an action with an effect, mystically), 4. for sorcery (wielding evil spirits with a different, hateful intent), and 5. for obtaining knowledge/wisdom of the unknown/invisible realm–Leviticus 19:31.
- Rejecting those ruling over you–Jude 1:8.
Any of these prick a bit? He’s looking for an open door, a weak spot…someone he can gulp down entirely. I don’t want him to destroy you or me! I pray that if we, in any way, are standing opposite God, rather than with Him, “God will grant us repentance, so that [we] may know the Truth, and that [we] may come to [our] senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will” (2 Timothy 2:25-26 NKJV).
How may I pray for you, specifically, today?
Just like wildebeests gather around an injured one to protect it from the hunting lionesses, I want to gather around each other, providing strength through the power of the Holy Spirit in prayer!
Liv 