Don’t Be Lion Bait, Take Yourself Off The Menu!
When our kids were little, before the conveniences of hand held electronics we were their entertainment on car rides! To pass the time we used the standard variations of i-spy until we all became bored, and then Ashley created a new game. It was called Real or Fake? The object being to learn the difference between what was truth and what was make believe. Eventually, the question arose ‘Is the devil real or fake?’
After a moment of deep thought our then four year old, Hannah, exploded with her new found revelation: ‘the devil is real but his weapons are fake!’
To this day that is still the most profound description that I have heard on the power of the enemy!
Many Christian’s struggle to find the balance between recognizing that there is a real spiritual enemy operating in the world today, while not giving him so much credit for life’s wrongs that he ends up getting way too much attention.
Colossians 2:13-15
And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.
The devil is real, but scripture is clear that he is defeated. Jesus disarmed satan’s power when he rose from the dead and the truth is, that he no longer has any power to operate in our lives as believers. When we trusted in Jesus we changed Kingdoms and entered into all of the benefits of a new covenant.
Col 1 :12-14
giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.
Through this covenant we can enjoy forgiveness, healing, prosperity, deliverance, peace and protection. That is not to say that the enemy, the thief won’t come looking to take them from us! In fact, the only reason a thief comes sniffing around is because you have something that he wants! If healing and prosperity were not ours, then he would not be after them.
John 10:10
The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly
The only real weapon that loser has left is deception. If the thief can convince us out of what is already ours, he gains a foothold in our life. He has no rights anymore to operate in our life and no power to do so, so don’t let his lies deceive you.
Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.
The devil is nothing more than wanna-be toothless lion. Jesus, stripped him of his power and made a public spectacle of him. He doesn’t even have the power to devour us, he has to have our permission: seeking whom he may devour. Like a lazy bear looking for an easy picnic basket, he is wandering around waiting for an opportunity.
This is good news! It means that we don’t have to be afraid of the enemy, because he has already been defeated! He is the original biggest loser.
Refuse to be lion bait today, take yourself off his menu!
Abundant life 