Satan is sneaky in his manipulation. His main purpose is to rob us. “The thief does not come except to steal. And to kill and to destroy” John 10:10. He causes destruction in all areas of our life. He will try to steal your joy. He will try to destroy your dreams, wreak relationships and ruin your finances. The enemy wants to take away your peace, courage and hope. He does all of this with the ultimate goal of destroying your relationship with God and hindering you from becoming all the Lord has called you to be.
This is not the Father’s intention for His children. Jesus said in the second half of John 10:10 “ I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly”. Christ has given us all power over the enemy (Luke 10:19). He desires us to defeat satan just as he himself has done and wants us to have life and life abundantly. The Greek word for abundantly is perissos; meaning superior, exceedingly above, and beyond measure. God wants and promises us an abundant life. A superior life. A life beyond measure. One filled with more joy, deeper peace, greater love and financial stability.
In order to stop satan in his tracks and keep him out , we must evaluate the areas in our lives that we are letting him in. Paul said it this way in Ephesians 4:27, “neither give place to the devil.” The thief will always be on the prowl, looking for an entry point. We must guard our heart and our spirit. In James 4:6-7 it is written “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble. Submit yourselves, then to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you”. Humility is essential in resisting the traps that satan has set. When we become too proud or full of ourselves, we allow the enemy to creep in. This is why God warns us to be humble and to submit to Him.
Satan will also use our feelings to create a distraction. Anger, bitterness, and jealousy all affect our spirit and in turn allow an opportunity for the enemy to come in and cause chaos. “In your anger, do not sin. Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry” –Ephesians 4:26. If your spirit is full of anger, bitterness, self-pity, and envy you need to immediately take control of it. Take it to the Lord. Humble yourself, repent. Put on your praise. We must let go of everything that is causing this gateway into our life. There is no room for it in our hearts. Forget about the things that have happened in the past. Let it go. Let the bitterness go. Let the unforgiveness go. Let the pride go. I love how Paul spoke about this in Philippians 3:13-14 when he said, “Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”
When you fully submit to God and surrender it all to HIM, that is when the abundant life begins. The Lord begins to move and fills us with all the things we are really searching for. Begin today to truly focus on those things that bring life.
God has an abundant life planned for you. Seize it today.
Until next time remember,
Stay Calm, and Be Empowered.
