BE AWARE OF THE ENEMY. Many Christians do not finish well because they do not comprehend that there is an enemy. Peter warns us: “Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8). Plainly the Bible tells us that if we want to finish well, we must be aware of our enemy, the devil. Peter explicitly said that the devil is full of schemes & his purpose is to destroy us. He is not playing games; he wants to wipe us out physically and spiritually. In the military, there are four colors that describe each level of the soldiers’ physical and mental preparedness. Code white means the soldiers can relax. The next level is code yellow, which means the soldiers are physically relaxed but mentally alert. Code orange means the soldiers are both alert physically and mentally. Then code red means the soldiers are ready and prepared for battle.
The Bible tells us to be of sober spirit; meaning, we should be on the alert. In Ephesians 6:11, the apostle Paul puts it this way: he wants us to be always on code red. “Put on the full armor of God, that you may be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.” Sadly, many Christians today are still in code white, in a state of rest. They have no idea of the enemy and the warfare that is going on. Paul writes: “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places” (Ephes. 6:12). Our antagonist is not flesh and blood. We are against spiritual forces. Many times, our miseries and sorrows come from other people, but we must realize that they are not our real enemies. Our real adversary is the devil.
ACTIVELY RESIST THE DEVIL. Peter writes: “But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world” (1 Peter 5:9). We must be firm in our faith because Satan will use all kinds of sufferings to cause our faith to waver. That is why it is important that we must always be on the alert and know our weaknesses. A strong person is someone who knows his or her weaknesses and takes precaution not to succumb to them.
In order to resist the devil, one of the things we need to learn is to know his schemes. What are these? First, he wants us to be careless. The devil does not want us to take him seriously. He wants to lead us in believing that he does not exist or that he is not after us. Second, he wants us to be trapped in certain kinds of sins. One of the favorite schemes of the devil is to use bitterness and unforgiveness. This is a very effective plot because most of us have been hurt and betrayed by other people. Satan uses the pain for us to harbor ill feelings towards other people and before we know it we’re already trapped in sin. That is why the apostle Paul writes in 2 Cor. 2:10-11, “But whom you forgive anything, I forgive also; for indeed what I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, I did it for your sakes in the presence of Christ, in order that no advantage be taken of us by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his schemes.” Third, he wants us to be deceived. Have you ever wondered why many people will not come to Jesus? Because they are not aware that Satan is a deceiver and that they have been deceived. In Luke 8:11-12, Jesus warns us: “Now the parable is this: the seed is the word of God.”And those beside the road are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their heart, so that they may not believe and be saved.” Thomas Brooks puts it this way: “Satan promises the best, but pays with the worst; he promises honor but pays with disgrace; he promises pleasure and pays with pain; he promises profit and pays with loss; he promises life and pays with death.”
Some of Satan’s Favorite Lies
There is no consequence to disobedience. The truth is we are free to choose; but we are not free to escape the consequences of our decision. In Galatians 6:7, we read, “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap.”
Our happiness is dependent on possessions, people, and position. The Word of God says, “You have made known to me the path of life; You will fill me with joy in Your presence, with eternal pleasures at Your right hand” (Psalm 16:11). Our priority should be God. When we are in His presence we will experience joy and peace.
We can earn God’s love by performing certain activities and rituals. Romans 5:8 say, “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”
We are the victim of our past and cannot change. But the bible says in 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.”
We have plenty of time and following God and committing to Him can wait.The truth is: “…now is “the acceptable time,” behold, now is “the day of salvation” (2 Cor. 6:2).
There are many ways to heaven as long as we are sincere. But Jesus says, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me” (John 14:6). There is only one way to heaven.
Heaven and hell are not real places, but states of the mind. But John 14:1-2 clearly states: “Let not your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you.”
Our faith is based in our belief on the Word of God and on the character of His Son. If we doubt Jesus, our faith will waver. The Bible says that the only way to resist the devil is to be firm in our faith. Satan will throw all kinds of problems at us; he will mock and scorn us. It is our choice, either we give in or resist him. Peter writes: “And after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you” (1Peter 5:10).
We should trust in the character of God. C.S. Lewis once said, “When you are in trouble, the problem is not denying the existence of God, but in thinking ill of God.”
The greatest problem is not that we would doubt God, but that we would think of God with malice. How can we give our life to Jesus if we do not believe that He cares for us? This is the battle of the mind: TRUTH vs. LIES. So let us keep trusting God and keep being firm in our faith. This is the sure way of finishing well.
