Beware Your Adversary Is Seeking Whom He May Devour

I have lived long enough to know for certain, even despite that the bible says so, that the devil never loses focus. His sole purpose anywhere is to steal, kill and destroy; and that notwithstanding whether or not he is acting through a believer. The fact that his instrument is a believer never alters his objective. Anyone who yields to him does his bidding. Somebody once said that satan has no problem with people attending every church service and claiming to be believers as long as they are doing what he would have them do which is wrecking the havoc he would have wrecked. Indeed, he finds such 'believers' very useful and effective for his purpose. Of course more than finding such people useful, he is certain that they will end up with him if they never change so he helps them ensure that they remain deceived as to the status of their relationship with God. Nobody desiring to be a believer would willingly opt for hell so satan helps such people ensure that they remain deluded.

2 Thessalonians 2: 9 – 10 “This man will come to do the work of Satan with counterfeit power and signs and miracles. He will use every kind of evil deception to fool those on their way to destruction, because they refuse to love and accept the truth that would save them.”

As a result of all this deception, the church is no longer the safe haven it once was. The devil has found himself tools, men and women, in every level of church hierarchy. Much as we may long for it to be church the way it was, we cannot continue to deceive ourselves that it is. The need to dwell in the presence of the Most High has reached an all-time high and not just because the bible says it is the best place to be, but even because one can no longer find safety and refreshing anywhere else. To not be girded, careful and sensitive to the Holy Spirit even in the midst of believers today, is to kill yourself like Sisera did when he slept in the home of Jael, a family friend who killed him albeit for a good course. Believers ought not to die for foolishness like Sisera; for it is foolishness to give one’s self to the enemy. We must be very careful for our enemy is indeed going about seeking whom he may devour. Whilst it is true that there is always a mixed multitude, those that know their God shall remain strong in Him.  

Judges 4: 17 & 21 “Meanwhile, Sisera ran to the tent of Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, because Heber’s family was on friendly terms with King Jabin of Hazor … But when Sisera fell asleep from exhaustion, Jael quietly crept up to him with a hammer and tent peg in her hand. Then she drove the tent peg through his temple and into the ground, and so he died.”

1 Peter 5: 8 “Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.”

Despite all of this, God is in the midst of His people but we must be careful to walk with Him. Recall that when the Israelites left Egypt, few as the mixed multitude was they were effective for satan; effective to the point of often getting the Israelites to complain and murmur with them. They were often the first dissatisfied but eventually got everyone dissatisfied as a result of which a number of people lost their lives.  They only did the bidding of their master despite that they loved the Jews enough to follow them on this strange journey to a place even they did to know. Unfortunately, a lot of innocent people died for joining in with this mixed multitude. Yet, one thing I know for certain is that God will do all that could be done to save His own from being lured away by satan but at such times, it becomes difficult for us to recognize God. Any believer who does not want to be destroyed must be sober and vigilant. They must be very sensitive so that they are able to make the right decision. It is always easier to go with the “flow” which often appeals to the flesh. For the “flow” often feeds the flesh,

Mathew 10: 16 “Look, I am sending you out as sheep among wolves. So be as shrewd as snakes and harmless as doves.”

The church was not birth because man needed another social club or care unit or club. The church is a gathering of true believers who come together to worship the Most High God and learn about Him, sharpening and encouraging one another so that as one, we can face life and it's challenges; supporting one another as we walk toward a common goal which is establishing the will and total counsel of God. We must never forget that the gathering of believers is not for any one man's benefit but our common benefit and God's benefit primarily. No wonder we are to see ourselves as unprofitable servants just pleasing the master and desiring to earn nothing from it but actually earning everything. Our focus must never be on us but on the profiting of our master. God must have known that once we begin to believe we ought to profit, we would walk differently i. e. for ourselves and that is where the church is today. When we work for ourselves, we actually are working for the enemy who loves selfishness. It is time to be circumspect.