To blame everything on the devil is to make God powerless and the devil more powerful than God.
Some people think they can control the devil by invoking the name of Christ against him. While God said if we resist the devil he will flee from us, it did not mean that we can stop all the antics of the devil in the world. I say this because God has given the devil permission to carry out the end times events.
We can resist the devil in our hearts by refusing to allow him to influence us to do evil. God said that believers have Christ living in them Who has power over the devil.
The devil cannot do anything without God's permission. Job 2
Reading the book of Job shows us that everything the Lord allows the devil to do has a purpose for the world and the believers will have victory over him.
In these last days God has allowed the devil to influence wicked leaders and those who are not born again, to punish them in their evil and to perhaps devastate them to the degree that they might seek Christ.
In the account of Job, the devil was allowed to torment Job only proving Job's faithfulness to God and teaching Job as he sought God for help.
Hardship on someone reveals their heart, it does not cause them to sin, it reveals the sin that was already in there that no one could see but God.
Sometimes we do not know what is in our heart until we are faced with hardship, then we see what comes out as evidence of our true heart.
1 John 5:19
"19 We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one."
1 Peter 5:8
"8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour."
The devil cannot destroy a Christian or the Christian's salvation, but he can ruin the witness of the believer if the believer succumbs to the devil's tricks.
The only way to be strong and able to thwart the attacks of the devil is to be walking closely with Christ in obedience. If we know God's word and obey it Christ will be strong on our behalf.
However, if we do not know His word and do not obey Him, the Holy Spirit will go silent and we will be left to endure the attacks of the devil. So many Christians are bent on having their own way, figuring things out for themselves that they do not seek the counsel of or listen to the Holy Spirit.
1 Thessalonians 5:19
"19 Do not quench the Spirit,"
Quench: Meaning to extinguish the fire of the Holy Spirit. Or to silence Him allowing us to be without His help for a time and without His comfort until we repent of our own ways.
I have seen in churches over the years the people succumbing to the lies of the devil, holding fast to worldly wisdom drawing in unbelievers who love their sin and their own ways, causing a serious dilution to occur. Many are completely apostate now and others are very sick and weak because of their allowance of false doctrine.
1 Corinthians 11:29-31 "…29 For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body eats and drinks judgment on himself. 30 That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep. 31 Now if we judged ourselves properly, we would not come under judgment.…"
These people have a form of religion but have no desire to walk with Christ in obedience. In fact, many are hostile when someone comes and attempts to use the Bible for instruction. They fight against the truth while holding onto their own false version of Christianity.
2 Timothy 3:1-5
"3 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.
2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,
4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away."
Sadly most churches are in this condition but think they are doing well.
Revelation 3:16-18 "…16 So because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to vomit you out of My mouth! 17 You say, ‘I am rich; I have grown wealthy and need nothing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked. 18 I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, white garments so that you may be clothed and your shameful nakedness not exposed, and salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see.…"
The churches must repent before they can be a witness to the rest of the world, if they do not all they do is bring a false doctrine and false gospel to those they infect.
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