I have seen saints fall to Satan. I have watched helplessly as Christians, old and young, have given into the lies of the prince of darkness. All of the prayers, all of the encouraging words, and all of the tears, proved useless against the choices made in favour of the evil one. Jesus did not give them what they wanted.
The Bible presents the story of the struggle between good and evil. This is the battle for the soul. At the cross, Satan lost his power over death, but he is still in the fight. Getting out of his grip by faith in the resurrected Christ doesn’t take you away the troubles of the world. Instead, Satan seeks to destroy your faith by attacking it from every angle.
Those who present a ‘Trouble-free Gospel’ must be rebuked! How can the church ever expect to be taken seriously if it is always trying to convince people to come and ‘baptise away their problems.’
Spiritual survival is only possible when Christ is “Deliberately enthroned as Lord in your heart.” You must put Him there and you must keep Him there.
The battle for the control of the real estate of your heart rages 24/7. The good news is that as Lord of your heart Christ secures your salvation and prepares you for the Good Fight. Satan cannot overcome you…unless you let him.
Trials and temptations bring their own brand of menace. These are by their very nature relentless. They will wear you thin if you do not learn to deal with them properly. Knowing when to stand and fight, and knowing when to flee the scene, are skills vital to survival. But as much as skills, words and deeds help us along the way, they are not the substance of our defense.
It always comes back to one question: “Is Christ Lord of your heart?” Then, and only then, will you be ready to defend your faith.
John Staiger
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