THE DEVIL FIGHTS HARDEST WHEN GOD IS MOVING MOST!
Have you ever noticed that when you feel like God is moving and changes are happening, that the devil seems to get to work trying to make the biggest mess of it he can???
Times in my life when I really felt like something GOOD, something BIG, something JUST GOD was happening, ……. That’s when the devil has beat me down the most!
So, what in the world is going on when this happens? How can we fight this fight? Do we have examples already from a biblical perspective? SURE WE DO!!! 😊
Two main examples:
1) Old Testament: Job
The entire book of Job shows us how God’s divine protection is what separates us from and helps us stand against the “wiles of the devil”.
2) New Testament: Jesus
Jesus shows us the level that the devil is willing to go to in order to stop God’s move in a person’s life.
So lets dig into both examples to put together a clear picture of what is happening and exactly how the devil sees the “move of God” and plans his attack.
Now, back to our good buddy Job!
Poor Job had a rough go of it with the devil. Lets read some of what happened to Job.
Job 1:1–5 sets the stage for the book with its description of Job as an exceptionally successful and pious man. Apparently, he was the wealthiest man in the ancient Near East during his era, and it was the custom of the family to hold a feast on each of his son's birthdays (vv. 3–4). More significantly, Job's integrity set him apart from all others. He was "blameless and upright, one who feared God and turned away from evil" (v. 1). This does not mean he was a sinlessly perfect man, as the rest of the book demonstrates. The designation blameless in Scripture is often used for people who, though sinners, are in the main oriented toward loving and serving the Lord (see Gen. 6:9; Luke 1:5–7). Blameless individuals endeavor to live according to God's commands and repent when they fall short. The blameless person, Matthew Henry comments, is like Job, who "dreaded the thought of doing what was wrong; with the utmost abhorrence and detestation, and with a constant care and watchfulness, he eschewed evil, avoided all appearances of sin and approaches to it."
The narrator does not spend much time describing Job before turning his attention to the heavenly court, where Satan appears among the angels. In the interchange between Satan and the Lord, it is established that Satan will put Job's faith to the test. Note, however, that God is not exercising a simple permission, though He does allow Satan to have his way with Job as long as he does not touch Job himself. The Lord, in fact, initiates the whole matter, drawing out Satan's true thoughts about Job by asking the devil about the man (Job 1:6–12). Our Creator does not merely respond once someone else gets things started. Instead, He makes the first move, directing events to the conclusion He has appointed.
Under the Lord's sovereign providence, Satan causes Job to lose his children, his servants, and his fortune. But Job's faith does not waver. He blesses the name of God, acknowledging that the Lord is ultimately in control (vv. 13–22).
So, this whole ordeal proves that God is in control through the entire exchange. Even when we feel like we just can’t take another punch…… God is still in control.
Now lets move on to the temptation of Jesus in the wilderness.
. (Matthew 4:1-11) 4 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted[a] by the devil. 2 After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3 The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”
4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’[b]”
5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. 6 “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written:
“‘He will command his angels concerning you,
and they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’[c]”
7 Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’[d]”
8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. 9 “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.”
10 Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’[e]”
11 Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.
Jesus is just about to really dig into his ministry. We don’t know much about what has led Jesus to this point, or what caused this to be His “appointed time” other than God had it all under control and had this all planned from even the beginning. Revelation 13:8 tells us that Jesus is “… the Lamb, slain from the foundation of the world.”
How can we apply this to our own situations? Well, we can first acknowledge that if satan thought that he could tempt GOD HIMSELF, . . . . . . he will definitely tempt us!!! Seriously, the devil thought he could tempt the SON OF GOD! Wow! So, what tipped him off? Obviously God had chosen this point in time for Jesus to start his ministry and start moving and changing things on the earth. See, the devil had everything going in his favor up to this point. People were either following the law or they weren’t. And if he could tempt someone away from following the law…..Hmm…..where have we heard that before??? Anyways, the devil thought he was winning. He thought that he had everything under control. Then God shows up on earth. The devil first tries to just kill him outright! Then we don’t know much about Jesus growing up, but you can pretty much bet that God’s hedge of protection was around Him and protected Him. God even kept the press out of it for a few years, lol! Then it comes time to MOVE, and satan gets nervous and starts trying to mess stuff up.
Now lets put this all together!
What is going on when all of this happens?
God is allowing this test, trial, set of circumstances, whatever, to build you up and make you strong for the task he has for you. Do you have a ministry? Is there someone you are about to meet that needs to hear the gospel? Are you about to be under the watchful eye of someone that needs to see the hands and feet of God at work? Are you about to move into the next assignment that God has planned for you even before you were born?
Jeremiah was told that even us in mortal flesh were known by Him before! (Jeremiah 1:5) “I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb. Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as my prophet to the nations.”
The story of Job tells us that God allows these “satan messes” to be growing points. They are ALLOWED and KNOWN by God! Nothing is a surprise to HIM!
How do we fight this fight?
Exactly how Jesus fought! WITH THE WORD!! See, the devil even tried to twist the WORD and make it into a trap. But Jesus (Being the WORD in flesh) was not fooled. He knew exactly what the scriptures meant and responded accordingly. One thing is for sure, the devil knows the bible. Unfortunately, he knows the bible better that some “Christians” do! So, you need to learn the WORD! Be in the WORD! Make sure you KNOW THE WORD! Then you will be completely armed for the war with the devil.
The trials that you are going through mean that the devil is nervous!! God is MOVING! When God moves, it makes satan nervous, and he will do anything that he can to disrupt a move of God. So, be prepared. Have the WORD in your heart so that you can, “stand against the wiles of the devil” (Ephesians 6:11). Remember that Jesus has already won the WAR, you just have to stand strong through the remaining battles. “For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil” (1 John 3:8). Take comfort in knowing that if you stand strong and hold tight to God’s Word and His Promises, that you are already victorious in Christ Jesus!
So, if the struggles are real, and it seems like the devil is fighting you at every turn, remember that God has already won. The devil fights the hardest when God is MOVING MOST!
