John 1
Jesus' Ministry Begins
The Holy Spirit, Satan and You
“The Spirit then compelled Jesus to go into the wilderness, where he was tempted by Satan for forty days. He was out among the wild animals, and angels took care of him.” Mark 1:12-13(NLT)
"Ha Satan" the Accuser
In the Old Testament Satan does not show up very often. We see him once in first Chronicles, a few times at the beginning of Job, once in Psalms and twice in Zechariah. However he’s all over the place in the Gospels.
In fact Mark, the earliest Gospel, the document off of which Matthew and Luke worked, skips “Christmas” and takes us right to the center of the cosmic battle between God and the agent of evil, “ha Satan”, the “accuser”. No sooner is Jesus baptized, affirmed in the most beautiful way by God, his Father, than the Holy Spirit “drives” Jesus into six weeks of temptation in face to face combat . Jesus resists by quoting scripture, suffering and trusting. But then he’s ready for ministry.
I take it from this that we should not be surprised that God will train us also by putting us in the way of temptations which the accuser will delight in believing he’s free to orchestrate. In reality, however, although Satan seems to have a limited temporary freedom, his actions in relation to you are ultimately used by God to strengthen you. How, by driving you back to God, just as Jesus was.
How does one do “spiritual warfare”? If you’re in darkness, head straight toward the light. Be in church, never stay away. Read the Bible, in particular the Gospels. Confess your sins and repent. Stay in contact with godly friends who pray for you. Be courageous and renounce debilitating behaviors and embark on God’s path for your life.
Prayer
“Lord, although you allow, even orchestrate encounters within the world of darkness to strengthen me, I will not focus on them. I will not allow myself to devolve into a fearful combatant who feels the need to fight off demons right and left. The battle is yours and I will spend my time moving toward the light. Amen”
One thing stands out to me big time with the temptation of Jesus. Jesus went into the desert knowing the depth of love his Father had for Him as well as the confirmation of the Holy Spirit. He was in complete oneness with the Trinity. He knew who He was and He knew He was loved and tht he was approved of.
ReplyDeleteWhatever Satan threw at him could not rival that!
So, to me, if I want to stand against Satan and the trials he is allowed to inflict, I first need to understand who I am in Christ. I need to know how much I am loved. I need to be abiding in Him through the Holy Spirit!
"For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness, made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ" 2 Cor 4:5
Thank you! This reminder was needed in my life right how.
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