06/18/2024 In the last few days, I have been learning about how to set myself resolute against evil, and I mean “evil” as defined in the Bible. We have evil in the world around us, and by the grace of God, a good deal of “good”, too. In a marriage teaching one time, I heard a friend say about her husband that she “realized (her) husband was not the enemy”, and that has stuck with me during these times, whether I’m considering the actions of other Christians, actions of unbelievers, or actions of my own. Its easy, all too-easy :/, to shift the blame onto an individual, when we don’t have the full picture. In Christ, when we don’t have the whole picture yet, it causes us to depend on Christ more, hopefully. But in our relationships to others, its hard because we lose sight of the fact that the “Evil One” is the evil one, and not our brothers and sisters, mates, family, or neighbors. In Jesus prayer, the Lord’s prayer found in Matthew Chapter 6, He prayed that God our Father, would “lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from Evil” or “Deliver us from the evil one” and its important to recognize that Jesus acknowledged it then as a threat, and then prayed for it. He was teaching the disciples also, that that is how they should pray.

John 10:10 is Jesus speaking “The thief comes only to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life and that they may have it to the full.” This is an example, too in this statement of Jesus giving bad news first, that the devil is come to take away life itself, and everything we know as life! The Lord Jesus wants to give us life, and much more abundant life than we even know how to receive.

The devil is a liar, manipulator, and tries to make you question God’s will and truths that He has clearly shown us in His Word(s).

We have nothing to fear in Christ, other than those things God outlines for us to fear: Hell,… and well that’s it, that I know of. We have No reason to fear anything that would come our way: a storm, what man can do to us, an enemy (as “enemy” is outlined in the Bible), a trial, a demon, because all things are under Christ’s authority – and His Name and Blood can rescue our souls from anything!

Be encouraged that Jesus came to REALLY GIVE US LIFE, or he would not have fought so hard to purchase heaven for us now and later!