IS IT FROM GOD, SATAN OR MYSELF?
The first key to winning a battle is to properly identify the enemy. No one can hit a target they can’t see! How do we know if what we are facing is from God and needs to be embraced, is from Satan and needs to be rebuked or is our own fault and we need to change? There’s a big difference in how each of those is handled. Some Christians say it is always Satan and never God, others that it is always God and never Satan. But what about consequences of our own free will choices? Where do they fit in? While there is no 1-2-3 quick steps to determining the ultimate source of what we are going through, there ae general principles we must know and apply to every situation.
- JESUS HAS ALREADY WON THE BATTLE. Satan wants us to think we are fighting FOR victory when in reality we are fighting FROM victory, for it is already ours. Read the back of the Bible and you’ll see we win! The war was won when Jesus said “It is finished.” Victory was proven by the resurrection. We still struggle because we live on an enemy-controlled earth in a body with a sin nature. But we have nothing to fear. Victory is ours and always will be.
- SATAN IS NOT EQUAL TO GOD. Sometimes we think of God and Satan as two equal powers fighting each other. That is not true. Satan isn’t a god, he’s a fallen angel who wants to be god but never will be. He only has power and authority as long as God allows it, and soon it will end.
- SATAN IS A LIAR. You’ve heard it said that God has a wonderful plan and purpose for your life. That’s true. It’s also true that Satan has a plan and purpose for your life as well. It starts with getting you to believe a lie about God and goes downhill from that. This started in the Garden of Eden with Adam and Eve. His lies sound like, “God isn’t that good” or “God’s not telling you the whole truth.” The lies always go deeper, “God made a mistake when he made you” or “God’s not going to help you.” All are grounded in lies about God. One of his greatest and most powerful lies always begins with your identity. It sounds like, “You can’t do it” or “ You don’t have what it takes.” His words are wrapped in fear, anxiety, and shame.
- SATAN IS AN ACCUSER. Not only does he accuse us to God (Revelation 12:10-12) but he also accuses us to ourselves. If we are doing well he accuses us of pride and arrogance. If we aren’t doing well he accuses us of sin, failure, guilt and shame. He tells us we are inferior, unacceptable to God and will never amount to anything or have victory in life.
When we apply these principles we’ll see that many difficult situations in life are either attacks of the enemy or as consequence of poor choices or decisions we made. But God, who is sovereign and has allowed them, promises to use them for our growth and His glory when we trust and follow Him (Romans 8:28). Other times God allows the trials and tribulations of life to attack us for our growth and His glory. We haven’t done anything wrong nor is Satan involved in any way. God is simply using the circumstances to increase our faith, to help us grow spiritually and for Him to be glorified in our eyes and the eyes of others. So, remember these things when life gets hard. No matter the source of the opposition, the solution is always the same: keep your eyes on Jesus and your faith in Him as you obediently follow and serve Him. He will never let you down.
Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. James 4:7
Are more of the difficulties you face in life your own fault, attacks from Satan or normal life situations where God is giving you opportunities to stretch and grow? What can you learn from this?
cto Rev. Dr. JERRY SCHMOYER
Christian Training Organization
Jerry@ChristianTrainingOrganization.org
(India Outreach, Spiritual Warfare, Family Ministries, Counseling, World View)
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