Just say no to the devil.

There's a pervading feeling of discouragement and irritation that I've been noticing over the last few days and not only is it unrelenting, it's rising. It's the kind that tries to suck all your energy and focus into it like some kind of emotional and spiritual black hole. It wants you to take a deep dive into its spiral of murky negativity. What a ploy of the enemy this is! We need to remember that not all the thoughts that come across our minds belong to us. We have a real enemy who would love nothing more than to steal and kill and destroy us. Sound harsh? It is, and it's completely the truth. And just like full blown sin, this kind of path starts with just a wee bit of a negative thought in our minds from him. It may even sound like something we would say or something that sounds like it may be true. A half-truth? Is there even such a thing? Whatever the case may be, if it goes unchecked it pervades our thought processes and emotions and the devil who loves to hate us has gained some very precious territory because what we meditate on so often becomes what we act upon. Isn't that the truth. And how he loves to throw a little discouragement with a heaping cup of dishonesty at us to see what it can become. Will they take the bait? The devil would love it if you engaged that discouragement from him, accepted it as your own and had a full-blown breakdown in no time at all. So what do we do then? Catch it early. Respond to it early. And when I say respond to it, I mean reject it all because as the Bible says, Satan is the father of lies and in him there is no truth at all. None. Jesus said in John 8:44 that the devil has been a murderer from the beginning. A murderer. How is that for a character reference? Let us not be naive. Satan is the father of garbage and it's time we learn how to take out the trash. We do not have to accept anything from him. Not one thing. If we are in Christ then he has no more authority over us except that which we give to him. We are under new management as it were, so take it back, take it all back. Take back all your agreement with the enemy of your soul and whatever he's ever said to you. Tell him, "No!" and be dramatic about it. You're going to have use your outside voice people. God has given you His authority to cast this kind of thing out so use it. James 4:7 says, "Resist the devil and he will flee from you." You are going to have to resist then. That feels like a little bit of a fight doesn't it? Quote the Bible aloud just so he knows that you're talking to him. That's what Jesus did and He definitely knows what He's talking about! Can I tell you that this worked for me today? I got mad at the devil, and he left. It felt like a cloud hanging over me, over my heart and mind, and now it's gone. And I feel brighter and hopeful and full of life again. Because of the word of God. The word. And I feel like God is saying this today about this, "Don't ever quit fighting."

"For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ."- 2 Corinthians 10:3-5

"If you declare with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved."Romans 10:9-10

"This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent." - John 6:29

Keep stretching your hands out to God dear hearts. Pour your heart out like a waterfall to Him. The road has surely been rough, but we are mighty in Him. Praise you Jesus. You did it all.

©2024 Elise Ehrenholz