“How you have fallen from heaven, O morning star, son of the dawn! You have been cast down to the earth, you who once laid low the nations! You said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of the sacred mountain. I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’”

— Isaiah 14:12-14 niv

If we want to achieve success as Christians, then we must be aware of him who opposes that goal—the Devil. To understand Satan’s plot, we must first understand his origin, and the Bible gives us several clues about that. Satan began his existence as an angel of light named Lucifer, the light bearer. Being God’s most powerful, brilliant, and beautiful angel, Lucifer became puffed up with pride, believing he could reach the same status as God. When he wanted to become like God, war erupted in Heaven. Michael the archangel fought against Lucifer and his angels. Michael won, and Lucifer and his angels were cast from Heaven forever. Lucifer became Satan, and his angels became demons.

Satan now tries to lure as many humans as possible to his own depraved condition. He is filled with wrath and seeks to destroy all powers of God, the kingdom of God, and all who love Him. Satan hates God and Christ, and he exercises his vengeance against those whom God created. The Bible frequently warns against Satan’s craft and powers, his work, and his ways. He is a seducing spirit, evil, malevolent, and deceitful. He only desires to destroy. Peter tells us that our adversary roars around like a lion, seeking to devour whom he will.

But Christ has defeated the Devil. He did that on the cross. Though Satan may seem to win on earth, he is a defeated foe, and his days are numbered. If you ever feel that he has gotten the best of you, remember that greater is He (God) who is in you, than he (the Devil) who is in the world (1 John 4:4).

“Those who deny the existence of the
devil are easy pickings for him.”

“Give no regard to mediums and familiar spirits; do not seek after them, to be defiled by them …”

— Leviticus 19:31

Have you noticed the recent explosion of the occult, witchcraft, and Satanism in our society? If you pay attention, you can see it everywhere—in movies, in television programs, in many of the songs of our pop culture. Drive down Main Street, U.S.A., and you’ll most likely see the storefront office of a psychic or a palm reader. The work of the Devil and his demons takes many forms and has many names. It ranges from Satan worshipers to those who experiment with parapsychology and read horoscopes. And our country has embraced it all.

Why do people turn to the occult? Some people hunger for the supernatural. Ignorant of the Gospel and unacquainted with Christ, these people seek a supernatural connection in the occult world. Others seek power. They don’t care where they get it; they just want as much of it as they can grab. Yet others just play with the occult. It serves as an entertaining diversion for them, a game to play. And as the occult gains more and more popularity, many dabble in it out of curiosity.

God created us as spiritual beings for a realm beyond this world. For this reason, people hunger for spiritual things. But many don’t understand that their spiritual needs can only be met in Christ. So they turn to the dark side. The occult becomes an illegitimate way to fulfill a legitimate need.

This all sounds very dark and depressing, but as Christians we can have, and share with others, hope. Jesus came into this world to defeat Satan and destroy his works. By His death, Christ accomplished this once and for all, and He set the prisoners free. You and I need to share the Good News of Christ, who alone can truly satisfy the longings for the supernatural. Zig Ziglar suggests that rather than listening to the stars by following our horoscope, we should listen to the One who made the stars by reading the Holy Bible.

Have you allowed the occult to take hold of you? If so, you needn’t feel possessed by it. Confess your involvement to Jesus Christ, and repent of it. As you do, Christ will forgive and cleanse you from all sin. And whether or not you’ve experienced the occult, pray today that God will break the hold the occult has on our nation, setting people free from Satan and drawing them to Christ to experience the most potent supernatural power—the power of the Gospel.

“Satan works best where his existence is denied.”

“… and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

— Genesis 3:5

Have you felt as bewildered as I at the recent proliferation of crystals, psychics, and gurus? A “new” religion has swept through our land—the New Age movement—attracting converts with the speed of a runaway train. But the only thing new about this movement is its slick Madison Avenue makeover. In reality, the New Age movement has existed since the Garden of Eden. An old serpent in a new skin, this worldview slithers around our society today, consuming people by the millions.

The term “New Age” refers to an astrological belief that every two thousand years the world moves into a new zodiac age. New Agers believe that at the beginning of the twenty-first century, we will pass out of the house of Pisces and into the age of Aquarius. (Interestingly, the fish symbol has always signified Christianity.) Although the New Age movement has many different and loose strands, we may glean three dogmas underlying it:

1. The material world is an illusion. It’s not real. Only things in the spiritual realm are authentic. Sounds like Plato.
2. Only one infinite, eternal reality exists—one force, one life energy, one spirit— and it envelops everything (including us). Sounds like pantheism—each of us is one spark from the same fire. In other words, each of us is “god.”
3. Since each of us is “god” or a part of “god,” we have no need for the “old-fashioned” Christian concepts of sin, guilt, and redemption. We only need enlightenment—to recognize that we are “god.”

The New Age religion takes bits and pieces from Eastern mystical religions— Hinduism, Buddhism, and Taoism—Western neo-pagan occultism, ancient philosophy, modern psychology, and Taoist physics. When we mix all this together, what do we come up with? The original lie that Satan gave to mankind in the Garden of Eden: “For God knows that in the day you eat of it [the tree of knowledge of good and evil] your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” New Age thinking weasels its way into many places, even into so-called Christian organizations. As you seek to grow closer to God, test the philosophies you hear. If anything sounds suspect, seek the truth in God’s Word and by His Spirit. God will never lead you into anything contrary to His being or His will.

“The devil often transforms himself into an angel to tempt men.”
St. Augustine

“Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.”

— Ephesians 6:13

In Ephesians, Paul shows us the treasures hidden for us in Christ—redemption in our Savior resulting in eternal life. But as Paul finishes this epistle, he warns us that before we enter into Heaven’s gates, we shall experience great tribulation, the protracted spiritual warfare that faces every Christian. Our antagonists are not flesh and blood, but spiritual, invisible, and powerful. These principalities are the world rulers of darkness and spiritual wickedness in high places.

On our own, we can’t fight and win against such foes. We need, first of all, strength beyond our own. We need Christ to strengthen us through His own might. Second, Paul exhorts us to take unto ourselves the whole armor of God that we may stand in the evil day. The watchword is “stand.” Stand against the wiles of the Devil, withstanding all of his onslaught. And having done all, when the battle has ended and our foes lie strewn in the field, we shall stand victorious as overcomers for Christ.

Are you facing a battle today? Then clothe yourself in the armor of Light, every piece of which is Jesus Christ Himself. Clothed in His might and armor, you may go forth into battle, not merely to preserve your own soul from loss but also to win the multitudes of this world into Christ’s kingdom that their knees may bow before the cross and they may proclaim Him as Lord and King of all.

“How many Christians are trying to fight
a spiritual war with natural weapons?”

“… be holy, for I am the Lord your God.”

— Leviticus 20:7

Have you ever noticed how many people claim to “believe in God,” but on closer inspection, the “god” they believe in is merely one made up in the factory of the human mind? And rarely, it seems, does that god have any standards of holiness. I recall once sharing the Gospel with a woman, and when I began talking about God’s judgment, she stopped me and said, “Oh, no. My God would never do a thing like that.” I said, “Madam, you are absolutely correct. Your god would never bring anyone into judgment. The fact of the matter is, your god would never do anything at all. He doesn’t exist anywhere other than in the fantasies of your own mind. However, the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the God of the Scriptures, has declared explicitly what He will do; He will judge every evil thought and way.” I’m afraid that many today are guilty of the same idolatry, diminishing or eliminating God’s holiness, and that leads to an “anything goes” attitude.

As people have created their own images of God, our society has endured a moral decline. Pollster George M. Gallup, Jr. says the United States faces “a moral and ethical crisis of the first dimension” and needs to find spiritual answers to deal with the situation. Our educators and courts have forgotten George Washington’s warning in his farewell address— that we should not be so naive as to suppose that we can maintain morality in the absence of religion. All history and experience forbid us to indulge in such a vain supposition, he said. But we have been just that naive, and now having sown the wind, we reap the whirlwind. Today we indeed face a moral crisis of the first dimension.

Yes, we live in a largely immoral world. But like the white lily blossoming on a dung heap, so God calls us to purity in the midst of an impure world. The Bible tells us that God wants us to be holy, even as the Lord is holy.

“Growing in holiness is like riding a bike.
If you stop pedaling, you fall off.”
Rob Warner

“… and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

— Matthew 28:20

Today I want to share a spiritual secret. This secret was the key to the extraordinary service of David Livingstone, one of the greatest missionaries in the Church’s history.

Livingstone committed himself to living for Christ. Consider this prayer from his diary: “Lord, send me anywhere, only go with me. Lay any burden on me, only sustain me. Sever any ties but the tie that binds me to Thy service and Thy heart.” And so it happened that God took Livingstone to task. “Send me anywhere …” Livingstone had learned of the villages in Africa where no missionary had ever gone before, and he felt led to go there. “Lay any burden on me …” Once in Africa, Livingstone encountered numerous trials. First, a lion attacked him, crushing his shoulder. Then, while crossing one of the vast plains of Africa, one of his children died. To add to that, when his children reached school age, he had to send them and his wife back to Scotland. The loneliness weighed heavily upon him. But Livingstone was undaunted, and he went deeper and deeper into Africa all alone. “Sever any ties …” When Livingstone went back to Scotland, he found that his beloved father had died. Later Livingstone returned to Africa, and though his wife joined him in this venture, she passed away soon after her arrival. But Livingstone pressed on despite all this. Livingstone tramped across Africa for thirty-three years. Because of his faithfulness to the Lord, two million people heard the Gospel, and the Light of Christ came into Africa. Livingstone set his heart on Christ and committed himself wholly to the Lord.

What was Livingstone’s secret to maintaining his commitment despite all his struggles? Christ’s presence. In the midst of all of his hardships and toils, he knew Christ remained with him, for He had said, “I am with you always.” This day, let Livingstone’s example encourage you. No matter how hectic your life may get, remember that Jesus Christ is with you wherever you go, whatever you do.

“Give me, O God, this day a strong and
vivid sense that Thou art by my side.”
John Baillie

“… And the people were restrained from bringing [any more], for the material they had was sufficient for all the work to be done—indeed too much.”

— Exodus 36:6–7

Some people complain when pastors bring up the issue of money. They seem to forget that churches need money to expand. On the other hand, have you ever heard any pastor say, “Look, folks, we appreciate your generosity, but we already have too much?” I doubt it, but that actually happened one time with Moses and the Israelites.

The Israelites had come together to build the first sanctuary for the true and living God. The Bible tells us that Moses called all the children of Israel together, saying, “This is the thing which the Lord commanded.” He wanted all of the congregation to participate in the offering for and the building of the tabernacle. Moses commanded them, “Take from among you an offering to the Lord.” Who should participate? “Whoever is of a willing heart.” God didn’t compel or pressure anyone to give. Instead, God in effect said, “If your heart leads you to do this, then do it.”

God had provided for all the Israelites’ needs and given His Ten Commandments; now the Israelites rejoiced in bringing their gifts. We read, “Everyone came whose heart was stirred, and everyone whose spirit was willing, and they brought the Lord’s offering for the work.” They brought gold and silver and brass. These people had no home of their own and no certain future, but they trusted in the Lord, giving willingly and joyfully. In fact, so many came forward with gifts that Moses had to command them to stop.

I wish that could be the case more often in churches today. I believe that God blesses those who give to His work; we miss that blessing when we withhold. We should give willingly and joyfully … as Chuck Swindoll likes to remind us, “God loves a hilarious giver.”

“Most need a goad to quicken their charity.
Few need a bridle to check it.”
Matthew Henry

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.”

— Philippians 4:6

The whole Christian life begins with trusting God for something. It begins with trusting God for our salvation, just as the Israelites had to trust God for their deliverance from Egypt. When we believe and trust Christ, He applies His blood to our hearts, and we are redeemed.

Having received that gift of salvation through grace by faith, we have crossed the Red Sea and have entered into the life of Christ. At this point many people expect to find a bed of roses, but instead they begin to wander through a wilderness. But God doesn’t expect us to wander in an endless spiritual desert, just as He never intended the Israelites to wander in the wilderness for forty years. God had originally planned for the Israelites to go directly to the mount, receive His instructions and the Ten Commandments, proceed to Kadesh Barnea, and enter and occupy the Promised Land. When the twelve spies went ahead, they saw giants and walled cities in the land. They reported that the inhabitants were greater than they could conquer. Because of the Israelites’ unbelief, God said, “So, I swore in my wrath, they shall not enter into my rest.” He condemned them to wander for forty years in the wilderness, apart from His perfect plan of immediate rest and security in the Promise Land.

Though you have received God’s gift of grace, you may not have yet entered into God’s rest. Your soul may be wandering in a vast wilderness, wandering because you haven’t believed that God will conquer the “giants in the land.” But only when you place your trust in Him—the only one worthy of your total trust—can you enter into the joy of His rest and the delight of a close relationship with Him.

Are you withholding your trust from God today? I encourage you to trust God with all your concerns. When you hand them to Him, one by one, He’ll open to you a promised land of rest and security in Him.

“On Christ the solid rock I stand …
all other ground is sinking sand.”
Hymn

“But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you …”

— Acts 1:8

Have you ever looked at a challenge and thought you just didn’t have the power to overcome it? Maybe you face such a challenge today. If so, do you realize that you have incredible power available to you through the Holy Spirit?

Perhaps you know this hymn: “I link my earthly feebleness to Thy almighty power.” These words explain the great claim Christianity makes—that God links us feeble human beings to His divine power when we entrust our lives to Him. When Jesus ascended to Heaven, He promised that the Holy Spirit would come on us, giving us this power.

Power. In the Greek it is dunamis, from which our word “dynamite” comes. We have that kind of explosive power in God. Consider some of the events in the Old Testament in which men and women overcame kingdoms, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the fury of fire, and turned aside the edge of the sword. By God’s grace these people grew strong in battle and put to flight their enemies. By faith they ran through troops and leaped over walls.

The apostle Paul claimed, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13), and we can make that claim, too. In fact, we need to live by it, for this world desperately needs such men and women of faith to accomplish great feats for God. God calls us to wield spiritual swords for His kingdom. And He promises to give us the power to accomplish anything He calls us to do. God wants to make the world marvel, to melt frigid indifference and startle people, to make them wide-eyed at what faith can accomplish. When the multitudes saw the boldness of Peter and John, they marveled, and many gave their lives to Christ. God wants to accomplish the same through you and me.

When you and I exhibit boldness that will run through a troop and leap over a wall, the world will indeed marvel at God’s power in us. Today, be bold in God. Claim the Holy Spirit’s power in you, and watch what He does through your life.

“The battle is the Lord’s! The harvest fields are
white … victory is sure. We face a vanquished foe;
then forward with the risen Christ to battle go!”
E. Margaret Clarkson

“You will show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”

— Psalm 16:11

Do you know something that grieves me? I grieve that the world has believed the lie that God is mean and narrow, a killjoy who thwarts our happiness. And even more tragic is that many Christians have succumbed to this lie. Many walk around with sad countenances and sorrowful attitudes. What picture of Christianity does this present to the world?

Have you believed the lie? Do you worry about having “too much fun,” afraid that if you enjoy yourself God will swoop down and zap you? Nothing could be further from the truth.

God originally planned for our lives to be full of joy and free from sorrow. In the beginning, God created a man and a woman, and He placed them in … the garden of sorrows? … the garden of misery? No. He placed them in the Garden of Eden. “Eden” is a Hebrew word transliterated as “a garden of delight, a garden of pleasure.” At the beginning of His plan for us, God created a garden of delight and pleasure. He put Adam and Eve there so that humankind might share His joy.

Though humankind disobeyed God, bringing sin and sorrow into the world, God didn’t give up on His plan. Instead, He gave us Jesus so that we might have another chance to live joyfully. Through His life, Jesus showed us the meaning of joy. While the Bible never says that Jesus laughed, we can safely surmise that He did. Furthermore, Jesus wept in our place because He took on our sin and our guilt, and His sorrow became our joy. The shortest verse in the Bible is “Jesus wept.” The second-shortest is “Rejoice evermore.” Rejoice evermore. Jesus wept on our behalf so that we might experience His joy, the joy that God bestows on us. Jesus said, “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full” (John 15:11).

Through His sacrifice, Jesus has made joy available to all the world. Can the people around you see Christ’s joy in you? If they do, they’ll want some of it. So allow God to instill a joyful attitude in you, whatever the challenges you face.

“Christianity … carries in its heart the happiness of heaven.”
Hugh Brown