TODAY’S DEVOTION (Sunday 10th May 2020)
“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.” 1 Peter 5:8-10 NKJV
WELCOME TO THE 130th DAY OF OUR YEAR OF REJOICING
Today God has a word for us as we get ourselves ready for Church in the house, I cannot wait for the service because of what the LORD showed me He want to reveal to us by my lips. Am just excited for all the souls that will come to the knowledge of truth today and the days to come.
When I look at the things the LORD is showing us His determination to make sure mankind is not lost get’s rekindled in my spirit. Now I know, when Peter said Jesus is not willing that anyone should perish but that all come to repentance, it was out of deep discoveries of depths of God’s love and moves to save mankind.
God has a word for us today, I hope we are ready!
You see, we live in a world that is constantly under attack. Today is Corona Virus, tomorrow, we do not know which is coming. But the Bible calls everything the beginning of sorrows.
People have been under various forms of attacks from men and devils. Many have been under attack from their own decisions and health. Body organs like the heart sometimes launches its own deadly attack, leading to the death of people.
Either you believe it or not, the world is in a state of emergency.
At least Corona Virus and other happening should tell you that. ” Friend, it has been like this since sin came into the world, and long before time began. The world has been under emergency, but GOD has a plan also.
YES, A REDEMPTIVE PLAN, AND HAS BEEN IMPLEMENTING IT EVEN BEFORE THE AGES BEGAN.
When you step into that plan, no matter what may be wrong with you, redemption will begin to manifest in your life.
The Bible made it clear that all attacks that man faces, are products of slavery to sin, Satan, or self. We established that in our devotional yesterday. When you break from the slavery, of sin, Satan, self, or the evil and corrupt system of this world, you will be made whole.
Many people have not realized what accepting Jesus as LORD and savior is. It is breaking from the slavery of sin and Satan. That is what it means to be born again. Sadly, many who claim to be born are still slaves of sin and Satan. Meaning, their acclaimed salvation experience, did not break them free from sin, Satan, or Self. That is why they still suffer what the lost world suffers and live like they do.
You cannot live like the people of this world and enjoy the blessings of the people of another world – the world of God.
You can claim to be a Christian with no sign of authentic Christianity in your Lifestyle and expect the victory God reserve only for His true Children to manifest in your life.
You cannot live according to the system of the lost world and expect miracles, signs and wonders reserved for those who live according to the system of the world of Christ to manifest in your life. They will never manifest. You must change sides in the spirit. That is why the LORD is urging us towards deep intimacy.
DEEP INTIMACY IS A SYSTEM OF GOD HATED BY THE SYSTEM OF THE LOST WORLD
It calls for disconnecting from the system of this world and becoming sold out to the system of God. Time to change sides in the Spirit. Time to depart from sides governed and controlled by the system of this world. Time for deep intimacy.
Deep intimacy with Jesus Christ will enable you change sides in the Spirit.
There is a generation that cannot come under any successful attack of the evil one; it is the generation of those who seek the LORD – those who are deeply intimate with Him.
When you are deeply intimate, you will be lost in the Spirit and no longer be extremely conscious of what is happening in the carnal world. When you are no longer extremely conscious of what is happening in the carnal world, the power that rules the carnal world – the power of sin, self, and Satan – will be broken in your life.
Consequently, the constant attacks that take place to those in the carnal world will no longer take place in your life successfully. It may come in one way but will flee from you in seven ways.
A key highlight in our devotional text this morning says “…because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith..”
There are two truths we can glean from this highlight. The first is the devil cannot devour everybody. That is why he goes about looking for those he can devour.
The devil can attack everybody, but the devil cannot devour everybody. The reason is not everyone is living according to the system of this world. Hos attacks only succeeds over those living according to the system of this world.
For instance, he attacked Adam in the Garden of Eden through the wife and devoured him – he devoured him by making him his slave. And attacked the second Adam – Jesus Christ – after a 40 day fast but could not devour Him.
SO, SATAN CAN ATTACK EVERYBODY BUT CANNOT DEVOUR EVERYBODY.
Hence, going about looking for those he can devour. If you are therefore intimate with your Adamic nature, he can attack and devour you, but if you are intimate with Jesus Christ, he may attack but can never devour you.
The second truth we can glean from the highlight comes from the words “Resist him, steadfastly in the faith.” Hallelujah!!
You cannot resist Satan if you lack the spiritual capacity to do so.
Lack of spiritual capacity will rather hand you over to more demonic attacks if you try resisting him. That was what the seven sons of sceva in Acts 19 did not know. They tried resisting the devil and snatching a soul from his grips without the spiritual capacity to do and got beaten by the demon. Resisting the devil without the spiritual capacity to do so will make him to launch severe attacks in the spirit.
That is why God will first give you spiritual capacity before sending you to the warfront to resist the devil. He built the spiritual capacity of Devil in the backside of the desert before exposing him to Goliath. He will never bring you to the warfront except He has given you the capacity to resist the devil.
The Bible says in the book of James chapter 4 verses 7,
“Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you” (NKJV).
If you have not submitted to God and then you try to resist the devil, instead of him fleeing from you, trust me, you will be the one fleeing from him. A generation that does not know how to first submit to God before resisting the devil, will become slaves of persistent satanic assaults. Submitting to God will give you the capacity to successfully resist the devil.
NOW HOW DO WE SUBMIT TO GOD? THE BIBLE EXPLAINS HOW. IT SAYS;
“Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.” James 4:8 NKJV
You submit to God by first drawing near to Him. That to me is a call for deep intimacy. That is why when you become deeply intimate with Jesus Christ you will begin to experience a cleansing from sin and double mindedness and break into realms of glory in the Spirit’s realm!
The Bible says a double minded person cannot receive anything from the LORD – not even an ounce of victory over Satan. Deep intimacy is the only way to kill double mindedness in your life.
Friend, the Cry of the Spirit for this month is deep intimacy. God wants you to draw near to Him. He wants to give you the capacity to resist the devil and keep Him out of your life. Will you let Him?
MAKE THIS SCRIPTURE AN ADDITIONAL MEDITATION FOR TODAY;
“Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members?”
“You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.”
“Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.” “Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain,” The Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously”? But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”
“Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.”“Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.” James 4:1-8 NKJV