“ The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” John 10:10.

The devil may bluster and blow but never forget he is on a leash providing we continue to trust in the Lord and seek His will.  If it was over every time the devil told us it was over, we would all be over.  God’s perfect Will requires our faith in Jesus and His finished work.  Religion will tell us to “do our part”.  Our part is faith and it is the Lord Jesus Christ that does the work in us, in our heart.  It is the Holy Spirit ruling and reigning in our heart because of our faith in Jesus, that circumcises our heart and makes us a new creature in Christ Jesus.  This work is done on the inside by the Lord which results in good and fruitful works, not by laws, rules and regulations.  Even the Old Testament Saints, their faith was in the blood of the sacrifices of bulls and goats to atone for their sin, not their works.  Those bulls and goats didn’t take away the sin from their account but reconciled their fellowship with God.  Jesus Christ paid their sin debt and our sin debt on Calvary’s Cross…it is Him and His Work that delivered us from satan’s grip and gave us victory over death, hell and the grave.

When we allow the Lord to have His way and submit our will to His Will and the devil starts being the devil, we look to Jesus Christ.  “Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts. ⁴ Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God. ⁵ Do ye think that the Scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy? ⁶ But He giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. ⁷ Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” James 4:3-7.

The adultery spoken of here is spiritual adultery which is faith in our efforts and our abilities…faith in our works. Standing in our faith in Jesus Christ and Him crucified will lay waste all other fads that come down the pike in the modern church.

“For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.” 1 Corinthians 2:2.  Being determined to know nothing else among you except Jesus Christ and His finished work on Calvary’s Cross will cause you to understand the blusters and blows from satan are nothing but a distraction to take your eyes off of Jesus.  Religion will have you focused on every bluster and blow he snorts, the Holy Spirit will always point you to Jesus for deliverance.  Discern the distraction.  Is it blusters and blows or a quickening of the spirit by the Holy Spirit?

-Donna Clark Warren