“10 And the disciples came, and said unto Him, Why speak You unto them in parables?11 He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of Heaven, but to them it is not given.
12 For whosoever has, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever has not, from him shall be taken away even that he has.
13 Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.
14 And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah, which said, By hearing you shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing you shall see, and shall not perceive:
15 For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.
16 But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear.” Matthew 13:10-16
Satan knows the Word of God better than most, if not all Christians, but he is not saved. The devil sees but sees not, hears and hears not, nor does he understand. I remind you, he also believes in God and knows that he was utterly defeated by Jesus Christ on Calvary’s Cross. Just to go a step further for clarity – satan never had the keys to hell, there was no fight in hell and Jesus was not born again in hell.
Sadly, it is mostly the Christians themselves who do not believe satan was utterly defeated by Jesus Christ and they continue to fight him daily. They declare their war against the devil before their feet hit the ground in the morning. I remind you, the devil will not flee unless we are submitted to God (James 4:7). We are not free from the law of sin and death when our faith is in our fight and not in Jesus’ finished work.
The only fight we are called to fight is the good fight of faith…faith in Jesus Christ and HIS utter defeat of every demon in hell on Calvary’s Cross…this is for our Salvation AND Sanctification. This is the work by Jesus that gives us dominion over our sin nature (Romans 6:14) and enables us to yield unto God – to follow Him. Before our Salvation we were not able to yield unto God and do that which is pleasing to Him. Our will power, both before and after Salvation, is not able to overcome the powers of darkness. If this was so, Jesus’ work on the Cross was in vain. God forbid, no!
Because we are now alive unto God (born again) through our faith in Jesus Christ, we are now able to choose, with our own free will, and render our flesh helpless to overcome the sin which so easily besets us and yield unto God (Romans 6:10-12). It is through our will being submitted to God’s redemption plan (Jesus and Him crucified) that the Holy Spirit is commissioned to free us from the law of sin and death. “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.” Romans 8:2.
A sinner is called to believe but a Saint is called to follow. Are you following or did you stop at believing? That which has been given will be taken away if you have not the desire for more (Matthew 13:12).
“Let us labor therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief. For the Word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” Hebrews 4:11-12.
The Word of God is alive. It is powerful. The Word of God is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Blessed are the eyes that see and ears that hear. Blessed are those that seeing see, hearing hear and understand what the Spirit of the Lord is saying to the churches. The weight of this blessing will bring one to their knees in humility, it will not puff them up in self righteousness. Be blessed Brothers and Sisters, be blessed.
-Donna Clark Warren
Living in The Spirit 