GOD'S PROTECTION


1 Peter 5:9


But resist him [the devil], firm in your faith, knowing that the same 
experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who 
are in the world.


I cannot accept someone saying, "The devil made me do it." No, he 
didn't make you do it; you did it. Somewhere along the line, you 
chose to give the devil a foothold. He merely took advantage of the 
opportunity you  gave him. You have all the resources and protection 
you need to live a victorious life in Christ every day. If you're not 
living it, it's your  choice. When you leave a door open for the 
devil by not resisting temptation, accusation or deception, you are 
vulnerable. And if you continue to allow him  access to your life, he 
can gain a measure of control over you. You won't lose your 
salvation, but you will lose your daily victory.

Many Christians today who cannot control their lives in some area 
wallow in self-blame instead of acting responsibly to solve 
the  problem. They berate themselves and punish themselves for not 
having the willpower to break a bad habit, when instead they 
should  be resisting Satan in an area where he had obviously robbed 
them of control. Anything bad which you seemingly cannot stop doing, 
or anything good which you cannot make yourself do, could be an area 
of demonic control.

God's protection from demonic attack is not something you can take 
for granted irrespective of how you behave. This protection 
is  conditional on your willingness to respond to God's provision. We 
are told to put on Christ and make no provision for the 
flesh  (Romans 13:14), to put on the armor of God and  to stand firm 
(Ephesians 6:11), to submit to God and resist the devil (James 4:7). 
If we irresponsibly ignore God's resources by failing to obey these 
commands, how can we expect Him to protect us?


Prayer:


Thank You, Lord, for the clear direction and mighty weapons You have 
provided for victory in spiritual warfare.