Tuesday, July 17, 2007
The devil has a plan...
I am becoming more and more convinced that Satan is a master strategist. It is not just that he wants us to sin, but I think he takes advantage of the timing of our sin. For example, he will always increase his attacks on God's leaders when great things are happening for the kingdom. So if you are a leader in a group doing amazing work for the Lord, then be on you guard. I think Satan looks for the opportune time to tempt us. He watches for signs of weakness. He looks for when you are vulnerable. He watches for when we are tired, lonely, distracted, or busy.
I have even seen marriages ruined by timing. I know of spouses who have forgiven, and forgiven, and forgiven. They have gone the extra mile and tried to make a bad situation work. Then one day they have had it. They can't go on, they quit trying, they can't take it any more. The marriage is over. And then their spouse repents. This time they really start to change. They began to reshape their life in the image of Christ. Too late. If any of the other dozen times over the past twenty years they had really changed then it might have worked. Is it a matter of timing?
Or you try to talk to someone about Jesus. They are not responsive, they don't care, and they are not interested. Finally, you give up. You move on, you "shake the dust off you feet", and you leave them alone - just as they wanted. Then something changes in their life, a door opens, the window of opportunity is there for a moment. But we are not.
I think Satan is happy for any evil he can do. He would rather us never repent, but better later than sooner. He would rather you be a faithful parent when your kids are grown than when they are young.
So how do I defeat this strategy? Don't grow tired of doing good, stay focused, and start now instead of later. And remember that with God, it is never too late.
Have you ever seen Satan use a timing strategy? How did you combat it?
I have even seen marriages ruined by timing. I know of spouses who have forgiven, and forgiven, and forgiven. They have gone the extra mile and tried to make a bad situation work. Then one day they have had it. They can't go on, they quit trying, they can't take it any more. The marriage is over. And then their spouse repents. This time they really start to change. They began to reshape their life in the image of Christ. Too late. If any of the other dozen times over the past twenty years they had really changed then it might have worked. Is it a matter of timing?
Or you try to talk to someone about Jesus. They are not responsive, they don't care, and they are not interested. Finally, you give up. You move on, you "shake the dust off you feet", and you leave them alone - just as they wanted. Then something changes in their life, a door opens, the window of opportunity is there for a moment. But we are not.
I think Satan is happy for any evil he can do. He would rather us never repent, but better later than sooner. He would rather you be a faithful parent when your kids are grown than when they are young.
So how do I defeat this strategy? Don't grow tired of doing good, stay focused, and start now instead of later. And remember that with God, it is never too late.
Have you ever seen Satan use a timing strategy? How did you combat it?
