RESISTING THE DEVIL

"Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." (James 4:7). Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world" (1 Pet 5:8-9).

Devotion 8 of 15

SATAN BLINDS MEN TO TRUTH

"In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, Who is the Image of God, should shine unto them" (2 Cor 4:4).

Resisting the devil is directly related to the love of the truth, the appointed means of being saved (2 Thess 2:10). If men do not entertain a preference for the Word of God, Satan will blind their minds so they will not believe it to the saving of their souls. Remember, if the Word is not mixed with faith, it brings no advantage-none whatsoever (Heb 4:2).

The Lord Jesus unveiled a circumstance that would cause the devil to remove the word of God from the hearts of those hearing it. This underscores one of the ways Satan blinds men to the truth. In the parable of the sower Jesus described the various types of individuals exposed to the Word. One of them was likened to a path upon which precious seed was sown. The fowls of the air, however, "devoured" the seed on that path. In expounding this parable to His disciples, Jesus said the following. "When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the seed sown along the path" (Matt 13:19). Luke gives this account of our Lord's teaching. "Those along the path are the ones who hear, and then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved" (Lk 8:12).

The failure to "understand" the Word does not refer to a technical, or scholastic understanding. Rather, it is a condition of mind in which the individual sees no relevance in the Word of God. it is simply dismissed from the thought processes in the interest of other things. The call of God is not heard in it. Good news for the individual is not perceived in it. Jesus affirms that under these conditions, the devil comes and removes the Word from the heart of the person, making belief and salvation impossible--at least for that time.

If the mind of the professed believer is ever turned away from the "good Word of God," spiritual blindness will ensue; and there are no exceptions. You cannot resist the devil without an appetite for the Word of the living God.

PRAYER POINT: Father, through Your only begotten Son, help me to take hold on the Word of God, comprehending its relevance to me personally.

-- TOMORROW: SATAN BEGUILES --