dealing with a subtle beast

​Every day I have to watch a Christian become a victim of the devil.  The devil set a snare for them and they didn’t even know what he was doing.
 
Genesis 3:1 Now the serpent was more SUBTLE than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made.
 
The word “subtle” means wise and cunning.  As you should well know, we have been given dominion or authority over the devil.  At the Name of Jesus every knee will bow.  The devil is too wise to come at you openly, once you recognize him, his program is over.  Just like any war-hardened aggressor, he preys on the weakness of his adversary, that’s you and I brethren.  We must recognize and acknowledge our weakness so that we can take the necessary steps to fortify ourselves. 
 
Romans 12:3 I say to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think: but to think soberly, according as God has dealt to every man the measure of faith.
 
This Scripture is the answer to the question!  What is the question?  Why do people get offended so easily?  They think too highly of themselves, they assign too much importance to themselves.  Some folks look to be offended, they love all the attention they garner as a victim.  Over the years I have had a lot of these folks in my church, but only for a short time.  They were just waiting for me to say the wrong thing or make a decision they didn’t approve of.  One got offended because I let a woman teach, one got offended because some folks fell out when the Holy Spirit touched them.  Another got offended because I taught that God’s judgements were in the earth and one got offended because I didn’t tell the youth that it was wrong to date.  When you think too highly of yourself the devil will have no problem picking you off and you won’t even know it. 
 
1 Corinthians 13:11 When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.
 
Just because a person ages, it doesn’t mean they mature.  Some of the biggest babies in the world are not in the world, they’re in our churches.  I have listened to the most kindest, anointed pastors in the world and they too were scorned by baby Christians as they went out the door.  These are the same folks who opposed Jesus despite the signs and wonders.  Their “feelings” were more important than the message and the messenger.  The spiritual leaders successfully turned the people against Jesus and marginalized what the Father gave Him.
 
Mathew 10:40 He that receives you, receives Me, and he that receives Me receives Him that sent Me.
 
When people reject a man of God, they are rejecting God Himself, but you cannot convince them of that.  The devil is a master at stunting the growth of God’s children. 

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