the challenger

If you step back and take an overview of your life with Christ, you will probably notice one major thing.  Things will go along very well for you for a season and then things put a demand on your peace.  Then you rack your brain trying to figure out what you did wrong to get out from God’s protection.  And then your mind gets inundated with all kinds of bizarre ideas.  Perhaps God is done with you or maybe He turned you over to the devil for the destruction of your flesh.
 
1 Peter 4:12 Think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you.
 
All Christians who are committed to serving their Lord and Savior will be challenged by the devil.  He cannot leave well enough alone, he wants you back and he will not limit himself on how he does it.  If he can get you to question your faith, yourself or God, he can plant the seed of despair.  What a victory for him if he can turn you away from the One who purchased your life from him to begin with.  We spend too much time trying to figure out our problems when all the time it’s just one problem and his name is the devil.
 
The battlefield is the mind.
 
The devil was kicked out of the spirit realm, the place where God contacts man.  He is limited to the pooskay realm, we get the word psychology from this Greek word.  Let me give  some sound advice: don’t believe everything you think!  The devil cannot read our minds but he can offer us a lot of trash and untruths.  We need to learn to use the Word of God as a filter of the things the devil wants us to ponder for him.  The devil has lost his mind and now he wants to use ours, but we don’t have to oblige him.  Our mind is the battlefield but we don’t need to wear ourselves out fighting there.  Take the weapons of our warfare and cast his thoughts down, we do have the upper hand, don’t you know.
 
Romans 12:2 Don’t be in agreement with this world: but be transformed by renewing your mind, then you will prove to yourself what is the good, the acceptable and perfect will of God.
 
Renewing your mind makes you aware of God’s will, it helps you realize your dominion over the devil and it is a reliable source of God’s peace.  The devil cannot deceive a person who is equipped with the truth and he won’t waste much time trying.  After you have adequately renewed your mind you will notice that the devil is still working on the old things you once believed.  This is because there is nothing new under the sun, he has no new material.  The devil loves to hear what comes out of our mouths and then use it as a snare to our lives.
 
James 3:5 The tongue is a little member, and boasts great things. Behold how great a matter a little fire kindles.
 
If we are careless with our words and speak contrary to God’s Words we empower our adversary.  Often times we are our own worst enemy and don’t even know it.  The devil waits for us to say something he can act on or something that sends him packing.  The challenger will come to try us but we don’t have to hand him a victory, rather hand him his defeat.

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