watch for the snares

​The devil makes some very threatening claims where our safety and well-being are concerned.  If you listen to him exclusively, he will convince you that he can make good on his threats.  You need to understand that no matter how many times we defeat the devil he never gives up.  He has nothing new to try on us, he just repackages the same old crap.  If you listen to him often enough you will readily recognize who is trying to entice you. 
 
2 Corinthians 2:11 Satan cannot get the upper hand on us because we are not ignorant of his devices.
 
I think this Scripture should read like this: we shouldn’t be ignorant!  The devil is sneaky, he’s like a cat that stalks around your house without a sound.  Ignorance is a choice and most Christians do not make wise choices.  If you want to devil proof your life God will cover you with all of His armor.  If you don’t want to be bothered with it, you won’t.
 
1 Peter 5:8 Be vigilant, because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walks about seeking whom  he may devour.
 
The devil cannot affect every life, only those who are ignorant of his devices.  The ignorant do not know who their enemy is, they tend to wrestle with flesh and blood.  They are easy prey for the snare that the devil sets for all men.  If you are diligent about renewing your mind, you will become proficient at identifying the plots and plans of the devil.  One cannot have a profusion of God’s will apart from the Holy Ghost.  The devil’s two greatest problems are the Word and the Holy Spirit.  He has no weapon, no might against the Word and the Spirit he can only make fruitless accusations. 
 
Ephesians 6:11 Put on all the armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles (methods, tricks) of the devil.

The armor of God protects us from the covert plots of the devil.  We don’t need protection from the attacks of the devil because Jesus dis-armed him.  The devil can’t touch us, he must stay at us until he finds a way to turn us against ourselves.  If the devil can get us to say how we “feel” we will have what we say.  We will be caught in his snare, words entangle us and words set us free.
 
2 Timothy 2:25-26 In meekness instruct those that oppose themselves, that they might  acknowledge the truth.  And then they can recover themselves out of the snare of the devil.
 
These folks are those who neglected the Word, they had no armor and the devil was able to ensnare them.  It would appear now that they are full of pride and God resists the proud.  Their only hope is to accept the truth the servant of the Lord is sent to present them.  If they would have honored the truth before hand they would not have gotten ensnared.  They can pray all they want but God already gave them the way of escape.  Seems like folks are always trying to find a way out, but Jesus is the way, the truth and the light.

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