Tag: Satan

Christian

Is Satan Trying to Discourage You?

Cindy Dawson

One of Satan’s favorite weapons is discouragement. I get discouraged sometimes, but the Lord always picks me back up. Sometimes encouragement comes through another person who is walking closely with God. This happened recently when I read Devotional Treasures by Alan Kearns. You can read it here.

Alan said, “It is not our ability that matters, but rather the Might of our Father God.” That hit me right between the eyes!

The Lord was showing me that if I have doubts and fears about my ministry (and we all have a ministry, you know) it’s because I’m taking all the responsibility on myself instead of depending on Him and trusting Him to accomplish His will. He has promised,

 “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
    I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.” Psalm 32:8 NIV

Satan likes to attack our minds, making us think his lies are true. Doubts, fears, frustrations, distractions, and even fatigue may be the attack of the enemy. The following verses show us that the enemy attacks our minds.

“But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ.” 2 Corinthians 11:3 ESV

“In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” 2 Corinthians 4:4 ESV

I love the story of Nehemiah and how he led the exiles back to Jerusalem where they were obeying God and rebuilding the demolished walls of the city. You can read about it in Nehemiah, chapters 4-6 here.

These chapters reveal how the enemy tried to stop the work God had given them to do: rebuilding the walls. So don’t be surprised if the enemy tries to stop the work God has given YOU to do!

Nehemiah and the Rebuilding of the Wall

Whether you are writing a blog, teaching a Bible Study, going to the mission field, pastoring a church, working in the nursery, or building a wall, the enemy’s plan is, first and foremost, to STOP THE WORK.

Satan’s plan is to make you give up!

“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” Galatians 6:9 NIV

If we depend on our own abilities and strength we will fail. Consider the words of the Apostle Paul.

“But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Corinthians 12:9-11 NIV (emphasis mine)

Be strong in the Lord!

In His Love, Cindy

Do you want to know more about Jesus? See my page Who Is Jesus?

Pray for Israel

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Christian

Quote of the Week, 5/29/24

Cindy Dawson

(Satan) is amazingly effective at making lies believable … the only hope we have of being able to spot his lies is to be intimately familiar with the truth. We must be so well versed in the truth, so faithful to the truth, and such a doer of truth that he will not be able to deceive us with his lies. Apart from the Word of God, we are sitting ducks!”

Jim Osman, Truth or Territory?

In His Love, Cindy

Do you want to know more about Jesus? See my page Who Is Jesus?

Pray for Israel

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Christian

What Is Spiritual Warfare, Really?

Cindy Dawson

Many years ago, when I was in a Word of Faith church, I was wrongly taught that we had “revelation knowledge”. It was actually a prideful attitude, thinking we knew and understood so much more than that “religious” church down the street.

We naively sought understanding from the many books written by false teachers that could be found in our bookstore. Some of these errant teachings on spiritual warfare have permeated evangelical Christianity.

I decided to set aside everything I had learned from “Bible teachers” and books and to seek understanding about spiritual warfare from the Bible alone.

What the Bible says about spiritual warfare is straightforward and plain to see. There is no mysterious, hidden meaning that only the spiritual elite can understand. The Bible warns us about the ways of Satan. It also tells us how to stand against his schemes. Only by reading and studying God’s Word daily will we learn these things. There is no shortcut.

Spiritual Warfare isn’t some mysterious prayer technique. In fact, it really isn’t that complicated at all. In its purest form, engaging in spiritual warfare is proclaiming the Gospel and speaking the Truth in God’s Word.

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.” Romans 1:16

Stop and think about that for a moment. The world today believes many lies that literally shock the senses! I won’t list them here because you already know what they are.

“True spiritual warfare is a battle for the minds of men because they are held in bondage to Satan by believing the lies that he (Satan) has told them.”

Jim Osman, Truth or Territory

The Christian’s battle (true spiritual warfare) is not a feeling, an intuition or an imaginative experience in the spirit realm – however real it might seem.”

Bruce Cooper, Reasoned Cases for Christ

To be a mighty warrior, we must trust in God’s Word. We must study it to be prepared. Consider this familiar passage on spiritual warfare. Notice that this passage is about how to “STAND”. Why do we need to know how to stand? Because in today’s world, standing for truth can have its dangers. You might not be executed if you are fortunate enough to live in the West. But you could lose your job, your friends, or be outright hated and persecuted.

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.  Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place,  and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.  In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.  Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

Our battle is not against people. It’s against the devil and his demonic forces. Our only weapon is the Word of God, the Truth. But to stand against the devil’s schemes, we have been given “the armor of God”. Our faith (trust in God and His might) is our Shield.

Ultimately, spiritual warfare is not about a technique to battle demons. It is proclaiming God’s Word in a world under Satanic deception to a people who walk in darkness.

“I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” Jesus (John 8:12 NIV)

In His Love, Cindy

Would you like to learn more about Jesus? See my page Who Is Jesus?

Pray for Israel

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Christian

Quote of the Week, 3/27/24

Cindy Dawson

We must be so well versed in the truth, so faithful to the truth, and such a doer of truth that he (Satan) will not be able to deceive us with his lies. Apart from the Word of God, we are sitting ducks!

Jim Osman, Truth or Territory

In His Love, Cindy

Do you want to know more about Jesus? See my page Who Is Jesus?

Pray for Israel

Photo by Priscilla Du Preez 🇨🇦 on Unsplash

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Christian

Who Was Balaam?

Cindy Dawson

Note: Writing this post has been difficult because I know some readers may be offended. It is never my intention to offend anyone, but only to remind us all (myself included) what God has said in His Holy Word.

Who Was Balaam? You will probably think of Balaam’s donkey who talked. (Numbers 22:21-39) Instead, when you think about Balaam, think MONEY!

Balak, the king of Moab, hired the prophet Balaam to curse the Israelites. Balaam tried several times but was unsuccessful. Balaam wanted his financial reward so he came up with another idea. He taught King Balak to use women to entice the Israelite men to commit sexual immorality. That way, the Israelites would curse themselves and he would still get paid. Pretty clever!

Jesus warned the church at Pergamum:

“There are some among you who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin so that they ate food sacrificed to idols and committed sexual immorality.” Revelation 2:14

Translated as entice, the word literally means stumbling-block.  It refers to the part of a trap where the bait is laid. Taking the bait caused the trap to close upon its prey.   Generally, this was a loop or noose, which should entangle the foot of the unwary prey causing it to stumble and fall – a vivid image of what happened to the Israelites. They took the bait, they became entangled, and they fell.

Satan is crafty. He is called the Deceiver, after all. So what kind of traps do you think Satan sets in today’s world?

“According to 2 Peter 2:15, Balaam’s “way” is a choice to promote falsehood for financial reasons. … The doctrine of Balaam teaches compromise, wanting Christians to forget they are called to be separate and holy.” (GotQuestions.org)

In other words, money is the motivation for Balaam’s actions.

“They have left the straight way and wandered off to follow the way of Balaam son of Bezer, who loved the wages of wickedness.” 2 Peter 2:15

Balaam’s “way” then, is a choice to promote falsehood for financial reasons. I suggest there is a lot of that going on today. Make the connections. Deception, false teaching, making money.

The church today relies too much on what I call “Easy Christianity”. Instead of studying the Bible for themselves, they buy entertaining books and videos about the Bible. This can be especially true of women’s Bible Studies.

When researching female Christian speakers, fees ranged from $10,000 to $200,000! That’s only the beginning. The profits from book sales are even better.

At her peak, Beth Moore generated more than $30 million a year in revenue for Lifeway Publishers. (Publishers Weekly)

We’re talking big bucks! So before you study someone’s book just because it’s the current best seller, think again. Maybe we should study the Bible instead!

I am not accusing any particular person of anything. I am just asking you to be realistic. Remember what Jesus told the twelve when He sent them out.

“I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.” Matthew 10:16 NIV

Christians can be very naive sometimes. The Bible warns us of this very thing.

“I urge you, brothers and sisters, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them. For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people.” Romans 16:17-18 NIV

In the Bible, we learn of God’s faithfulness, His promises, His mercy, His love, and so much more that brings encouragement and strength. But God’s Word also includes important warnings, and there are many.

May we embrace the whole counsel of God’s Word and not just the “feel-good” parts. May God bless you richly as you study His Word each day.

In His Love, Cindy

Do you want to know more about Jesus? See my page Who Is Jesus?

Pray for Israel

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Christian

Quote of the Week, 1/31/24

Cindy Dawson

Satan’s greatest weapon is man’s ignorance of God’s Word.”

A.W. Tozer

In His Love, Cindy

Do you want to know more about Jesus? See my page Who Is Jesus?

Pray for Israel

RealChristianWomen.blog  

Christian

A Time of Great Delusion

Cindy Dawson

We live in a time of great delusion. This is no time to depend on our own opinions. This is a time when the only source of truth that can be trusted is God’s Word, the Bible. Everything we hear or read must pass the litmus test of God’s Word.

“Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.” 1 John 4:1-3 NIV

To understand what is happening in our world today, we must be students of the Bible or risk being deceived by our enemy “Satan, who leads the whole world astray.” (Revelation 12:9)

Hamas, who committed heinous, evil atrocities against Israel is being supported and defended by millions of people around the world. How is this possible?

They are deceived. They believe the lies and propaganda. Christians are not immune to this deception. The only safeguard against deception is the discernment that comes from knowing God’s Word.

“The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons.” 1 Timothy 4:1

My question to you is this: Should the Church speak out, or should they be silent? Few churches are speaking out against the evils of this present time such as antisemitism, transgender ideology, sexual perversion, and abortion.

Our culture is at odds with the teachings of the Bible. Although persecution is not a stranger to Christians in many other parts of the world, America is beginning to see extreme religious persecution for the first time.

Antisemitism around the world has increased dramatically. And pressure to support anti-Christian ideologies is alarmingly strong. Being a Christian isn’t getting easier, but it is vitally important! I am reminded of the Scripture that says,

“If you have raced with men on foot and they have worn you out, how can you compete with horses? If you stumble in safe country, how will you manage in the thickets by the Jordan?” Jeremiah 12:5

Face it. Americans don’t live in a culture with a Judeo-Christian worldview anymore. Will we compromise or stand for truth? Consider the words of Jesus,

“If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:31-32 (Emphasis mine)

I don’t know about you, but I want to be free and I want others to be free.

“Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.” 1 Corinthians 13:6

(All Scripture references are from the NIV.)

Photo by Paul Lucyk on Unsplash

 

Christian

Verse for Meditation, 11/30/23

Cindy Dawson

“The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray.” Revelation 12:9 NIV (emphasis mine)

My thoughts: This explains a lot!

In His Love, Cindy

Do you want to know more about Jesus? See my page Who Is Jesus?

Pray for Israel

RealChristianWomen.blog  

Christian

Verse for Meditation, 9/14/23

Cindy Dawson

“… the god of this world [Satan] has blinded the minds of the unbelieving to prevent them from seeing the illuminating light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” 2 Corinthians 4:4 AMP

Comments: False religion and secular philosophy have created thinking that has imprisoned the minds of millions. It is a true spiritual battle…Those who know the truth must confront error with the weapon we’ve been given, the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. GotQuestions.org

In His Love, Cindy

Do you want to know more about Jesus? See my page Who Is Jesus?

Photo by Tony Rojas on Unsplash

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Christian, God

Like a Roaring Lion

Cindy Dawson

“Be sober [well balanced and self-disciplined], be alert and cautious at all times. That enemy of yours, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion [fiercely hungry], seeking someone to devour.” 1 Peter 5:8 AMP

We know the enemy is actively working to deceive unbelievers, but he is also working to deceive the Church. It was true in the first century and it is true today. The Bible repeatedly warns us about Satan’s evil strategy to deceive “even the elect”.

“For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. See, I have told you ahead of time.” Matthew 24:24-25 NIV

The Bible strongly and clearly warns us that Satan will try to deceive us. We must be on our guard. We must be careful not to believe everything we hear, but instead to be like the Bereans who “examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.” (Acts 17:11)

Imagine that! The Apostle Paul was personally teaching them about Jesus, but still, they checked the Scriptures every day to see if what he said was true! We should be so wise!

 “I urge you, brothers and sisters, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them. For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people … but I want you to be wise about what is good, and innocent about what is evil. The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet.” Romans 16:17-20 NIV (emphasis mine)

The Amplified Bible says, “They deceive the hearts of the unsuspecting…” We like to think we aren’t naive but are we unsuspecting?

The Greek word translated as naive in the NIV is akakos. It means unsuspecting or innocent. Many Christians are led astray by false teaching. Sometimes it’s because they don’t know the Scripture. And sometimes it’s because they are innocent and unsuspecting. In fact, they are often enthusiastic and eager to learn! Remember, leading this assault on truth is Satan.

“But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ.” 2 Corinthians 11:3 NIV

The Apostle Paul is warning Christians that Satan will try to deceive them just as he deceived Eve.

I am astounded at the level of false teaching flooding the Church today. It was bad in Paul’s day, but it is even worse now. YouTube and Book Publishing have given the wolves in sheep’s clothing the ability to quickly make money and gather a following. Even good, Bible-believing churches are giving a nod to books and Bible studies that are not sound. Satan is behind all of this. He is a liar and there is no truth in him.

We must heed the Bible’s many warnings and carefully examine what is being taught, comparing it to Scripture.

Satan’s strongest defense against spiritual discernment, his ace in the hole, is to make the Christian think he can’t be deceived.

In His Love, Cindy

Do you want to know more about Jesus? See my page Who Is Jesus?

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