Are You Using the Weapon God Gave You? 

Luke 4:13 Now when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from Him until an opportune time.  

The world still wants us to picture Satan (or the devil) running around in a red suit with a pitch fork, like a cartoon character. I think a lot of Christians don’t really believe Ephesians 6:12 which says “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” 

This verse tells us that Satan is organized just like an army. He is not God, and he is not omnipresent where like God can be everywhere. He is omnipotent and has all power like God, in fact like in the book of Job, he had to ask permission before he could attack Job. He is also not omniscient where knows everything like God, but I do believe that he gets inklings when the Lord is working in your life or my life and asking us to do something and or to bless us in some way. 

But we can not dismiss him, for even the Lord in Zechariah 3:2 And the LORD said to Satan, “The LORD rebuke you, Satan!  

We need to understand that because of the death of Jesus on the cross of Calvary and the resurrection the battle has been won. We are to maintain what Jesus has already won but we can’t do this in our strength, this is why Ephesians 6:10 tells us Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.  

The devil is extremely organized just like an Army and he has demons and emps to do his dirty work because he does not have the power to be every where at one time like the Lord. But, the Lord has given us some mighty weapons for in II Corinthians 10:4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds,; Thank the Lord that when we got saved He gave us the mind of Christ and II Corinthians 10:5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,   

We need to understand that every temptation first starts in the mind so we need to bring every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.   

The verse that is before us Luke 4:13, tells us that after Jesus was tempted that Satan left Him until an opportune time. How true this is of the temptation that comes to us at opportune times. You’re ready to come to church and your brother-in-law shows up with his new boat. You have made up your mind that your will no longer gossip and you neighbor comes over with the biggest, juiciest peace of gossip. On and on, and why is it when the Lord is giving you an opportunity all of sudden there are obstacles?  

I once heard of the word HALT and it stands for never allow yourself to become too hungry, too angry, too lonely, or too tired. Because when you do the devil uses that time to come with a boat load of temptation. 

Pastor Lee Cruse who believes that the devil has been defeated but he still has power enough to destroy your life and influence your children if you will allow him to do so.  The Bible tells us that if we will resist the devil he will run from us.