Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. 1 Peter 5:8-9
I pause my study looking at the life of Paul using John Piper's 30 Reasons Why I Love the Apostle Paul to listen to DesiringGod.com's Solid Joys daily devotion - which looks at sin and Satan. Piper starts by bluntly stating that "[t]he two great enemies of our souls are sin and Satan. And sin is the worst enemy, because the only way that Satan can destroy us is by getting us to sin, and keeping us from repenting." Satan and Sin entered the world at the Fall (Genesis 3) and will remain with us until they are both ultimately defeated at the end of age (Revelation). Until the end of the age, God keeps Satan on a leash (see also God's providence over Satan and sin) and Piper shares that the "only way he can do us ultimate harm is by influencing us to sin, and keep us from repentance." Piper quotes scripture that describes how Satan tries to do just this, including Ephesians 2:1-2, 4:27. Peter does warn us of how sin and Satan are on the prowl, and at the same time Peter tells us to resist Satan by being firm in the faith. Piper wraps the devotion by pointing us to Ephesians 6:10-18.
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My Prayer: Jesus, thank You for washing away my sin and for giving me the whole armor of God to protect me against the battle against Satan and sin. I am blessed for how You do this and how You save. My sin is great and it continues...daily. Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You. Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me. Help me grow in my faith. Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength. Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo. Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior. Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin. Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others. Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.
