Let's Commit

"It's human nature to fight back. But Jesus bids us to REST in His work. Do we trust Him or not?"

STOP THREATENING the devil. Stop. The problem is, under pressure we want to REACT, to DO SOMETHING. It’s human nature to FIGHT BACK. But Jesus bids us to REST in His work. Do we trust Him or not? That’s what it comes down to. In our fighting, our shouting and declarations, we show our doubt. We pick back up what we have laid down at Jesus’ feet. In the passage where Jesus bids those listening to lay down their burden and pick up His yoke (Matthew 11), He is making a comparison between the worldly church leaders and God’s heart for men, God’s heart for us to “find rest” to our souls. He rebukes several cities who did not receive Him, previous to that, giving us a picture of those doing their own work and not His. We’ve made the devil the target, when he isn’t one. Not anymore. In casting him out constantly, where he hasn’t even been, we elevate him to a level he doesn’t deserve.

He isn’t in everyone’s ear. He’d be godlike if he could do that. He isn’t even responsible for all the death and destruction in the world. He’s de-feeted, meaning he has no standing anymore. In what was no battle at all, he was placed where he belongs, beneath Jesus (Colossians 2:15). The King James Version has phrases for it; I won’t use them. We’ve repeated them so much we don’t know what they mean. But it all has to do with authority, that Jesus is God and Redeemer and the Christ and the King of all Kings, and the devil is a nothing. Yeah, he spoke to Jesus in the wilderness and, yeah, Jesus rebuked him when he spoke through Peter, but he wasn’t zipping from ear-to-ear moulding men to do his bidding. He isn’t a leader of anything other than he sinned then angels sinned. And now, since Jesus, he has even less being. There are devils or unclean spirits on this earth. They have no being either. And no organization, no power structure. They are as fearful and as deceived as what they try to push off on men, and filled with violence that they have completely embraced. But they aren’t on every street corner, and they do go inside the church. They withstand the anointing in a measure and laugh, often, when they are “rebuked,” to use one of those church warfare words.

We aren’t in a war, except in our own minds, and our thinking comes from what we read, what we watch, what we meditate on (Psalm 19:14). It isn’t from a devil. It isn’t from the devil. Let’s commit to stop saying that. God will be pleased.

“Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him.” (Psalms 37:7)

“You will rest without a worry and sleep soundly.” (Proverbs 3:24 CEV)

“His peace will keep your thoughts and your hearts quiet and at rest as you trust in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:7 TLB)

Image by Peter H from Pixabay


----------
Suzanne D. Williams, Author
www.suzannedwilliams.com
www.feelgoodromance.com