“It’s through agreement with evil that evil gains influence.”
Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today – March 7, 2023
For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Ephesians 6:12
Lately, I have been thinking about how evil gains access to people’s lives, and how the devil and his minions influence and hurt people.
I once had a deliverance pastor tell me that the devil is very legalistic. . . that he must be given permission to gain access to people in greater and greater ways.
He said that Satan gains access to people when they believe his lies, or willingly move into the devil’s playground. For example, messing with the occult. (He also mentioned that sexual abuse, in particular, makes people vulnerable to Satan’s influence, which, of course, is never the victim’s fault.)
This made me consider that in many cases, it’s through agreement with evil that evil gains influence.
Agreements happen when we participate in sin, when we hold onto bitterness, unforgiveness, and hatred, when we play with the occult, participate in ungodly sexual perversion and sexual sin, when we lie, read things we shouldn’t, or look at things we shouldn’t. Basically, any time we go against God’s ways and are deceived, we align ourselves with evil.
I am grieved as I look around and see how our nation has agreed with evil and we have rejected God’s ways. The Lord doesn’t want anyone to be hurt. He loves all people. But when we align ourselves with the devil and his agenda, we make ourselves targets of his influence. God will allow us to suffer the consequences of our sin and deception because we have free will, even though He wants to protect us.
For proof that evil exists, all we must do is look at the atrocities that are being done and what we do to one another.
Every day we get to choose whose side of the battle line we stand on. Will we stand with the Lord and His truth or allow ourselves to be swayed by the evil one? Will we support the lies and deception of our culture, or will we stand with Jesus and His ways? Will we believe God or believe what our itching ears want to hear? Will we humble ourselves and acknowledge Christ as Lord, or will we resist Him in pride and therefore create a gospel and god of our own making?
Galatians 6:7 says, “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.”
Today I’m asking myself, “Who will I serve today?” I have some work to do to align my heart with God’s loving heart.
Please join me in prayer for our country and for the world.
“. . .but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death” (James 1:14-16).
Prayer
Lord, help me to live my life in such a way as to please you. Help me to live so that I do not allow cultural lies to pull me away from your truth. I need you to keep me safe and I submit to you and the truth of your Word. Thank you for loving me, Jesus. Amen.
Application
Pray for yourself, your loved ones, for your community, country, and the world. Pray that we all turn back to or turn to Jesus for our good and His glory.
Related Reading
Colossians 1:13; Colossians 2:15; Ephesians 1:18-21
Worship Resource
Carmen: Not 4 Sale
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