The Enemy's Theft
The thief who works overtime.
“Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. Those by the wayside are the ones who hear; then the devil comes and takes away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.” —Luke 8:11-12
The evil one puts a tremendous amount of effort into keeping people from coming to faith in Christ. He doesn’t sit idly by when the seed of God’s Word is sown; he actively snatches it away before it can take root in the heart. Like a determined thief who studies his target and strikes at the perfect moment, satan works tirelessly to distract, discourage, or harden hearts because he knows a heart that believes in Jesus for His promise of everlasting life will never belong to him again.
Some people think that they must clean up their life first to be born again. Satan appreciates this false teaching for the reasons described in the previous paragraph. In reality, Jesus has taken away our sins, they are no longer a barrier to us being born again. Jesus gives everlasting life as a gift to whoever believes in Him for it—no strings attached.
Today, recognize the spiritual battle. Don’t let the enemy rob you of a life that never ends. Ask yourself this question: Have I ever simply believed in Jesus for His promise of everlasting life, or have I believed that my salvation depends on my works? If you have believed in Jesus for His life-saving promise at any time in your life, you have everlasting, or eternal, life. If you believe your works play a part in your salvation, the battle with the enemy continues.
Prayer: Lord, open my eyes to the spiritual battle around me. Protect the seed of Your Word from the evil one who seeks to snatch it away before it can take root. Right now I simply believe in Jesus for His gift of everlasting life. Guard my heart from every lie and distraction so I may walk in the peace of Your free promise. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
View all messages in the series at: www.faithsaves.us/t/enough-faith-series