Rebuke The Devil, Don’t Blame Them | Streams of Grace Wk 12, Day 3

We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers. (Ephesians 6:12)

 

Ephesians 6:12 makes it clear: ‘We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers.’

Sometimes when people treat you bad, they may not have done so on their on accord. The devil may be using them as a working tool against you. Since the devil has no flesh and blood to physically oppose, he needs people who have yielded themselves to him to fight you or against the goodwill of God in you.

Such people may not even be his agents but an unguarded gate or channel in their lives at a certain point in time or the lack of a prayerful life may pave the way for the enemy to work through them. When it happens, rebuke the real enemy, not them.

Jesus rebuked the devil that was trying to use Peter to thwart the purpose and will of God for His life – “Get behind me satan!” (Matthew 16:23)

Being able to identify where challenges and oppositions are coming from in our Christian race, will enable us to fight the real enemy. 

The devil is the accuser, the deceiver, the destroyer.

James 4:7 says: ‘Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.’ Rebuke him with the Word, just as Jesus did in Matthew 4. Don’t blame them—silence the real enemy!

This is why Christians are enjoined in 1 Peter 5:8-9 to be vigilant and of sober mind, and to stand firm in the faith and resist the devil – the adversary who prowls around like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. Don’t give him the opportunity to be a working tool for his kingdom to be a stumbling block for others, because as scripture says, woe unto those who do such. (Matthew 18:6). Be prayerful, be vigilant, resist the devil and he will flee from you.