I am sure as you read that title you began to think about the people in your past, or maybe one or two in your present, you believe hate you.
But that is not what I want to talk about tonight because the one who hates you is so much more devious than any person on this earth. The one who hates you is Satan. In the Bible he is known by many names – Lucifer, ruler of demons, god of this world, devil or accuser, adversary, and wicked one to name just a few.
Satan is all about darkness and he wants to take us into that darkness. Have you ever been in total darkness? I mean so dark that you cannot see your hand held 6 inches in front of your face. Darkness is paralyzing and chaotic. In total darkness there can be no vision, no forward movement. If one tries to move in total darkness you will stumble and could even get into a situation that is deadly.
That is exactly what Satan wants for us – darkness and chaos.
I Peter 5:8 tells us:
Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil
prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.
John 8:44 told the Pharisees:
You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires.
He was a murderer from the beginning, and has nothing to do with the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.
And John 10:10 says:
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy.
I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.
But then Jesus tells us something more of this thief, liar, and deceiver. He says:
“No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.”
This passage is not just about the love of money, this passage is about the master you serve when you put the love of this world and its wealth above the love of the Lord. Everyone has a choice, you can either choose to follow the Lord into light or the devil into darkness. No one is neutral. You are either with God or you are against Him. You are either walking in light or walking in darkness – darkness full of chaos, fear, and despondence.
But fortunately, God gives us a way to fight and defeat the devil. James 4:7 says:
Submit yourselves therefore to God.
Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
Ephesians 6:11 gives us this instruction:
Put on the whole armor of God, that you may
be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.
And there will come a time when God will do away with Satan once and for all. Revelation 12:9 says:
And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.
I am so thankful we have the assurance that this great menace will get his own in the end!
But each of us have a choice to make today. There can be no fence sitters. You are either with God or you are with Satan, there is no in between. You can either walk in light with vision and clarity or you can walk in total darkness, stumbling around and never finding peace. You can walk with someone who wants to protect and bless you or you can walk with someone who wants to devour and deceive you, someone with in whom there is no truth. There is no middle ground.
As for me and my house, we will serve the LORD!
Someone Hates You!
© 9/11/2018 by Marlys Popma
The Christian Conservative
Used with permission.
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