Frustrating the Plans of the Enemy (II):

“He frustrates the devices of the crafty, so that their hands cannot carry out their plans.” (Job 5:12, New King James Version).

This is the key Bible verse for our “Come and See” devotional today.

The first part of this message indicated that conflict is inevitable and is part of the natural existence of men and women. The enemy, in the form of the devil and his agents, tirelessly wages war against the people of God. The Bible warns us: “be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” (1st Peter 5:8, New International Version).

The many troubles of the children of Israel recorded in the Bible showed how hard the enemy will fight to stop the realization of our God-given destiny. We cannot fight the devil by ourselves because he is more experienced than we are; after all, he has been dealing with human beings since their creation by God. Invariably, it makes good sense to pitch our tents with the Man of War, the Almighty God, to ensure victory over the enemy.

The captain of the Lord’s army, Jesus Christ, revealed one of the key secrets on how to frustrate the plans of the kingdom of darkness: thus, we need to remain in the Kingdom of God. Jesus said: “if a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand. And if Satan opposes himself and is divided, he cannot stand; his end has come.” (Mark 3:24-26, New International Version). When Balak, the King of Moab saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites, he became terrified and decided to hire Prophet Balaam to curse the children of Israel (Numbers 22 & 23).

However, it was impossible to curse Israel because the Lord was with them. Balaam said: “no misfortune is seen in Jacob, no misery observed in Israel. The Lord their God is with them; the shout of the King is among them.” (Numbers 23:21, New International Version). Unfortunately the protection enjoyed by the Israelites was broken afterwards, because they decided to stray away and to sin. They started indulging in immorality with the same Moabite women and worshipped their gods. The Bible relates: “so Israel yoked themselves to the Baal of Peor. And the Lord’s anger burned against them.” (Numbers 25:3, New International Version). As a result of their despicable actions they lost more than twenty-four thousands of their population to plagues.

It is less risky to jump from a plane without a parachute than it is to continue living in this wicked world without being a member of the household of God (Read Psalms 91). Fortunately, no matter how far we have strayed away from the protective arm of God, we can always return to Him through Jesus Christ. “All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out”-John 6:37 (New King James Version)

Let us pray: “Father, by your unfailing power and mercy, let every counsel against me come to nothing,” in Jesus’ Mighty Name, Amen.

This message was brought to you by Evangelical Ministries International (EMI). We know this message has been a blessing to you. Please share your testimonies with us by visiting our website www.evangelicalministries.org or contact us on info@evangelicalministries.org. God bless you!