Sakkie Parsons
Someone wrote to me and told me about the tremendous attacks she has to face in life but how she only keeps her eyes on our Lord and trusts in Him.
I share with you what I like to remind people like this lady and of course myself too when the attacks of satan are getting bad for me and believe me, sometimes I feel in my humanity that the attacks of satan are getting to a severe degree.
I want to start with the following:
GEN 3:15 “And I will put enmity (open hostility)
Between you and the woman,
And between your seed (offspring) and her [a]Seed;
He shall [fatally] bruise your head,
And you shall [only] bruise His heel.”
Do you remember what Jesus said on Calvary when He paid the full price for us and thus crushed the serpent’s head?
JOHN 19:30 30 When Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And He bowed His head and [voluntarily] [a]gave up His spirit.
With these words of Jesus in mind, we read in another place:
COL 2:15 15 When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities [those supernatural forces of evil operating against us], He made a public example of them [exhibiting them as captives in His triumphal procession], having triumphed over them through [a]the cross.
Still further in another place we read:
HEB 12:1-2 Jesus, the Example
12 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of [a]witnesses [who by faith have testified to the truth of God’s absolute faithfulness], stripping off every unnecessary weight and the sin which so easily and cleverly entangles us, let us run with endurance and active persistence the race that is set before us, 2 [looking away from all that will distract us and] focusing our eyes on Jesus, who is the Author and Perfecter of faith [the first incentive for our belief and the One who brings our faith to maturity], who for the joy [of accomplishing the goal] set before Him endured the cross, [b]disregarding the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God [revealing His deity, His authority, and the completion of His work].
Jesus cut off the snake’s head on Calvary, so to speak.
JOHN 19:30 .. 30 When Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” …
In another translation we read:
JOHN 19:30 … “It’s done . . . complete.”
Just as a snake whose head has been cut off may still writhe for a while, so the actions of satan are still at work in our lives, God’s children, to try to show us that he is stronger than our Lord but how significant! –
The satan has already been defeated on Golgotha, and now we just have to keep our eyes on our Lord Jesus Christ and not let ourselves be intimidated by the actions of the snake’s wriggling twisting headless body.
Remember, that satan cannot see into the future.
He doesn’t know how much time he still has on earth to do what he wants to do, and of course he doesn’t know how long he still has on this earth to get, for example, you and me away from our Lord – but he knows assured, that if our Lord comes for you, or for me, who truly follows our Lord, we will be lost to him.
Therefore, he attacks us with so much seething anger and with power and opinion – but his attacks on us, and how remarkable, is also proof for us, that he is certainly not pleased with what he sees when he looks at us.
That is why, for example, we read:
REV 12:12 12 Therefore rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them [in the presence of God]. Woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has come down to you in great wrath, knowing that he has only a short time [remaining]!”
For most of our Lord’s true children, as in Job’s case, he attacks with all his might and opinion, with all kinds of trials, to get us, the chosen ones, away from our Lord, if it were possible – but of course, this is not his only modus operandi.
Those of us whom he does not attack in our personal lives with all kinds of attacks, he attacks with a host of false preaching, prophecies and so-called new revelations.
Jesus Himself says in this regard the following about satan:
MAT 24:24-25
24 For false Christs and false prophets will appear and they will provide great signs and wonders, so as to deceive, if possible, even the elect (God’s chosen ones). 25 Listen carefully, I have told you in advance.
So, let us, in the midst of the battle, do what we read at the beginning of Revelation 12:12:
REV 12:12 12 Therefore rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them [in the presence of God]. …
The closer we live to our Lord, the harder satan will try to make us change our views.
Because Jesus knew about this action of satan, He also asks this question on occasion:
LUKE 18:8 “… However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find [this kind of persistent] faith on the earth?”
Therefore, as the lady who wrote to me does, I also try to live in the midst of the tremendous attacks on me – and I want to encourage you to also travel through this life in this way on your way to eternity:
HEB 12:2 2 [looking away from all that will distract us and] focusing our eyes on Jesus, who is the Author and Perfecter of faith [the first incentive for our belief and the One who brings our faith to maturity], who for the joy [of accomplishing the goal] set before Him endured the cross, [a]disregarding the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God [revealing His deity, His authority, and the completion of His work].
So beloved in our Lord – When the attacks come, let us always remember the invitation of our Lord through His Word to us, and let us always make use of it:
HEB 4:16 16 Therefore let us [with privilege] approach the throne of grace [that is, the throne of God’s gracious favor] with confidence and without fear, so that we may receive mercy [for our failures] and find [His amazing] grace to help in time of need [an appropriate blessing, coming just at the right moment].
To be able to witness this at the end of our life here on earth:
2TIM 4:7-8
7 I have fought the good and worthy and noble fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith [firmly guarding the gospel against error].
8 In the future there is reserved for me the [victor’s] crown of righteousness [for being right with God and doing right], which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that [great] day—and not to me only, but also to all those who have loved and longed for and welcomed His appearing.
The New Living Translation read:
7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful.
8 And now the prize awaits me—the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on the day of his return. And the prize is not just for me but for all who eagerly look forward to his appearing.
Greetings,
Sakkie