When I was a little girl there was a particular crab apple tree on a hill in our back yard. I can remember climbing it to pick the apples in order to make pretend apple pies in my pretend kitchen in the woods. One night the tree was knocked over in a storm. I was somewhat upset, but as little kids go, I forgot about it and moved on to climbing the pine trees for pretend pine cone pies.
The following summer, something amazing happened- that tree bloomed! Which could only mean one thing- pretend crab apple pies!
Yep! That crab apple tree continued to grow, bloom, and produce little green crab apples. And not just that summer but for years to come. I was thrilled. And to be honest, it was much easier to climb laying on the ground than it was upright.
Try as it may, that storm couldn’t keep that tree from fulfilling its purpose. The tree lay on the ground uprooted at the base, and still blossomed.
The enemy does the same thing in our lives. He sends storms of destruction, failure, depression, hardship, and more into our lives in order to knock us down and keep us from fulfilling our purpose. But just like that tree, you don’t have to let his schemes hold you back.
God’s Word says, “your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.” 1 Peter 5:8 NKJV and “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy.” John 10:10
Satan, the devil, the thief, his soul purpose in his rebellion against God is to utterly destroy the crown of God’s creation- you. It is never God that causes destruction in your life. He doesn’t make you sick to “teach you a lesson,” or give you cancer cause He “needs another flower in the garden of heaven.” That’s all nonsense religious talk probably whispered to Christians by Satan himself to get them to blame God for the bad things in their lives.
On a side note, not everything bad in our lives is Satan’s doing. I saw a sign once that read, “Sometimes bad things happen to good people because good people do dumb things.” Not everything is Satan’s fault. The point of blame is often no further than the man in the mirror. Wise up! Use your God-given ability to seek the wisdom that comes from His word and apply it to your life.
But for the times you are truly being attacked by the enemy, stand firm. Put the devil in his place, which is under your foot. You have been given the authority to trample the devil by the words of your mouth.
You have the authority to say, “It is written no weapon formed against me shall prosper.”
“It is written I am the head and not the tail.”
“It is written the devil must flee from me when I resist him.”
“It is written I am able to stand against the wiles of the devil.”
“It is written by His wounds I am healed.”
“It is written by grace through faith I am saved.”
Resist the devil and he will flee from you. (James 4:7)
But, don’t stop there. Understand one very important thing in all this- you can’t, nor should you, do it alone. Your strength to endure comes from abiding in the shadow of the almighty. (Psalm 91)
In all the verses of scripture above, there are verses before and after those statements that should not be ignored. These verses contain vital information and instructions to you as a believer.
1 Peter 5:8 also says, “Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.” 1 Peter 5: 6-11
John 10:10 also says, “I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.” John 10: 9-11
Isaiah 54:17 “’No weapon formed against you shall prosper, And every tongue which rises against you in judgment You shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, And their righteousness is from Me,’ Says the Lord.”
Deuteronomy 28: 12-14 “The Lord will open to you His good treasure, the heavens, to give the rain to your land in its season, and to bless all the work of your hand. You shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow. And the Lord will make you the head and not the tail; you shall be above only, and not be beneath, if you heed the commandments of the Lord your God, which I command you today, and are careful to observe them. So you shall not turn aside from any of the words which I command you this day, to the right or the left, to go after other gods to serve them.”
James 4: 7-10 “Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.”
Ephesians 6: 10-12 “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.”
1 Peter 2: 23-25 “Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously: Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.”
Ephesians 2: 6-10 “And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”
So, when the enemy tries to strike you down, just remember that uprooted crab apple tree laying on the ground still fulfilling its purpose- making crab apples for pretend crab apple pie!
“The first step on the way to victory is to recognize the enemy.” Cornelia Ten Boom
In His Service,
Rebecca Hamilton, Founder/ Executive Director
For Every Great Battle, There is a Great Victory!!