“The Reality of the Devil”
Thursday, January 22.
“Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil” (Ephesians 6:11).
The story is told about two friends who love boxing. One of the friends was the renowned American writer, Wilson Mizner. The other friend was boxer “Mysterious” Billy Smith. They both visited a San Francisco entertainment center where Mizner started a fight with some Longshoremen. At the end, only one longshoremen was left standing. Although Mizner rained punches at him, he stayed obstinately upright. When Smith noticed what was happening, “Leave him alone Wilson,” he shouted. “You knocked him out five minutes ago.” On closer investigation, it turned out that a punch from Smith had indeed knocked the Longshoreman out cold, but had also wedged him vertically between two pieces of furniture.
This is an accurate picture of Satan, an already-defeated enemy of Christians. Satan has been defeated by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, but he still stands trying to take anyone who gives him the chance.
The idea of Satan has virtually disappeared from the beliefs of many people. Our world of rationalism has dismissed the idea of a devil. Perhaps the reason for the denial of the devil comes from humanistic concepts of Satan. He has been pictured wearing a red suit, carrying a pitchfork, and having horns and a forked tail. Let us this morning reflect upon this enemy of the things of God. Pray that God will give you strength to fight the attacks of the enemy.
Memory verse: Ephesians 6:18
“We must remember that Satan too has his miracles” John Calvin