The Devil Will Not WinSample

God’s Grace – Our Hope God offers first aid to His people. It’s there in 1 John 1:8–9, “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” There is no reason for anybody to walk around with a stain on their soul because God has provided a remedy. The blood of Jesus Christ is “the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world” (1 John 2:2). He paid for our sins with His own blood. Satan is a criminal, and every criminal establishes an unconscious pattern. God says that if we read His Word and pray, “I’ll teach you the patterns, so you’ll never need to fall into the devil’s traps. You’ll know the devil when you see him and smell him.” We defeat the enemy when we can recognize his tricks and, by the grace of God, avoid them. How can we know the devil’s devices and tricks? By the light of the Word of God, by praying for wisdom, and by the Holy Spirit’s illumination. Peter once played right into the devil’s hands when Jesus explained to His disciples that He would soon suffer and be killed. Peter responded, “Never”! Jesus said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men” (Matthew 16:21-23). There’s nothing terrible about falling, but you will have trouble if you give up and stay lying down. Falling is final only when we accept it as final. Those who raise a hand and cry “Lord, please help me,” will receive the strength needed to get back on their feet again. If we have God, and experience a victory, we can’t have anything more than God. And even if we suffer a defeat, we can’t have anything less than God. When God has you, and you have Him, there is no such thing as permanent defeat! By God’s grace, let us watch out for and stay clear of the enemy’s traps. Nothing I can say will save you from stumbling unless you search the Scriptures for yourself, pray, and trust the Holy Spirit to illuminate your heart. The outcome will be a victorious life. Heavenly Father, thank You for helping me in the past and giving me hope for the future. The battle is before me, and I need Your help and discernment to identify who my enemy really is. Give me the courage to stand against him, and let Your Word strengthen and lead me in the right direction. I pray this in Jesus’ name, amen.