By Brenda Groves
The Post Newspaper Contributing Writer
We live in a fairly quiet neighborhood, and our home is on a cul-de-sac, so there is not much traffic. Crime has never been much of an issue on our little street, as we are familiar with our neighbors, and try to keep a watch on each other’s property.
But, with both of us working full-time, my husband and I were not always very observant.
For instance, many years ago, I began to notice an unfamiliar vehicle parked at the end of the street each morning when I left for work. The car was backed up against the cul-de-sac facing the homes for about a week or so. I remember thinking that was kind of strange, but that was as far as I got.
Sometime later, a neighbor enlightened me.
“Hey, they arrested those thugs who were staking out neighborhoods and stealing property, breaking into houses after the people left for work,” he said.
My neighbor went on with even more details of how they caught them.
The whole time he was speaking I was thinking, “Huh? What thugs?”
He must have noticed the puzzled look on my face, so he added, “You know, that strange car at the end of our street awhile back? They had been breaking into houses in other neighborhoods, and were watching us to see what time we went to work and came home.”
(Oh, yeah. Those thieves)
I never checked into any of this, so I am just going on the word of my neighbor, but this experience did get me to thinking about another thief in the spiritual realm who is staking us out.
For many years, I had been unaware of how easily he had access into my life. For the most part, I held the front door wide open for him to come and go as he pleased.
Of course, I am referring to the devil. Some people do not believe that he exists, but the Bible says that he does (Once I received the baptism of the Holy Spirit, I became more aware of the spiritual world around us, but that’s another column). For years, my lack of knowledge and passivity to his existence left me vulnerable to his schemes.
He had a free pass to steal the word of God from me, thus bring destruction into my life and trying to kill me. And for the most part, I was cooperating with him fully (“My people perish for lack of knowledge”).
Even after I was born again, I had no idea that many of my beliefs/words/actions were actually coming into agreement with demonic influences.
I don’t mean to magnify anything the devil does, but at the same time, we must be aware that he is real and occasionally will park at the end of our streets, watching/listening, therefore we must “be sober, be vigilant, because (our) adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.”
But, Jesus HAS defanged him, declawed him and made an open show of him. Satan has no power over the born again children of God. Yet, many of us are unaware of “his wiles,” or devices.
The devil cannot just devour anyone, he needs our constant and cooperation.
For example, in the area of health, we have all made remarks about getting older and how “these pains can just be expected.” My Bible says differently.
The children of Israel were in bondage, slaves to the Egyptians for over 400 years. Heavy labor, poor working conditions etc.
Yet, Psalms 105:37 tells us when God delivered them from the Egyptians, ‘He brought them out with silver and gold, and there was none feeble among His tribes.” Webster’s definition of feeble is: ‘weak, not strong, without force, easily broken, frail.” These former slaves were none of that! This means they came out of bondage strong, forceful, with vigor, in good health and might I add, wealthy/prosperous. They did nothing to earn any of this. They just got up and went and obeyed the voice of the Lord speaking to Moses (Again, I’m getting into a whole other column. LOL! ).
So this is one of the things I profess over my life every day, “I’m getting older, but I am not aging. Body, you will serve me well all the days of my life. In Jesus’ name, I do not allow any infirmities of the elderly in my body or mind.”
I am not in denial that these things exist. I am denying their right to exist in me – to steal, kill or bring destruction in my body/life (I am also cooperating with physical laws as well, I am once again exercising, making better food choices, taking vitamins, etc.).
Also, mankind has seen certain diseases passed down through families. It is expected now as a natural occurrence. And for the most part, we just passively accept this “judgement formed against us” like grandma just passed down her quilts or fine china.
We had things like this in our family lineage, but when I saw the truth in God’s word, “life and death are in the power of the tongue,” and “by His stripes we WERE healed,” and hundreds of other verses regarding our inheritance in Christ Jesus, here on this earth, well, I became bold!
I cancelled those generational curses in my family bloodline, because the “blood of Jesus speaks a better word.”
We know many things about fallen man, but sadly, in proportion, we know very little about risen God.
Therefore, Satan is using our authority against us. The Bible says that “out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks,” and our tongues are like a revolving door, giving Satan complete access.
But the devil is not like God, Satan is not omnipresent, he cannot be everywhere at one time. But he doesn’t have to be. All he has to do is take advantage of our ignorance, unbelief, or wrong doctrines and plant seeds of failure, destruction, weakness, lack, poverty, and ill health to be passed down for generations.
Now, I know most of us are not doing these things willingly until we understand that God is good, and the devil is bad. Until we know our inheritance under the new covenant, and how we are being deceived out of our right to good health/emotional wellness/prosperity, then Satan will continue to have access, and by our own omission, permission to steal, kill and bring destruction into our lives.
So, “therefore, submit yourselves to God (His word regarding deliverance, good health, prosperous lives). Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”
(Parenthesis mine.)
(John 10:10; Hosea 4:7; 1 Peter 2:24, 5:8; Proverbs 18:21; James 4:7)
Contact Brenda Groves at: bkgroves1996@yahoo.com
