So the Muslim Brotherhood is burning down Christian Churches and murdering Christians in Egypt. So are Hamas, Hezbollah, al Qaeda, and other fanatical terrorist organizations all over the Mideast. I’ve been praying for my Christian brothers in that region this morning and I ask you to do likewise. In fact I hope you’ll stop whatever you’re doing right now and take a moment to do so.
I watched the news last night and saw a Catholic priest kneeling down to be beheaded by his captors; I saw a little girl shot for no other reason than being a Christian; I saw gorgeous centuries old churches being burned to the ground by fanatical mobs; I saw church services being cancelled in a Christian church in Egypt for the first time since the 16th century; I believe this evil is demonically inspired.
Did you see in Syria where Assad used nerve gas on his own people yesterday? Hundreds of children were dead and being lined up and put in body bags, Syrian people by the hundreds were being rushed inside makeshift hospitals foaming at the mouth with eyes rolled back having spasms as they died excruciating deaths from exposure to chemical weaponry.
This mind numbing evil is not limited to the Mideast. Right here in the USA in Oklahoma three teenagers shot an Australian athlete as he was out jogging in broad daylight for no other reason than “they were bored”. After being captured one of the assailants laughed and danced and bragged about it.
Do you understand the nature of satan?
The nerve gas, swords, guns, and bombs are not responsible, it is evil, pure unadulterated evil, and satan is the big daddy rabbit of it all.
It is impossible to understand the mindset of people who are demonically controlled. David Berkowitz was known as the Son of Sam killer in New York City. He terrorized that city for quite some time murdering people at random with a .357 magnum handgun. He would write letters to the newspapers and taunt the police and write crazy messages and sign them Son of Sam.
After his capture he stated that his neighbor’s dog was giving him messages to go out and kill people. He was into witchcraft and satanism at the time that he was murdering innocent people and I have no doubt that he was possessed. He was sentenced to several hundred years in prison and has since become a Christian and now spends his time witnessing to inmates and forming Bible studies. He will not even go to a parole hearing because he doesn’t want to put the families through the angst and does not want to get out of prison.
He was never crazy or mentally ill; he was demon possessed!
I have no doubt that the sheiks, mullahs, and clerics controlling their fanatical followers are likewise satanically possessed. They convince some young person who is immersed in poverty with no hope at a better life that he will be rich beyond his comprehension and have all of the beautiful virgins that he wants if he will only strap on a suicide bomb and go kill as many innocent women and children as possible.
BOOM!
If satan’s power can inspire people to commit suicide by blowing themselves up and innocent children and women along with them, use nerve gas on their own people, kill people because they follow Christ, (or are bored), just imagine the power he can wield against us in our daily walk.
The Bible cautions us to put on the full armor of God so that we can resist him when our day of evil comes. The full armor of God consists of prayer, Bible study, fellowship with other Christians, unending faith in Jesus Christ and righteous living. We should begin each day by putting on our armor before leaving the house to fight the battle.
The Bible calls satan many names:
Adversary, Antichrist, author of all sin, awful monster, deceiver, destroyer devourer, enemy, evil one, Father of all lies, Father of contention, Founder of murder, Great Antichrist, liar from the beginning, murderer from the beginning, slanderer, spoiler, tempter, wicked one, and other vile names (and trust me I can think of quite a few more; however I choose not to soil this column with them this morning).
Suffice it to say that satan is powerful; he is evil, and wants to bring you and me down (today if possible). We are no match for him apart from Jesus Christ. We must call upon the name of the Lord when we are being attacked. We cannot defeat satan and that is not our job anyway; we are called to resist him. Jesus Christ will do the defeating. Don’t underestimate him, but also don’t fear him, because he is no match for Jesus Christ who instructs us to “humble ourselves before His mighty hand” and turn it over to Him to handle our situations.
That sounds peachy swell to me! That’s what I’m praying for the wisdom and strength to do in my own life. How about you?
1 Peter 5:7
Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you. Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world.