January 28, 2019 – Click here to listen
So many people just give up when their first attempt does not succeed, but not everyone.
I wish everyone could watch the little girl, who from a standing position jumps nine times without making it, including taking a couple of nasty falls in the process. Finally, on her tenth try she lands atop the stool and when she stands one can see her pure sense of joy, excitement, and accomplishment. What a testimony to perseverance paying off.
Satan tries his utmost to discourage us and turn us into losers like himself. He wants us to fail personally; he wants our business, our church, our nation, and indeed the entire world to fail. As he plays mind games, he convinces us that we cannot succeed, and we give up when maybe we are just one jump away from sweet success. We are told in the Bible to do just as this little child does; keep trying over and again until you accomplish your goal.
Did you ever consider that Satan might get a taste of his own medicine when he tries to discourage someone to quitting, but they just ignore him and keep on keeping on until success is assured? It certainly has to frustrate him to invest so much into someone who just ignores him and blots him out of their mind. Remember most all of spiritual warfare is fought in our minds. Alas, I think it just makes him more determined to attack us again and again. He doesn’t seem to lack perseverance.
Just remember that when you succeed in winning a battle that there is yet a war still to be fought. Winston Churchill once said: Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.
It takes courage to persevere, especially when facing a formidable enemy such as Satan and his fallen angels. I agree with Mr. Churchill, but having some allies never hurt anything either. There is one sure way to defeat the devil and it involves calling upon a most powerful Ally -the Apostle James spells it out for us.
James 4:7:
“Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”