The purpose of this blog is not to make you live in fear but to help you be aware of what might be happening to you or around you that you may not even notice. Among the gazillion things I’ve learned in life, I’ve also learned that there is nothing more detrimental than joining the wrong team. The Bible says in Matthew 11:12, “the Kingdom of God suffers violence, and many are forcing their way into it.” One thing to consider is that one cannot force their way into the Kingdom of God if they are not aware of what it is and what it isn’t. Another thing we must know is that everything that frustrates us in life has a solution in the Kingdom of God. Right now, you might be tired of your circumstances because things seem to be getting worse year after year, and you can’t shake them off. Well, the good news is there is a place where you can get your prayers answered. That place is the Kingdom of the Most High God, who is in heaven, which makes it all the more interesting.
Suppose someone has a terminal illness and finds out there is a place where healing is free, guaranteed, and there is so much more than comes in the package deal. What are the first things you think that person would want to know? That person would want to know how to get there. He would try to find out a phone number, a physical or email address, or even the contact of someone who had been there, correct?
That place represents the Kingdom of God, and all the contact info is all the ways you can connect with God, such as prayer, Bible reading, praise and worship, fasting, Church, etc. It is our duty to connect with the Kingdom of God and to know what can prevent us from accessing it. It doesn’t take us long to realize that the Kingdom of darkness will do all it can to sever our connection with the Kingdom of God. Please note that the kingdom of darkness is not all-powerful; that’s why you need not fret. However, you must be aware of it because it can stop you from praying, fasting, reading your Bible, praising God, etc. Although the enemy will target these important habits in our lives, we should do all we can to resist him. Moreover, I briefly want to touch on another aspect that the forces of darkness will also attack, which can easily block our connection with the Kingdom of God. I’m sure by now, most of us have realized that the enemy will not show himself as a dragon, a serpent, or as that ugly-looking creature to scare us. However, we can all testify that we have seen his works, and some of us have been victimized or seen our loved ones under his thumb.
It never ceases to amaze me how Jesus just switched from having a normal conversation with Peter to suddenly rebuking Satan while still talking to Peter. Matthew 16:22-23 says, “Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him. ‘Never, Lord! he said. This shall never happen to you!’ Jesus turned and said to Peter, ‘Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.’” So, how can Jesus switch from Peter to Satan that quickly since it was just Him and Peter talking? Was that a way of Jesus showing us how intrusive Satan is in our lives? It was not like Jesus and Peter were praying or fasting, and Satan got upset and decided to join the conversation. Therefore, this also tells us that Satan was right in the middle of the conversation all along!
Another example we have of the enemy being rebuked is in Zechariah 3:2, “The Lord said to Satan, ‘The Lord rebuke you, Satan! The Lord, who has chosen Jerusalem, rebuke you! Is not that man a burning stick snatched from the fire?’”
On the other hand, what is even more remarkable is what Jesus said to Judas Iscariot, the one who betrayed Him with a kiss. Matthew 26:49-50 says, “Going at once to Jesus, Judas said, ‘Greetings, Rabbi!’ and kissed Him. Jesus replied, ‘Do what you came for, friend.’ Then the men stepped forward, seized Jesus, and arrested Him.” Have you ever considered why Jesus rebuked Satan, yet called Judas a friend? And have you ever questioned why Jesus fixed the ear of the soldier who came to arrest Him and told His disciple to put his sword back? It was as if Jesus joined the wrong team. Clearly, Judas and the soldiers who came to arrest Jesus were His enemies, yet Jesus did not rebuke them, but He rebuked Satan. Could it be that Jesus is trying to show us who our real enemy is?
While being on this journey, I have seen people whom the enemy has used greatly, and the most interesting part is that they didn’t even realize it until the Lord opened their eyes. For some, it wasn’t until they hit rock bottom, lost their loved ones, destroyed their homes, lost their jobs, and their businesses, that they realized they were on the wrong path the whole time. And for some, it wasn’t until they were staring at the four walls of a jail cell that they came to themselves. Nonetheless, they were completely blind while the enemy had them in a chokehold.
This also calls us to reflect on the importance of forgiveness. Let me share a story with you about a blind woman I had the privilege to know who died a few years ago. I have learned a lot from her. One of the things I have learned from her is the importance of forgiveness. I believe it was the Lord’s will that she shared that story with me to help me with my distorted perception about forgiveness at that time. So, as I mentioned earlier, she was blind, but I saw God use her greatly. To say the least, that woman had a great memory. You only need to tell her your phone number once. She would remember it and would use the phone next to her on a coffee table to call people for prayer without any help. I remember watching her for the first time using the phone to call somebody. I was so amazed and thought of how hard it is for me to remember my Social Security number, and this woman knows her contact list by heart. How interesting is that? This is nothing but God’s power on display!
So, I would visit her from time to time, and I remember she told me the story about one of her sons, who was a teenager. He had an altercation with another teenage boy who had a gun. The boy shot her son, and he died on the spot. They arrested him, and later he was set for a trial, and the judge gave him a life sentence. However, that woman told the judge to set him free and spare his life. Later, the boy was released. When I asked her why she did that? She told me that the Lord had comforted her so much during that painful season that the only thing that was left for her to do was to forgive the boy who killed her son. Then she told me that she also realized that her son was already dead and there was nothing that she could do about it, so then why should she allow the other boy to lose his life if she could do something about it? After all, that’s somebody else’s son. I was blown away by the way she handled the situation. I can only imagine how that teenage boy must have felt after experiencing such grace from God. Imagine seeing no way out in a circumstance, a situation where death is imminent, yet God sent help from His Kingdom, strangely and powerfully. While that boy was at his worst, God saw him all along. That story has helped me a lot in my journey, and it was so timely when she shared it with me.
Also, there is a movie I strongly recommend that you watch if you haven’t already. It’s called: ‘He watches over me,’ by Shaun Garcia and Orlando Eric Street. This is a great movie about forgiveness. In that movie, a woman named Jasmine had to pick up her daughter from choir practice, but she was late and accidentally left her phone at home. Her daughter called her but couldn’t reach her. So, she had a ride home. However, when Jasmine arrived at the church, a man named James pulled her behind the church with a rope around her neck and raped her. The brutal assault traumatized her and almost ruined her life and the lives of her loved ones. She became someone her husband didn’t recognize. She began to smoke and take drugs to numb the pain. Unexpectedly, she saw from the news that her attacker had been in a terrible car accident. Therefore, she now holds the power of life and death over her attacker, and she thought that it was the perfect time to end his life. While her attacker lay helplessly on a hospital bed, fighting for his life with no family support, Jasmine pretended to be his sister with a gun in her purse. When her husband found out what James did to her, he too wanted to kill James. However, the Lord transformed their hearts, and they nursed James back to life, who later gave his life to Christ, turned himself in, and served ten years in prison. As a witness to God’s grace, James became a minister and preached God’s grace and love to all, including prisoners.
I say all this to say that the people who do us wrong are being used by an enemy that we cannot see with our naked eyes because he does his dirty work behind the scenes. The enemy can only be exposed by God, who then opens our eyes so we can see his tricks. And yes, those who allow themselves to be influenced by the enemy will face some consequences for their actions. However, the most important question we need to ask ourselves is: How can one prevent a danger that he is unaware of? That’s why it is always important to be alert and examine things from the root, not just on the surface.
We live in times where we must become familiar with the fiery darts of the enemy. We cannot ignore or pretend that he doesn’t exist because Jesus Himself talked about him. We don’t need to be afraid of him because Scripture says in 1 John 4:4, “Greater is He who is in you than the one who is in the world.” However, it doesn’t hurt to be vigilant. Remember, it is the people the enemy uses to deceive us that cause us to live with anger, bitterness, trauma, jealousy, and envy. Also, it is the things he tricks us into doing that cause us to unknowingly destroy our loved ones, friends, coworkers, neighbors, strangers, communities, nations, and consequently ourselves.
So, let’s be vigilant!
SCRIPTURES
Jesus said to them: “You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. Yet because I tell the truth, you do not believe Me!” John 8:44-45
And the Lord said, “Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren.” Luke 22:31-32
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