From When The Devil Knocks by Pastor Craig Groeschel
Satan wants to play with your heart like it’s a sport. When you’re about to sin, he aggressively defends against your better judgment and the Holy Spirit inside you. Then, as soon as you put some sin on the score board, He goes on the offense, attacking your heart.
Your accuser says, “You did it again—you’ll never overcome this. It’s just who you are. You’re a loser and you’ll always be a weak, loser of an addict.” He calls you by your sin, not your name.
God is your gracious Father who hates sin and lovingly calls you by your name. You have a real defender, Jesus, sent by your gracious Father to pay the price for your sin. When your heavenly Father looks at you, He sees Jesus and calls you by your new name, son or daughter of God.
When you give your broken life to Jesus, He gives His eternal life to you. What does this mean for facing daily accusation from the enemy? How does this impact shame, guilt, misplaced identity, and the ugly names you believe about yourself?
Back to sports. Winning teams have a great coach, a playbook, and lots of practice. In life, you get lots of practice, a great coach (the Holy Spirit), and the Bible (a playbook with your plays and your enemy’s plays). As you read today’s Scripture, watch how these examples below play out. And don’t forget: you’re on the winning team.
When you’re tempted. If you hear, “You’re a good person. You’ve earned this. You’re strong enough to try it and quit later.” That’s the devil’s accusation. If you hear, “What does Scripture say about this? How will this impact your heart? Who will this hurt?” That’s the Holy Spirit’s conviction.
My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.
1 John 2:1-2
When you fail. If you hear, “I’m a failure. I’ll never get this right. This is just how I am.” That’s the devil’s accusation. If you hear, “Pray. Come back to me. We can overcome this together. Don’t be afraid to tell someone.” That’s the Holy Spirit’s conviction.
And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God. And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death.
Revelation 12:10-11
When you cover up. If you hear, “If they don’t know, it won’t hurt them. If you tell them, they’ll reject you. Keep quiet—they’re probably doing worse anyway.” That’s the devil’s accusation. If you hear, “You can’t cover this up forever. I see what you’ve done, and I love you. You can heal from this if you open up.” That’s the Holy Spirit’s conviction.
Ephesians 2:2-9in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
When you confess. If you hear, “You’re a sicko. How could you be so horrible? You’re alone in this.” That’s the devil’s accusation. If you hear, “I love you. I forgive you. I’m with you. Here’s a new way to live.” Those are the words of your loving heavenly Father.
Pray: God, You’re never-changing. Thank You. Please help me listen to the Holy Spirit when I’m tempted, when I fail, when I’d rather cover up my issues, and when I confess. You are the only one who is good—all the time.
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