[x_custom_headline type=”left” level=”h4″ looks_like=”h4″]I hate the devil! I mean, I absolutely despise him. In fact, just today as I was preparing to write this article, I was provided with several more reasons to detest him for his attacks on one of my precious family members, a little child. What a stinking, lousy pig he is.[/x_custom_headline]
And as a pastor, I see the things he brings against those within our church family, and I hate him for these things with everything that is within me, too.
However, to be perfectly clear, hating the devil in and of itself won’t stop the attacks, produce the healing manifestations you need, cause the financial needs to be met, or bring about the encouragement that is necessary to those who have been battered and beaten by the storms of adversity, which he has produced in their lives.
And so as I was thinking on this, I was reminded of this verse about my Lord Jesus Christ, that I want to share with you here.
[x_blockquote cite=”1 John 3:8b KJV” type=”left”]“For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.”[/x_blockquote]
This verse provides us with the summation of why Jesus came to the earth and took on flesh. He came to destroy the works of the devil.
Perhaps you are thinking, “But I thought Jesus came to be my Savior?” Well, yes He certainly did. But by becoming your Savior, there were works of the devil in your life that were destroyed in the process of that.
And still others may be thinking, “Well, I thought Jesus came to be my Healer and my Provider.” Yes, He absolutely did. But once again, by becoming our Healer and Provider, and everything else He came to do in our lives, He brought about destruction to the works of the devil in the process.
In fact, I believe that this verse provides us with reason enough to be determined to not tolerate a single thing the devil has done or is doing in our lives for another minute. We don’t have to tolerate them, and we shouldn’t continue to do so.
And when I read this verse today from the Amplified Bible, I really got excited. Look at it along with me, and you will see what I mean.
[x_blockquote cite=”1 John 3:8b AMP” type=”left”]“The reason the Son of God was made manifest (visible) was to undo (destroy, loosen, and dissolve) the works the devil [has done].”[/x_blockquote]
Jesus came to undo, destroy, loosen and dissolve the works of the devil in your life and in mine. And I just love to meditate on this fact, that Jesus Christ lives big within me, and so whatever the enemy is doing, or has done against me or my family or my church family, Jesus fully intends to undo it, to destroy it, to loosen it so that it falls right off of us, and to dissolve it so that there isn’t even any evidence that there was even an attack. What a mighty God we serve!
Yet with all of this magnificent faith building truth from the Word of God about what Jesus has come to do for us, most Christians are still choosing to place themselves in cooperation with the devil, and with His works.
For example, when we as believers should be resisting sin, and thereby avoiding the death and destruction that comes along with it, many people are instead resisting church attendance, Bible and prayer time, and a list of other things that are just the basics of true Christianity. My point is, we have been resisting the wrong stuff, and have been cooperating with the works of the wicked one, knowingly or unknowingly, but cooperating just the same.
And although for decades there has been solid, sound teaching on the biblical principles of speaking words that agree with what God promised us, I still find that the majority of Christians are most frequently speaking words that agree with what the devil is saying, and thereby promoting His works in their very own lives.
With all of the hurt, pain and misery brought about by the devil, we must ask ourselves sincerely, why we have chosen to be in league with him in so many ways. For example, when he comes against us with discouragement or depression, let’s not participate with him by declaring defeat and despair, when we could say what Jesus says about the situation, and thereby destroy the works of the devil in our lives.
And the same thing is true when the attack is of a health related nature, or a financial issue. My question to you is: does it really make any sense at all that we join in and go along with the devil, when he has only come against us to steal, kill and destroy (see John 10:10)?
So then, if you and I really do hate the devil, and hate his works in our lives and in our families, doesn’t it stand to reason then that we should hate him enough that we would not side in with him with our words, deeds and attitudes? The answer is of course, yes.
Let’s hate the devil, and let’s hate his works that he brings against us. But let’s hate him enough so that we refuse to ever partner with him against our own lives.
