Believers know that the devil is real, and that he works tirelessly to undermine everything that we do. He is not content to see us flourish as children of God, nor is he content to just leave us alone. No! The devil is the worse kind of infiltrator, accuser, and manipulator. His agenda is to turn people against each other, but ultimately he works to turn people against God. Why is simple. His vengeance is deeply rooted in his contempt for the One who created him because the devil wants to be God.
This enemy will use something relatively small to bring division, and where there is division there is danger. In this spirit of division he will arouse anger that will be stirred up to the point of sin. Sin that will erupt in a spirit of condemnation, a spirit judgement, and disobedience. His subtle actions will be so slight that we may not even be aware of them, and yet these actions are decisive and insidious.
Here is the best news! We have the advantage in that Jesus has already obtained our victory, so while for all of eternity we will be in the presence of God, the devil will not be around.
Here on earth we walk in the light of Jesus victory, but we must remain vigilant. We must not allow a fear of man to cause us to turn away, we must travel the high road of holiness, we must use our gift of discernment, and we must not linger. When action needs to be taken to rectify a situation, we must act immediately seeking forgiveness from the one we have offended. When we do this the enemy is disarmed, and we get to witness the fruit of repentance. It is a glorious sight!
Ephesians 4:26 NKJ If you are angry, don’t sin by nursing your grudge. Don’t let the sun go down with you still angry—get over it quickly.
Proverbs 4:23 ESV “Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.”
Psalm 139:23-24 CSB Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my concerns. See if there is any offensive way in me; lead me in the everlasting way.