2 Corinthians 2:11 – “…lest Satan should take advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his devices.”  NKJV

Joshua 9:3-4a – “But when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai, 4 they worked craftily, and went and pretended to be ambassadors.”  NKJV

Paul declared in Corinthians that we are not ignorant of the devices of the devil so let’s study to show ourselves approved unto God workmen capable of exposing his tactics and possessing our promise.

First, I would like for us to take note that the victories of Israel brought about a combined, concentrated, and concerted attack of enemy forces.  In verse 1 of Joshua 9, we find the idea that the tribal warfare existing among the Canaanites had been laid aside as they joined forces against Israel.  Their petty squabbles and secondary issues were placed on the back burner as they joined forces against a common foe, and they amassed an all-out effort to turn back Israel’s advance. 

It is important to remember that with every victory as a Christian in your personal life you just sent out an engraved invitation for a full-scale assault by the forces of hell.  Every time you experience blessing you are one step away from another attack from hell.  I do not say that to discourage but to enlighten you. The devil may be a defeated foe, but he has not quit the fight.  Blessing and battle go hand in hand and instead of allowing fear to grip your heart rejoice!  It should be a joy to know that if we are pressed on every side we are in the heart of the battle and moving in the right direction spiritually.  If you are finding temptation almost more than you can bear, then rejoice.  Remember the words of James, “Count it all joy when…”

I said that in a church once and had a person come to me afterward seeking to set me straight and said, “I don’t know what you are talking about, I haven’t been tempted in years!”  If that is, you then I suggest that you run to the altar and ask Him to let you see yourself as the devil sees you and as He sees you.  The devil does not mess with what is not a threat to him.  Maybe you have matured to the place that you immediately resist temptation and it is almost as though it does not exist for you but if you are moving forward as a threat to the devil he tempts and sees to destroy.

The need for every believer and every church is to lay aside the secondary issues and launch a full-scale attack on the enemy repossessing and possessing that which he has stolen.  Unfortunately, the church world is frequently engaged in tribal warfare, too busy settling petty squabbles and splitting doctrinal hairs to engage the real enemy.  There must be jubilation in hell when the church becomes sectarianism protecting the place while the world plunges into darkness.  May God help us to never forget that nothing short of a full-scale united assault by all the people of God (Church) is needed.  It is time to pull down strongholds and set at liberty those who are bruised.  It is time to possess the promise and move into and onto our Canaan.

We are going to pause again and take this up next time as we look at the devil’s deception tactics.  

May the Lord bless you richly as you go through this day!