Jesus said to his disciples, "Watch out that no one deceives you."
Mark 13:5
Defense against Deception
The devil is a liar. He is also a master of deception. His goal is to lead people away from the truth and to their eternal condemnation. What makes his attacks so dangerous is that they are subtle and contain a façade of truth. He also waits for the appropriate time to initiate his attack. This is why I need to take Jesus' words to heart. "Watch out that no one deceives you."
In great love Jesus expresses his desire for me to be his in this life and in the life to come. Not only did he express his desire in words, he did it with his actions. Jesus came to this earth to be my Substitute to overcome the devil's deceptions and temptations. Jesus came to be my Savior to rescue me from the death sentence I deserved because of my disobedience. Jesus came to be my Shepherd to lead me safely through the trials of this life to heaven. It is because of Jesus' work I am a child of God, and unfortunately, a target of the devil's deceptions.
It is because I am the Lord's the devil will come with even greater cunning and persistence. He will try to confuse me with his lies. He will try to distract me with his half-truths. He will even try to get me to exchange my life with the Lord for the short-term pleasures and pursuits of this world. While his attacks are relentless, Jesus assures me God's power knows no limit. Jesus gives me the confidence to believe the unshakable truth of his Word. He offers me the assurance to trust his promise that he will be with me always. He provides me the ability to stand on the victory he has already won. The devil may howl and rage, but in Christ I can stand my ground.
As long as I live in this world there are two things of which I can be certain. One is the devil will do everything he can to try to deceive me. The other is Jesus will always be there to defend me. This is why I need to take his words to heart. With Jesus I know I have a sure defense against deception.
Prayer:
(Christian Worship: A Lutheran Hymnal 457)
Fight the good fight with all your might;
Christ is your strength and Christ your light.
Lay hold on life, and it shall be your joy and crown eternally.
Faint not nor fear; his arms are near.
He changes not, and you are dear.
Only believe, and you will see that Christ is Lord eternally.
This devotion was selected from the Daily Devotion archive.
All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.
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