How does Satan know exactly how to “push our buttons” of pride, envy, lust, greed, and everything else that is opposite to God?  He knows God.  Satan knows Jesus and the plan of saving the world through God’s Son.  He knows everything about God, the Father, Jesus the Son and God’s Holy Spirit.  Satan knows because He lived in heaven with God as one of his angels until he wanted to be God, so God removed him and those who followed him. 

Satan gathered his demons and now inflicts evil on all that God has created, especially those “in his own image.”  He tempts all of us, especially those who believe in God, with  putting thoughts all around us that lead to perverse thinking only of ourselves and tempts us with all our sin nature desires.  Remember, the evil one has limited power.  Jesus, God’s Son, has unlimited power and all authority from God.  So, spoiler alert, Jesus wins.  Every single time, God, Jesus, Holy Spirit wins when all is said and done.

“… let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions.” Galatians 5:16-17, NLT   

Jesus battles Satan at every turn in his ministry to seek and to save the lost.  Jesus wins this battle consistently.  With Jesus, we are victorious, too!  Don’t forget that!                                           

Mark 1, The Message

Confident Teaching

^21-22 Then they entered Capernaum. When the Sabbath arrived, Jesus lost no time in getting to the meeting place. He spent the day there teaching. They were surprised at his teaching—so forthright, so confident—not quibbling and quoting like the religion scholars.

^23-24 Suddenly, while still in the meeting place, he was interrupted by a man who was deeply disturbed and yelling out, “What business do you have here with us, Jesus? Nazarene! I know what you’re up to! You’re the Holy One of God, and you’ve come to destroy us!”

^25-26 Jesus shut him up: “Quiet! Get out of him!” The afflicting spirit threw the man into spasms, protesting loudly—and got out.

^27-28 Everyone there was spellbound, buzzing with curiosity. “What’s going on here? A new teaching that does what it says? He shuts up defiling, demonic spirits and tells them to get lost!” News of this traveled fast and was soon all over Galilee.

^29-31 Directly on leaving the meeting place, they came to Simon and Andrew’s house, accompanied by James and John. Simon’s mother-in-law was sick in bed, burning up with fever. They told Jesus. He went to her, took her hand, and raised her up. No sooner had the fever left than she was up fixing dinner for them.

^32-34 That evening, after the sun was down, they brought sick and evil-afflicted people to him, the whole city lined up at his door! He cured their sick bodies and tormented spirits. Because the demons knew his true identity, he didn’t let them say a word.

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESOND?

Know God. 

Know the enemy who is against God. To know the Enemy and his methods of operation keeps us less likely to fall for his clever disguises and deceit.

Know Jesus. Trust Jesus. 

Know the Helper, the Gift Jesus gave us.  Follow His Holy Spirit’s leading.   

Know yourself. Believe in the message God puts on our hearts of his love.  Trust Jesus.  Trust where the Holy Spirit leads.  Don’t trust your feelings for they change with the wind.  We belong to Christ. Follow, focus on His character traits, and be like Him.

“When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.”

“But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!”

“Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives.”  Galatians 5:19-25, NLT

Lord,

Thank you for the beautiful ways in which you bring people to yourself when we call on your name!  Thank you for healing and restoring us from all that happens to us in this world. Thank you for giving us power to overcome the temptations the evil one throws at us consistently.  We know “that greater are you that is in us than he that is in this world.”  Thank you for the same power available to us to rebuke evil at every turn.  Thank you for saving my soul and making me whole.  Help us to point the way to you always!

In Jesus Name, Amen