The Truth

Ephesians 4 : 11 - 15, And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head - Christ... NKJV

Why doesn't Satan want you and me to know the truth that is only found in the person, Jesus Christ? My prayer is that by the time you finish reading today's devotion, you will know the answer to this question. In John 8, Jesus instructed the Jews who had believed in Him as their Messiah to continue in His teachings. He went on to say that they would come to know the truth and IT would make them free from the bondage to sin.

When we think of truth, we have the tendency to view it as simply words written on the pages of the Bible; however, in reality, truth is a person. John tells us in his gospel that the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld HIS glory. Therefore, the truth is more than commandments that we're to keep; He is a person who desires to fellowship with us through the Holy Spirit. Since the truth is in Christ, we must come to know Him for ourselves. 

Before I continue with today's thoughts, I want to make you aware of something concerning the truth. Since the creation of man, Satan has worked very diligently to keep man from discovering the truth about God and about who we are. If the Word of God isn't true, as man's religion and Satan would have you and me to believe, then why does Satan work overtime to keep us from getting in the Word and allowing it to get into our hearts? Could it be that he knows and understands that anyone who knows the truth (Christ) for themselves becomes strong in their faith, overcomes this world, and is victorious over him? Remember what Jesus told those Jews who believed in Him, "You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." Satan doesn't want us to become liberated, and, consequently, inherit the promises of God.  

The reason Satan came to Eve in the form of a serpent is so that he could mislead Adam and Eve from the truth and rob them of their inheritance. We, too, must be careful that we don't allow any distraction or person to keep us from reading, discovering, and obeying the truth for ourselves. As we set our hearts to learn and obey the truth in Christ, God has promised that we would receive an inheritance in Christ. Only those who follow Christ and walk in His teachings by faith will be allowed to inherit the promises of God. It is those who commit their lives to Christ and become His followers who will have authority over Satan. This is the reason why Satan fights anyone who seeks to please the heavenly Father through obedient faith.  

One final thought: You can view the conflicts that you have encountered, or will face, as just a battle, or you can view them as an assault against your coming into your spiritual inheritance and authority in Christ. If you view Satan's attacks against you as a battle for your inheritance, instead of a personal fight, you are standing in faith; and this will assure you the victory. If you should see Satan's altercation with you as personal, it can cause you to feel isolated and become weary. Those who are tired are more likely to give into the Satan's lies and forfeit their inheritance. We must stand on the Word of God and fight the good fight of faith until we see the manifestation of God's promises in our lives. Be strong and of good courage for the Lord is with you, and He will do what He has promised.

Standing and Waiting on God,
Pastor Asa Dockery