Devil, the deceiver!

The devil has a plan to distract us and deceive us from our Christian walk.  The devil wants us to profess our faith in Christ with our mouths, but by our actions, deny Him. Nothing is more potent than hypocrisy.  If the devil gets us confident enough to profess our faith but weak in our devotion not to follow it, the devil has succeeded in his plan!  The devil deceives us by saying that sin is no big deal.  The devil tells us that 'enjoying' something sinful once in a while is ok because the Lord understands our weakness.  The devil does this to trap us in sin.  After we are inextricably caught up in sin, the devil will tell us that we are so far gone that God will not forgive us at all.  Both are nothing but the lies of the devil. 

No doubt, God understands our weakness but has given us the power to overcome weakness.  Sin is never ok with God.  God will never excuse sin.  But whatever may be our sin, God is ready to forgive us if we confess our sins and get it right with God (1 John 1:9).  While we cannot escape the consequences of sin, our sins can be forgiven if we confess our sins because God loves even the sinner.  The Bible says, "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow;”  (Isaiah 1:18).  The indwelling Holy Spirit then empowers us to break the cycle of sin.  God knows our weakness, which is why He has given us power from above.  James 4:7 tells us, "Submit therefore to God.  Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." We need to submit and resist.  Submit to God.  No more trying to control our own lives, make our own decisions, and write our own stories.  Then, on our part, we have to resist the devil.  Living a double life of compromise, pleasing the devil, and trying to profess faith in Jesus simultaneously is of no use.  

My friend, remember no sin is ok with God.  All sin is against God, and every sin has consequences.  However, God will forgive all confessed sins.  That is the confidence we have in Christ Jesus.  So do not believe the devil's lies but resist him in the power and strength of the Lord, with the armor of God (Eph. 6), and take victory in everyday living!

---