Know Thine Enemy 8

The scriptures and truths in this article were either provided or inspired by my Pastor, Kent McBay.

Satan has many hindrances to our faith. Ignorance, discouragement, confusion and persecution come to mind. Some of the most important things that Satan will try to keep us ignorant of are the truths relevant to salvation.

He would like to convince us that we are not sinners and that God and the Bible are wrong about us.

Romans 3:23: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

He would like to convince us that we are not deserving of death and Hell.

Ezekiel 18:20a: The soul that sinneth, it shall die. . . .

Romans 6:23a: For the wages of sin is death; . . .

He would like to convince us that we can earn salvation. He does not want us to know that what we have already earned are death and Hell.

Romans 6:23b: . . . but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

He would have us believe that this greatest of gifts can be earned. A gift must be free or it is not a gift. He would have us believe that we can change ourselves sufficiently to satisfy God or that we can satisfy God just as we are or with a few self-made changes in our behavior.

Jeremiah 13:23: Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil.

Only Jesus can change us sufficiently to please God.

2 Corinthians 5:17: Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

Galatians 6:15: For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature.

Satan would like to convince us that we can have enough faith without receiving the author and finisher of our faith.

Hebrews 12:2: Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

We might argue endlessly about which comes first, receiving Jesus or saving faith. Whichever you believe comes first, they are both inseparable and indispensable. My personal belief is that they come simultaneously. I know that my faith in Christ since I received Him into my heart is far different than it was before He lived there.

Satan would have us believe that there are many ways to God and that all paths lead to Heaven. There is only one way.

John 14:6: Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

Acts 4:12: Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

1 John 5:12: He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.

Satan would like us to believe that we can simply know the facts about Jesus and be saved, but we must have faith in our heart. Faith in our mind will not change who we are in our hearts or our behavior. Faith in our hearts will. He would like us to believe that our minds can control what our hearts believe. The opposite is true. Our hearts must convince our minds of the truth of God.

Romans 10:9-10: That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

Care to discuss Know Thine Enemy 8 with Ron?

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