Christians often underestimate God's ancient foe, Satan. We forget that he is real, the prince of this world, and that his methods are to kill, steal, and destroy. His weapons are fear, worry, doubt, regret, irrational guilt, perfectionism, envy, jealousy, and many more. We are to resist him by submitting ourselves to the power and will of the Lord.
But we also overestimate him too. We say or think "the devil made me do it", the devil did this, the devil did that. While forgetting that many hardships and difficult circumstances, even tragedies and losses, are purposefully designed by our almighty God to grow us in His grace, to purify our hearts, to refine our faith, and so much more. We can mistakenly attribute a divine plan of the Lord to that scheming low-life devil. Do not overestimate him. Believers have the mind of Christ. We are already seated in heavenly places. We are God's inheritance. We have been given God's best gifts, His Son and His Spirit. We have been given everything that pertains to life and godliness. We have been given every defensive shield to repel the enemy's advances, and we have been given the one heaven-ordained offensive weapon, a sharp two-edged sword, the Word of God. It is not a club to wildly, or carelessly bludgeon adversaries. It is a precise instrument to prick our consciences and expose our hearts.
Learn to wield it rightly. Academic credentials are not required to rightly divide it and apply it. What is required? Humble, persistent surrender and submission to its judgments!
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