Revelation 12:11-12, "They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death. Therefore rejoice, you heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has gone down to you! He is filled with fury, because he knows that his time is short." J ames 4:7, "Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you."

Think

"The Battle is Real." Have you ever sensed that there is an invisible war raging all around you? A force designed to get you to make the wrong choices? A struggle for your soul? You would be right and there is a reason for it. Revelation 12 explains why God's people face hostility in this world. There was a conflict between God and Satan. Satan attempted to destroy Jesus but was then defeated by a surprising turn of events. Jesus died, and everyone thought he had been defeated. But, then, he came back to life and turned the tables on Satan. Jesus showed that he and his love are more powerful than death – Satan's greatest weapon. So, Satan is living on borrowed time. As a defeated enemy with a limited amount of time to do damage, Satan vents his wrath upon those who want to follow Christ. The fight is very real! You need to know the reality of this fight. Being aware of this real adversary, bent on destroying you, will enable you to persevere. When you resist the devil and choose to obey Christ, you neutralize his attacks and gain the strength to stand firm.

Act

Take a moment today to list the areas where you often fall into Satan's trap. For every area of failure write out one sentence action point to counter the failure with steps that will bring success.

Pray

God, open my eyes to the fight. Let me see the strategies designed to get me to make the wrong choices that wreak havoc in my life. Give me the wisdom to counter these strategies with actions that cause me to win. In Jesus' name, Amen.