‘Cradled in his arms’ conjures up images of warmth, love and tenderness. Maybe you’re not in the mood to read something so soft and mushy. Be sure, there’s nothing cuddly about this scene. It’s dark, devious and devilish. The sooner this particular ‘cradle scene’ sinks into our skulls, the greater the distance we will want to keep from much of what comes across our path each day.
He must smile to himself as he watches Christians pressing their noses against the glass of the world’s display windows. He doesn’t mind your finger-smudges and nose prints on his shiny glass windows. He’s just glad you’re looking! Cleaning the glass for the next one is just the cost of doing business. If you lean hard enough against the window and look long enough maybe you’ll go for it. How frustrating for him when he sees you walk away. But the thrill he gets when he sees his gimmicks working!
“Yes!!! They’re looking at it. They bought the tickets. They’ve got Friday night booked! Finally they gave in!”
How tense he must get when he sees me hesitate: “Rats! He’s doing some more thinking about it. He’s chickening out. But it’s just a matter of time. I’ll rearrange the things in the showcase and add a couple of new features. At least he didn’t run or flee…I almost had him. The nose print on the window is a good sign.”
You guessed it. The cuddling, cradling arms are the sinister arms of Satan. That’s the picture the Apostle John painted for us in 1John 5:19.
“The whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one.” NKJV
1 John 5:19
The whole world lieth in the arms of the wicked one and is controlled by his hellish breath. The Apostle John makes it crystal clear – a genuine Christian can NOT happily hang-out with the world. “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in Him.” 1 John 2:15. To be a friend of the world is to be an enemy of God. James 4:4
If we could see who is behind the long arm reaching into the world’s showcase to arrange the displays and replace the props we would feel differently about a lot of things. The movies the world produces, the music it plays, the fashions it promotes, the politics, sports and money schemes it pursues, the philosophies and values it teaches…..if we understood ‘who’ is the mastermind behind it all we would never press our nose against his showcase window again. Satan is the god of this age – the showcase administrator. (2Cor.4:4)
If our only enemy was Satan, that would be one thing – but there are two others. We have a traitor camping-out right inside our tent. Our own wicked flesh will betray us every time. It will always side with the other two – the world and the devil. The evil trio would be deadly if it was not for the indwelling Spirit of God within every authentic believer. Full power to overcome the enemy every time resides within but the number of victories we experience each day is directly proportionate to my daily intimacy with Christ and how much of my life I am surrendering to Him.
Take your flattened nose off the world’s show case window and run as fast as you can towards the Lord. We are to flee the things in the show case. We are to stand against, close our ears, eyes, mind and hearts to Satan’s suggestions and temptations. (James 4:7) Run to the Lord. Walk humbly with Christ today and resist the Devil.
Comments
Christians and (others) should never underestimate the power and the deviousness of the Devil . He comes in all shapes and forms . He has a plan (a) and a plan (b) , his primary goal is to keep people from gittimg saved and he will stop at nothing to achieve this his main goal . He will fool people with their good works ,their church going ,Bible study yes he would convince people that having a good intellectual knowledge of Gods word would save their soul from hell However in spite of all his lies and devilish scheming some (praise the Lord) come to know the Lord Jesus Christ as their own personal saviour, then he goes to plan (B) that is to use the bells and wistles of this world to keep the redeemed ones from living a life for the Lord .The all knowing God of Heaven forsaw this and provided the indwelling Holy Spirit for every born again child of God so that we would have the ability to resist the wiles of the Devil Sadly we do not aways utilize him ( the Holy Spirit)
How the evil one must grin in his devlish way when he sees some of those who were bought out of the market place of sin by the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, living for the pleasures of this world instead of for him who saved them,Satan’s plan (B) will only work if we who have the power to resist do not use the power and guidance of the indwelling the Holy Spirit to live for and represent our Redeemer. And perhaps by our example others might escape the clutches of the evil one by realizing their lost condition and trust in the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ
Post Comment
Only registered users may post comments.