If we believe in Jesus why do we forget about the evil one who tries to keep us from Him?

There have been a couple things on my heart lately and I just haven't had the chance to write because I've been working every day. So I'll probably share both today in a double blogg!!! YAY! lol Are you as excited as I am? Okay. Seriously now....

Lately I've been thinking about the devil. Yes, Satan himself. I've been wondering a lot about him and who he is exactly. I've been doing a little research, not much, but enough for what I want to talk about. I felt like I needed to know a little bit more about this person who is at war with me and my God every day trying to undermine the progress the Lord is making with me and my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ.

Here are some basics about Lucifer before I begin:

• Lucifer was an Angel of God that was bestowed with a beautiful angelic body adorned with precious stones. (Ez 28:13) He was an anointed cherub of the Lord.
  
• However, for Lucifer this was not enough he wanted more. He wanted to be greater than God. This is what is said by Lucifer in Isaiah 14:13-14 " I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of the sacred mountain. I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the most high. "
  
• Because of this God struck down Lucifer. He was "hurled to the earth and his angels with him." (Rev 12:9)

(this was very brief and basic but just to give a little background. click here to find out more.)

Okay, so now that the basics are out of the way, here is where my issue lies. I find it funny and almost scary at times that people believe in Jesus but not the devil. Some people are fine and dandy when I am speaking about Jesus but as soon as the devil is mentioned people look at me like I'm crazy. So let me put it out there for everyone who has not realized it yet.....

THE DEVIL IS VERY REAL!!!!!

With that said, I thought I would clue you in on Satan's plan. I was reading my Bible trying to find out more about this devil person trying to steal me and others away from God when I came across some information. Here it is Satan's plan all lined up for you to read:

• Doubt- Satan tries to make you question God's word and his goodness.
• Discouragement- Satan makes you look at your problems rather than at God. He also tries to make you think that you can fix your own problems without needing God.
  
• Diversion- Satan makes the wrong things seem attractive so that you will want them more than the right things; more than the things God wants to give you.
• Defeat- Satan does his best to make you feel like a failure so that you don't even try. He makes you feel that because of your failures you are unworthy of God's love.
• Delay- Satan puts it into your mind to put things off so that it may never get done. (This one hits really close to home for me especially because I am a world class procrastinator. I never realized this was from the devil.)

It is important for everyone to know THE TRUTH. Everything that is worldly and of the flesh is not of God. It is of Lucifer, Satan, the devil, the evil one!!!! He is the "father of lies and all that is false." (John 8:44) Sometimes his way may seem the way to go. He is a master at his craft of manipulation. He has studied us humans for a long time and he has many different strategies for his warfare. The Bible even says he may disguise himself as an angel of light (2Cor 11:14) so that we may follow him instead of the ONE TRUE LIGHT.

This week at our Connect group for church I was enlightened with even more of the truth from Bonnie and others in our group. We were reading in the book of John and learned about the 7 I AM statements of Jesus. So here they are given to you....they pretty much sum the truth up into 7 statements. If you follow Jesus and live by these you cannot go wrong.

Jesus said:

• I am the bread of life. (Jn 6:48) - He is our sustainer. He is our provider.
• I am the light of the world. (Jn 8:12) - He lights the way for us to take. He gives us illumination. He is the very essence and energy of light.
• I am the gate (door). (Jn 10:9) - He is the only way to God. Max Lucado said "Every path does not lead to God. Jesus blazed a stand-alone trail void of self-salvation. He cleared a one-of-a-kind passageway uncluttered by human effort." The Bible says "The work God wants you to do is this: Believe the One he sent" (Jn 6:29) God gives us specific instructions that Jesus is the only way to Him.
• I am the good shepherd. (Jn 10:11) - He is our caretaker. He pulls us back in when we start to stray and if we are lost he leaves the 99 behind to just find us, the one lost sheep. We know the sound of his voice and we follow it.
• I am the resurrection and the life. (Jn 11:25) -He is the ONLY way to eternal life.
• I am the way, the truth and the life. (Jn 14:6) - He is our leader. He is our everything.
  
• I am the true vine. (Jn 15:1) - He is our success maker. He is the root of everything. All good things stem from Him. There is always success in Jesus. Just remember that God turns things around for those who love him. (Rom 8:28) Failure works into God's plan too. He uses everything good and bad for the outcome of the greater good.
  

I know sometimes it is hard being a follower of Christ. You are traveling the road less traveled and sometimes, well most of the time, going against the grain of today's society that is power and money hungry. I have come to realize, that for me at least, it is a daily choice to choose Jesus. I wake up in the morning and say a prayer letting Jesus know I am again choosing him today and will do my best to follow in his ways. I do not always succeed in this endeavor because I am human and sometimes it's a minute by minute choice to choose Jesus. It is a conscious choice to choose the Lord over myself and the world. No one is perfect. We are all works in progress. I am Jesus' work in progress and I hope you are too. We could not have anyone better working on us and molding us into the people we are meant to be.

Satan is the thief who comes to steal, kill, and destroy. (John 10:10) He wants to take away the life inside of us all. His sole purpose in life is to drag us to hell with him and keep us away from God. We need to wake up and realize the things he does to keep us from our Savior, our Almighty Father who loves us with an everlasting love. Jesus came to earth to give us a rich and satisfying life. (John 10:10) God wants us to have a full life. He wants us to be happy not miserable. Sometimes when I get bogged down with the lies of the devil I think of some things my pastor once said in reference to John 18:4-5 "Jesus knowing all that was going to happen to him, went out and asked them, 'Who is it you want?' 'Jesus of Nazareth.' they replied. 'I am he.' Jesus said" Jesus FULLY KNEW WHAT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN TO HIM!!!!!! He fully knew he was going to be beaten to a bloody pulp, then beaten again. They say he was unrecognizable. He fully knew he was going to be nailed to a cross and mocked. He fully knew he was going to die. He knew all of this and yet turned himself over. He didn't run from this. How can I think about that and not love this man for what he did for me. He did all that for ME. He did all that for YOU!!!! He asked God to take this cup away and let it pass. (Mt 27:39) He was scared, but he said let God's will be done! Not his will. He loved me and you so much that he endured all of this as well as his Father turning his back on him because of the sin he took on. It breaks my heart to think that this had to happen to MY JESUS!!!! When I think of things in this context...I mean really think about them. How can I choose anything but Christ? How can you?

God loved me sooooooo much he sent his ONE AND ONLY SON to die on a cross for all of my sins - past, present and future. He sent his ONE AND ONLY SON for YOU TOO!!!

CHOOSE CHRIST!!! Not because it's the "right" thing to do (even though it is) but choose Christ because CHRIST CHOSE YOU!