Thursday 21st January 2021. Read Hebrews 7:25-8:6, Psalm 40, and Mark 3:7-12
“And whenever the unclean spirits beheld him, they fell down before him and cried out, ‘You are the Son of God.’” (Mark 3:11)
It is funny that, while the religious people were finding it so hard to believe, those who belonged to the devil were proclaiming Jesus boldly as the Son of God. Once, Jesus was in a synagogue and there was a man there with an unclean spirit, he shouted: “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God.”(Mark 1:24-26).
Today we read: “whenever the unclean spirits beheld him, they fell down (like the magi did) before him and cried out, ‘you are the Son of God.’ Why is it that demons and evil spirits could see but the “children of God” could not see? No wonder Jesus described these Pharisees and religious leaders as “blind guides.” (Matthew 15:14).
One lesson we learn from this is that we cannot hide our true identity from the devil and his agents. We cannot pretend. The higher we grow in our spiritual life, the bigger the threat we pose to Satan. And the closer we get to God, the more equipped we become with the spiritual weapons of our warfare. (Read more in Ephesians 6:12-19). Jesus did not shout or sweat even a single drop when he performed exorcisms.
Your authority over the works of darkness is in not the volume of your voice neither is it in your ability to dance acrobatics on stage. It is in your authenticity; the truth behind your identity. Stop deceiving yourself saying you are going to church with a cane to kill satan only to come home and swim in sinfulness. You only make a mockery of yourself.
The book of Hebrews qualifies the priesthood of Jesus in the following words: “holy, blameless, unstained, separated from sinners.” (Hebrews 7:26). Do these words strike a chord? If you really want to fight the devil, start by fighting sin in your own life, start by fighting hypocrisy and pretence, start by fighting dishonesty and the worship of material things, start by fighting prayerlessness and your inability to read the Bible. Deepen your spirituality and the devil will run like a madman from your presence.
Unfortunately, many of today’s Christians fear the devil and his agents because they feel powerless in his presence. Closely linked with this fear is another extreme; behaving as if the devil does not exist – dismissing everything as merely natural and simply a matter of coincidence. Jesus never recommended any of these. Jesus described the devil as a “strong man, fully armed” who guards his own palace until one stronger than he assails and overcomes him. (Cf. Luke 11:21, Mark 3:27 & Mathew 12:29).
Yes the devil has power but you are stronger because He that is in you is greater than he that is in the world. (1st John 4:4). Just don’t try to eat your cake and have it because the devil knows those who are for him and those who are truly against him. As the saying goes: “If you are not fighting against the devil, you are probably working for him.”
Let us pray: Lord Jesus, make me more like you everything. Help me to realize how powerful I am as your child that I may not be intimidated by evil forces around me. Amen.
Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. God bless you. (Thursday of the 2nd Week in Ordinary Time. Bible Study: Hebrews 7:25-8:6, Psalm 40, and Mark 3:7-12).
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