Begin with 2 minutes of silence and stillness before God.

Depending on the depth of your Christian walk, I would say it is fairly safe to assume we all fall victim to the lies of the enemy sometimes.  He whispers lies and looks for opportunities to deceive us (John 8:44). Often, these attacks come by way of our very own thoughts. We aren’t good enough.  We aren’t pretty enough.  We can’t offer our kids the same things that their friends’ parents do.  We don’t make enough money.  We have a past that will follow us forever and cannot be overcome.  And the comparison goes on and on….  And in our world today, social media further exacerbates this comparison trap.

I saw a perfect analogy on this just this weekend where the speaker was showing a plant that had died down for the winter. There were no leaves.  The branches and stalk were thin and gray.   It surely looked frail and near death.  Quite honestly it was one that I would likely toss out and count it a loss… but after closer examination, the root system was fully intact. This plant will likely be able to fully recover and later thrive.  The comparison plant on the other hand was beautiful!  It had shiny, waxy green leaves.  It was anchored in the soil with a thick stem. It was full-bodied with no brown foliage. It was a beauty compared to the dying plant shown just before.  This plant, however, was silk.  From the outside looking in, the second plant seemed to be the most viable when in all reality it was never even alive. Such also are the events portrayed by social media. Things are not always what they seem.

Satan knows he won’t be able to attack us forever, so he’s making the most of the time he’s got. Revelation 12:12 says Satan "is filled with fury because he knows his time is short.”

Satan is the enemy of man's soul.  Satan, the author of lies, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. He twists and contorts the Word to blind the eyes of men and women to the truth made known in the Bible. Satan is God's bitter adversary... but here in Revelation 12, he is cast out of heaven, together with his angels. 

Take 2 minutes to reflect in silence.

Reflection:

• What are some ways that the enemy lies to you?
• What attempts does Satan make to confuse you?  
• When tempted, how do you overcome it?  Are the attempts to attack generally in the same area/areas of your life?
• How can you grow stronger in your faith and closer to Jesus to better avert the enemy’s attempts to confuse and corrupt your thoughts and actions?
• Prayer: Dear God, we are so thankful that although Satan tries to attack us, Your love endures forever.  We are thankful for Your Word that promises that You will win in the end.  Help us to be ready for the attacks and to be able to call it what it is rather than to feel burdened and less than.  Help us to recognize and overcome any lies in your most precious, Holy name. Amen.

Family Devo: Revelation 12

By: Carrie Hobson

When partnering with your family to know, love, and follow Jesus, we strive to create and share content filtered by the Head-Heart-Hands model.   

Head: the knowledge of God and His Word | Heart: the personal connection from scripture | Hands: a missional mindset  

Head 

This chapter sounds wild! There’s a dragon, a child, a lady, and a battle. Sounds kinda like a Disney movie! This whole chapter reminds us that from the very beginning of time, God never lost sight of His plan for redeeming mankind no matter how bad mankind got. Satan tries his hardest to get us to turn from God, and in the end times, He will try even harder to get his people to turn from God because he knows his time is short.  

Heart 

In this passage, there’s rejoicing in Heaven because Christ is about to defeat Satan for good. When you see and hear about bad things, remember this is only temporary! Christ’s blood overcame Satan for you.  

Hands 

Write down all the things God has done in your life. When Satan tries to lie to you and make you believe things that go against what God says, refer back to your list to remind you that God overcame all of that for you! His victory is your victory!!  

Prayer: God, thank You that victory is ours through Your Son!! We are so thankful! Amen.