THE TRAP

I want to bring to your notice one of the traps the devil sets to make the faith of a Christian grow weak. As you should know, faith is our operating system in this kingdom. This is coming at a time as this so as to ensure you start your year 2018 with full armour against every devices of the devil. You are entering the New Year with victory.

I have always explained to you (if you are a regular reader on my blog) how it is God who is in charge of your life as a believer. The devil has no input in the determination of what transpires in your life; the decision is a family matter that happens among you, God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. In fact I have on the wall of my room written boldly “all that happens to me is of the Lord, Devil is only an on-looker”. All includes those uninteresting experiences as well as the exciting ones.

The Devil doesn’t want you to digest this into your spirit because in it lies your victory and the manifestation of the scriptures that instructs you to rejoice always. If a child knows the nurse is doing him a great favour administering the injection, he would rejoice and not see the nurse as an enemy. The moment the child begins to pray against the nurse, he is only delaying his soundness in health. Same way, the devil knew he lost the day you gave your life to Jesus Christ, so, the only thing left for him to use is deception which thrives on ignorance; making you see the workings of God the same way the boy sees the nurse.

There is something called the workings of God in the life of a believer that seeks to bring out the very nature of God in him. It is aimed at bringing you to perfection and this workings comes in different forms which includes trials. The grand purpose of God in this is to bring you to a place of totally trusting in Him. The Israelites had a share of this experience when they had to spend 40 years in the wilderness, facing different trials which were all works of God to bring them to a place of totally depending on Him. However, they failed, even desiring Egypt at the very early stage of the trials.

The devil uses this as a trap, he uses the workings of God as the trap to sap your faith, make you grow weak and spend ample time thinking about how he, the devil, is having victory over your life. It is quite common to see people spend so much time praying against the devil who isn’t even a part of the plan and the more time you spend giving attention to the devil, the longer it takes to come out of the trial. The trap operates in your thoughts and right thinking is what leads to right believing to produce right results.

Do you remember that disciple that smashed the ear of one of the guards that came to arrest Jesus? All he was seeing was that this is a battle from the enemies of Jesus and it has to be fought. He wanted to be fighting an enemy that does not exist on behalf of Jesus. Definitely, Jesus knew better to fall for the trap. This was God’s working for the glorification of His son. Fighting at that moment will mean delaying or perhaps obstructing the plan of God. It is a family matter that Jesus had already settled in the place of prayer.

Now, same way, the devil launches the idea that what you are going through is as a result of a sin you have committed, or the devil of your father’s house dealing with you. This only makes a mockery of God’s word for the saved. You spend a larger percent of the year 2017 moving from one prayer mountain killing the devil and also being unhappy with yourself for a past sin the blood of Jesus already cleansed. It is just like that disciple slicing the ear of what was meant to bring glory, it leads to unrest.

When the trap has caught a man so intense, he becomes weak in his prayer life. When you see the devil as being the CEO of everything that happens to you, your strength in God becomes weak as it then looks as if this living God is not able to save. The devil is only taking advantage of God’s workings in your life to wreck your faith. And it is only by faith you can receive what has been made available by grace.

When you begin to see from the lens of the scriptures that says your life is hid with Christ in God, you will know the devil has no authority in your life and, your business is with your Father. He (God) is only working on you to breed patience which translates to trusting Him.

“My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces PATIENCE. But, let PATIENCE have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing” James 1:2-3

Who do you see in the midst of the trials? The year 2017 is gradually gone, don’t start the New Year looking for the devil to settle scores with. NO! That’s not the arrangement. Jesus already did that for you. Spend your time with Jesus, know fully well that it is He working out His perfect will in you. Engage your Father in prayers, it increases your faith and produces hope to believe in His word.

Friend, approach the New Year with this and you will see your heart float in thanksgiving, the devil enraged and your spirit at rest. Don’t fall for the trap as you welcome the New Year!

Be Innovated

Olufemi Ibitoye