Quote from Forum Archives on March 5, 2002, 10:22 pm

Posted by: masinick <masinick@...>

Dear friends,

A frequent source of devotional messages that I use are the
messages from Neil Anderson's Daily Devotional. Crosswalk.com
has been undergoing some changes recently, and they've had their
Email server unavailable. I've been really occupied with
personal matters, so I haven't done as much exploration as I
usually do. Besides, I've had quite a few other good messages
that I've recently received, so I've been sharing some of them
with you. Still, it is good to get Neil's messages in my mailbox
once again, and I'd like to share today's message with you.

Today's message presents an interesting and thought provoking
discussion about yielding control of our motives and behavior.
As Christians, we desire to yield control to Christ. Neil
asserts that it is possible, if we are either ignorant or
unprepared, we can unwittingly come under demonic control,
instead of being under the control of God's Holy Spirit. Neil
also claims that the full armor of God (see Ephesians 6:10-20) is
sufficient to protect us. However, we need to know what that
armor is, and we have to put it to good use.

Dear Lord,

Thank you that You are in control of all things, and You
are capable of completely protecting us from the evil one. At
the same time, we are aware that other forces attempt to thwart
our joy and the peace that we find in You. Therefore, I pray
that You will assist each of us, as we fix our minds upon Christ,
the author and finisher of our faith. I pray that You will
remind us to equip ourselves with the resources that You have
already so graciously provided for us, but I also pray that You
would continually guide us in their effective use.

I confess that I face the greatest risk when I fail to earnestly
seek You first in all things. Therefore, I ask You to help me
with that, too, Lord. Remind me throughout the day of my need
and help me to find my needs fully met in You. I ask all of
these things humbly, in Jesus' Name. Amen.

Your Brother in Christ,

Brian

If you are looking to feed and challenge your faith, visit
Crosswalk.com's Spiritual Life Channel at:
spiritual.crosswalk.com
-----------

N E I L A N D E R S O N D A I L Y D E V O T I O N A L
from Freedom in Christ Ministries

March 5

YIELDING CONTROL

For we are not ignorant of his [Satan's] schemes (2 Corinthians
2:11).

We generally agree that Christians are vulnerable to the enemy's
temptation, accusation and deception. But for some reason, we
hesitate to admit that Christians can lose their freedom and can
surrender to demonic influences. However, the evidence of
Scripture is abundant and clear that believers who repeatedly
succumb to Satan can come under bondage.

Demonic control does not mean satanic ownership - you have been
purchased by the blood of the Lamb, and not even the powers of
hell can take your salvation away from you (1 Peter 1:17-19;
Romans 8:35-39). Satan knows he can never own you again. But if
he can deceive you into yielding control of your life to him in
some way, he can neutralize your growth and your impact in the
world for Christ.

Since we live in a world whose god is Satan, the possibility of
being tempted, deceived and accused is continuous. If you allow
his schemes to influence you, you can lose control to the degree
that you have been deceived. If he can persuade you to believe a
lie, he can control your life.

The term demon possessed never occurs in the Bible after the
cross. We lack theological precision as to what demon possession
constitutes in the church age. But don't come to any conclusion
that you can't be affected by Satan. We are more a target than
we are immune to his strategies. However, we have all the
sanctuary we need in Christ, and we have the armor of God to
protect us.

Thank You, Lord, for the armor You have provided to protect me
from Satan. Keep me aware of his schemes today and help me
resist him in the power and authority You provide.

-----------
This daily devotional is published and distributed by
Crosswalk.com. It is written by Neil Anderson at
< www.ficm.org >.

You can purchase "Daily in Christ" and other titles by Neil Anderson at
christianbook.com (Christian Book Distributors - CBD).
< shopping.crosswalk.com/bye/devo_na >

Additional devotionals are available from Crosswalk.com:
< devotionals.crosswalk.com >.
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=====
--
Brian Masinick, "The Mas", mailto:masinick@yahoo.com
Home page: www.geocities.com/masinick/

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