By Greg
Laurie
Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of
flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He
might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil. —Hebrews 2:14
Some
people think it's a joke to play with Ouija boards or read their horoscopes.
They think it's only fun and games to play around with demonic forces and
ideas. But it's no joke. Occultism and astrology are doorways to darkness, and
people really push it when they start dabbling in the Devil's world.
Nonbelievers
have no defense against the Devil, who can pretty much do whatever he wants to
do in their lives. However, he can do nothing in the life of a Christian
without God's permission. The only thing he fears is the power of Jesus Christ.
A
classic example of this is the story of Job. Interestingly, the Lord allowed
Satan a certain leeway, which resulted in many horrible afflictions on God's
servant, including the loss of his health, the loss of his property, and, worst
of all, the loss of his children. There were limitations to what the Devil was
allowed to do, but Job was tested severely. He came through it all, and God
blessed him in the end.
You may
think you can't make it through a hardship of some kind, but if God is letting
you go through it, He has a reason. God knows how much you can take. He will
never give you more than you can handle.
The Devil was soundly defeated at the cross of Calvary. Prior to His
crucifixion, Jesus said, "Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler
of this world will be cast out" (John 12:31). As believers, we share in the victory of Jesus Christ. He dealt a
decisive blow against the Devil and his minions at the cross. When Jesus cried
out, "It is finished!" it reverberated through the corridors of
Heaven and the hallways of hell. It was a victory shout.
