The Limit of Our Enemy

Sometimes we forget that Satan has his limits. As I read in Job, God offers up Job to be tested, but puts limits on the extent of the enemy’s hand. And I think we forget that not only is the devil limited ‘with’ his deception, but he’s limited ‘in’ his deception.

Have you ever noticed it’s generally the same sins that trip us up each time we stumble? The sin at its root is the same, but it comes with a different name or in a different place. You see, the devil sees what we see. He knows when he’s got a hold on our lives over a particular temptation or issue. He knows that ‘one thing’ that touches our heart the most. And while we run to Jesus in remorse after a great fall, the devil keeps his sleeves rolled up and pursues us again and again in the area we are ‘weakest’.

There are times we may claim victory over an instance we successfully avoided. But we forget, the devil doesn’t stop pursuing us. He lies dormant, watching and waiting for another weak moment, crouching around the corner of ‘opportunity’ and ‘circumstance’. And if we’re not alert or guarding our hearts, we find ourselves buried in a string of excuses for how we got so close to the lion in the first place. Each step seems legitimate in and of itself, but the timing and the culmination of the walk ends up repeating the past. Remember this: there’s nothing new or unique about that deception of the enemy outlined in scripture. He knows our weaknesses, and he will attack those deeply rooted sins of our heart for a lifetime. He’ll come from every angle to tear the children of God down. We’ve got to wisen up; own our weaknesses and guard our hearts. We’ve got to recognize that one victory doesn’t win the war.