THE DELIGHTFUL WAY

Part 2

"For this purpose the Son of God was manifested that he might destroy the works of the devil"
(1 John 3:8).

We continue to discuss The Delightful Way.

IT'S DEPARTING

To walk God's path we need to depart from evil. Psalm 34:12-14 tells us that if we want to love life and live a long and good life, we must "Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it." Job 28:28 says, "To depart from evil is understanding."

IT'S DESTROYING

This doesn't sound very delightful, does it? However, God's plan for Satan is destruction and this is the plan He wants us to have also. God has quite a number of "D" words He wants us to use against His enemies:

Destroy them: "Thou shalt smite them, and utterly destroy them . . . " (Deuteronomy 7:2 -6). Read also Deuteronomy 1: 24; 12:2, 3; 13:15; 20:16-18; 33:27; Joshua 7:12; 11:20; 1 Samuel 22:38, 41; Psalm 18:40; 101;8 and 118:1-12).

God did not only tell Joshua and the Israel soldiers to destroy the enemy, but to UTTERLY destroy them (Joshua 10:28, 35, 37, 39, 40; 11:11, 12, 14, 20, 21; Judges 1:17 and 1 Samuel 15:3; 21-24).

God did not only tell them to utterly destroy the enemy, but to leave NOT ONE REMAINING. Joshua 10:40 says, "So Joshua smote all . . . he left none remaining, but utterly destroyed ALL THAT BREATHED as the Lord commanded." This statement is recorded ten times in Joshua, chapters ten, eleven, and fourteen.

Dispossess them: "Ye shall dispossess the inhabitants of the land, and dwell therein" Numbers 33:53. This word "dispossess" means "to drive away, to seize, to devour, and invade for the purpose of settling territory."

Discomfort them: Gideon "discomforted all the host" (Judges 8:12). The word "discomfort" means "to make the enemy shake, to be afraid, to tremble." We have no power over the enemy in our own flesh, but as we lift up the name of Jesus and the blood of the Lamb we have power to overcome him. Through the power of prayer we can make the enemy tremble. Psalm 18:14 tells us how God discomforted the enemy.

A praying mother in the home can bring fear to the enemy. In the time of Deborah, the Israelites defeated King Jabin and his captain, Sisera, who had 900 chariots of iron. Sisera fled from the Israeli soldiers but was defeated and killed by Jael, a mother in her home. Read the story in Judges, chapters four and five.

As you embrace your God-given role of raising righteous young men and women whom you are also training to be devil-destroyers, the enemy shakes. He's not afraid of women who leave their home, but as a God-anointed home-loving, home-keeping, home-working, home-advocating, child-embracing, child-training, nation-changing, Spirit-filled, and devil-defeating mother, you are a threat to the enemy. You make him quake in his boots. You are dangerous!

James 4:7 says, "Resist the devil and he will flee from you."

Drive them out: "Drive them out, and destroy them quickly, as the Lord hath said unto thee" (Exodus 23:32, 32 and Deuteronomy 9:3).

Why did God want them to be so utterly ruthless with the enemy? He gives two very good reasons:

1) Because if we don't deal with sin and evil, it will come back to vex us.

Numbers 33:55 says, "But if ye will not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you, then it shall come to pass that those of you which you let remain of them shall be pricks in your eyes, and thorns in your sides, and shall vex you in the land wherein ye dwell."

2) Because we will be easily lured back into Satan's ways.

Psalm 106:34, 35 says, "They did not destroy the nations, concerning whom the Lord commanded them: but were mingled among the heathen, and learned their works. And they served their idols: which were a snare unto them." Read also Deuteronomy 20:17, 18 and 1 Corinthians 5:6).

To live a delightful life, we must depart all evil in our own lives and utterly cast it from our homes.

 

Blessings from Nancy Campbell

www.aboverubies.org

 

PRAYER:

"Dear Father, please help me to have the same attitude toward evil that you have. Help me not to hold on to "just a little bit" but to completely eradicate from life and home. Amen."

AFFIRMATION:

I am a dangerous woman to the enemy.