Thoughts that have come from various quotes taken from the book, "Victor - Breaking Free From a Victim Based Society" by John H. Hovis. Click here to link directly to the audio file.
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"Satan knows his end is assured. All he can do is try to get as many of us to go his way as possible. 'Misery loves company' is certainly an expression designed with Satan in mind."
As quoted from the book "Victor - Breaking Free From a Victim-Based Society" by John H. Hovis Page 151.
We are in a constant war. Do you believe that is a true statement? Sometimes our good life makes it easy for us to ignore the battles that are going on all around us. Don't be deceived. Those battles are real. They are happening. Though we all may see our world through rose colored glasses at times, the fact is an evil exists that wants to see you and me destroyed.
Why does evil want us destroyed? I heard someone speak to this point recently. They said that evil wants us gone because we are loved by our God. I believe it all comes down to jealousy.
The commander of evil is called Satan. He hates God. Why? Because Satan is jealous of God's authority, His power, His position and His perfection. The Bible says that Satan wanted to be like God. So much so, He is warring against the forces of light in hopes to over throw God's dominion over all creation.
Truth is, that's a hopeless endeavor. Satan knows that all too well. This fact doesn't stop Satan from trying to stop God's plan from coming about. In fact, there have been times in the Bible when Satan was close to derailing God's Plan for this world. Just as Satan was about to taste ultimate victory, God's plan wins out again. How frustrating it must be for Satan, as his hopes for God-like position are dashed time and time again.
Because Satan hates God and God loves us, Satan hates us. It's that simple. The evil that brings badness in your life does so to try and get you to hate God, like Satan does. The fact that so many choose to follow this God in spite of the evil that comes against them is what makes Satan want to destroy us all!
All that would be a very scary proposition if it were not for the fact that the outcome of the battle against good and evil has already been won. Jesus' death on the cross assured Satan's defeat. He knows that all too well. Why do you think Satan tried so hard to make sure Jesus would never be born? Several times in the Bible, genaside against the Jewish people was attempted. Satan knew that if he could wipe out the Jewish nation, Jesus could never be born. Though so much heartache was wrought in such a barbaric strategy, God still prevailed.
Here's what the Bible says about our adversary, Satan.
He was a murderer from the beginning. He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies. John 8:44 (NLT)
He's a murder. He hates truth. There is no truth in him. Lies make up his character. He is the father of lies. Notice a thread in this verse when it comes to Satan? He just can't tell the truth. That's a really big clue those wanting to live the victor's life need to grasp fully. Satan's tactics are all steeped in lies. He is going to lie to you about God. His lies will be directed at your identity. He will create counterfeit truths that look Oh so appealing. He will whisper untruths in your ear about yourself, others and God Himself. His playbook for getting us off track has one page in it. On that page is written one word - LIE!
Problem is that Satan is a master at lying. You know what it takes to make a lie convincing. Lies work best when they are sprinkled with truth. Satan will take things in and around you life that are true then twist them in ways that makes the lie look so real and absolute. Remember, he is a master at doing this so we need to be forewarned and armed to combat those lies that will, without a doubt, come against us.
How can you tell if Satan is lying to you? The most compelling way I know to begin to recognize the evil behind what comes against me is to listen to my self talk. It is when I am using words like "I will never..." or "I always..." that the lies are starting to get to me. I happen to believe victim thinking is a result of victors believing the lies Satan throws at us and operating from a position of trying to either cope with or overcome those lies.
Words like "I will never..." and "I always..." typically point to doubts as to who we are. Satan is desperate to get us to doubt who God says we are. If we walk in the power of being God's Child, we might actually be in a position to prosper in peace even when all hell is breaking out around us. When we don't know who we are, or are so beaten down as to doubt who God has made us to be, we start to think thoughts like "I will never amount to anything," or "I am always so stupid," and "I will always be in this terrible place of pain." Satan smiles when we are trapped in places where those words seem so true. He knows that we are on the verge of just giving up.
And, some do give up. That's such a sad fact. But, then there's the victor. God's child is a resilient and resourceful creation. For many of us stuck in victim thinking, something happens that instantly turns the tide in our lives. I'm not talking about things getting better. I'm speaking about an internal change that makes it possible for us to go another day under the pressures the darkness of this world hopes will break us completely.
I believe that internal change is God Himself. There is nothing like being on the brink of total disaster that makes our ability to hear that quiet voice inside saying, "You matter, you are loved, you are purposed, you are empowered, you are not alone!" That's what makes it possible for the victor to leave victim thinking behind. It is a conviction that comes from deep within that, frankly, just doesn't make sense given the circumstances they face. Even that fact is like a dagger in the heart of Satan. Just when He thinks he has won, God works in such a simple, yet effective way to make change possible and victory a reality no matter how much darkness is against us today.
If nothing else, all I ask is that we all wake up to the fact that a war is going on. Worldly peace doesn't mean that battles aren't raging. They are! Those battles are there to try and destroy you. Even the goodness of your life right now might be a tool Satan is using to try and get you to believe a lie about yourself and about God Himself. Those horrible challenges you are facing right now are definitely Satan's work to try and get you off track.
Whether life is good or life is bad, Satan is hard at work. He can't stand for you to believe you are a victor in God's eyes. He hates that God loves you! He will try and get you to doubt God's love with success and/or failure in what you do today. Don't entertain his lies for any longer than you can stand to do so. Believe you are God's Child. Believe that God is for you. Believe that your destiny is assured. Believe you are the victor God made you to be and fight off all the warring lies that will come against you today.
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