Watch Out

Just recently, I’ve become increasingly aware that there are people who use the internet for evil purposes. They’re out to trap innocent people by sending out emails that are really scams, in order to get hold of their identities and, if possible, their bank details too! Not only that, they try to get into our computers or tablets, to access our address books. A few days ago, I received an email which I thought my husband had forwarded to me from another Ellel team member. But when I opened it, I found it wasn’t really from my husband at all. So now I’m very careful about checking my mailboxes, and I’m constantly finding that I’m having to hit the delete button to clear out the rubbish which is coming to me.

I believe the enemy, who’s controlling the people who are doing this, acts in the same way in our lives. He wants to gain control of our minds, and if he can use other people to deceive us, he’s pleased. He’s always trying to poison our minds through the things that happen to us – negative words that are spoken to us, or about us. He tries to destroy our relationships with others in order to isolate us, and, worst of all, he wants to discredit the Lord, and cause us to doubt His goodness and love for us.

How can we deal with all this? ‘We know that we are children of God and that the world around us is under the control of the evil one’ (1 John 5:19). Jesus said to His disciples in Matthew 10:16: ‘Look, I am sending you out as sheep among wolves. So be as shrewd as snakes and harmless as doves’. We need the Lord’s wisdom and discernment to know when we’re being deceived, and we need to know how to delete the rubbish that the enemy bombards us with in our minds. It’s a twenty-four hour, seven-day week job, as the enemy never takes a holiday. But take courage, Jesus gives us the victory.

Prayer: Dear Lord Jesus, I thank You that You’ve already won the victory over Satan, and that You’re willing to give me the victory, too, as I trust in You. Please help me to stay alert. I pray for wisdom and discernment, and that You’ll keep me from the hidden traps that the enemy sets. Help me to be diligent in getting rid of wrong thoughts that dishonour You and cause me to doubt Your word. I ask this in Your name, Lord Jesus. Amen.