WISDOM FOR LIVING DAILY DEVOTIONAL
MAY 15, 2023
TOPIC: SATAN HAS NOT GIVEN UP ON ANYONE!
BY T. O. BANSO
âAnd the princes of Moab rose and went to Balak, and said, âBalaam refuses to come with us.â Then Balak again sent princes, more numerous and more honorable than theyâ (Numbers 22:14-15 New King James Version).
Satan has not given up on anyone! The first time Balak, the king of Moab, sent the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian with the diviner’s fee in their hand to invite Balaam, a sorcerer, to curse the Israelites, he rejected the invitation. The LORD had forbidden him (Numbers 22:5-13).
Nevertheless, Balak didnât give up. He tried again. Numbers 22:14-15 says, âAnd the princes of Moab rose and went to Balak, and said, âBalaam refuses to come with us.â Then Balak again sent princes, more numerous and more honorable than theyâ (Numbers 22:14-15 New King James Version). Please note that phrase: Then Balak again sent.
Balakâs succeeded in his second attempt. Balaam eventually went with Balakâs emissaries the next day they arrived. If Balaam had not accepted the second invitation and Balak could not find another sorcerer or soothsayer to curse the Israelites, he would have tried again.
The devil never gives up on anybody, including you! He never believes that there is nobody who canât fall into his temptation. He believes if he keeps trying, one day, youâll accept his offer to sin. He will ask you to name your price and heâll pay it. Balak told Balaam, âPlease let nothing hinder you from coming to me; for I will certainly honor you greatly, and I will do whatever you say to me. Therefore please come, curse this people for me’â (Numbers 22:16-17 New King James Version).
That you have not fallen for that seduction yet doesnât bother Satan too much! Neither does the fact that you have overcome the temptations to lie, steal, commit sexual immorality, etc. worry Satan much! He will try again. Heâll increase his incentives, hoping youâll accept his offer.
Therefore, donât get carried away by your success or victory over Satanâs temptations. If Satan doesnât succeed through one means, heâll try other means. If using one person doesnât work, heâll try another. Thatâs why the Bible says anyone who thinks he is standing should take heed lest he falls (1 Corinthians 10:12).
Why do you think Satan tempted Jesus three times? (Luke 4:1-13). He was hoping that since Jesus didnât fall to the first two temptations, He would fall to the third. But did he give up after failing with the three temptations? No. The Bible says Satan left Jesus for a season â âuntil the next opportunity cameâ (Luke 4:13b New Living Translation). That means he waited for another opportunity later! The New King James Version says, âHe departed from Him until an opportune time.â In order words, Satan departed and waited for the most suitable or favourable time.
Satan will always look for an opportune time to tempt you and try to make you fall. That young prophet had prophesied against King Jeroboam, after which he invited him to his palace to eat and receive gifts. But he didnât fall into the temptation to disobey Godâs instruction (1 Kings 13:1-10). However, Satan never gave up. He used another person the prophet was not likely to refuse â a senior colleague! An old prophet lied to him; he was deceived and died prematurely (verses 13-24).
Satan doesnât respect your religious or professional titles, experience, exploits, testimonies, credentials, and so on. Donât be carried away by all that. Donât dwell too much on yesterdayâs success. âBe sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devourâ (1 Peter 5:8 New King James Version).
Whoever endures to the end shall be saved (Matthew 24:13; Mark 13:13b). Resist the devil and heâll flee from you (James 4:7). Also, 1 Peter 5:9 says you should resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. Don’t play with temptations. For instance, as long as you keep hanging around the Delilahs of this world, theyâll continue to entice you until you fall, no matter how smart you think you are (Judges 16:4-21). Delilah will continue to pester any man until she brings him down.
The solution is to flee as Joseph did. âSo it was, as she spoke to Joseph day by day, that he did not heed her, to lie with her or to be with her. But it happened about this time, when Joseph went into the house to do his work, and none of the men of the house was inside, that she caught him by his garment, saying, ‘Lie with me.’ But he left his garment in her hand, and fled and ran outsideâ (Genesis 39:10-12 New King James Version). Flee fornication; flee youthful lust (1 Corinthians 6:18; 2 Timothy 2:22).
Don’t play with temptation. Satan has not given up on anyone! Be careful.
TAKE ACTION!
If you are not born again, you need to give your life to Jesus now. I urge you to take the following steps: *Admit that you are a sinner and you cannot save yourself and repent of your sins. *Confess Jesus as your Lord and Saviour. *Renounce your past way of life â your relationship with the devil and his works. *Invite Jesus into your life. *As a mark of seriousness to mature in the faith, start attending a Bible-believing and Bible-teaching church. There they will teach you how to grow in the Kingdom of God.
Kindly say this prayer now: O Lord God, I come unto You today. I know I am a sinner and I cannot save myself. I believe that Jesus is the Son of God who died on the cross to save me and God raised Him on the third day. I repent of my sins and confess Jesus as my Lord and Saviour. I surrender my life to Jesus now and invite Him into my heart. By this prayer, I know I am saved. Thank You, Jesus, for saving me and making me a child of God.
I believe you have said this prayer from your heart. Congratulations! You will need to join a Bible-believing and Bible-teaching church in your area where they will teach you how to live your new life in Christ Jesus. I pray that you flourish like a palm tree and grow like a cedar of Lebanon. May you grow into Christ in all things and become all God wants you to be. I will be glad to hear from you. The Lord be with you.
PRAYER POINTS: Father, don’t let me yield to temptation, but deliver me from the evil one. Help me to overcome every temptation of Satan. Uphold me, Lord; let me not fall. Satan, I will not accept your offer to sin, no matter the incentives, in Jesusâ name.
(For over 900 in-depth and powerful messages by T.O. Banso, visit www.cedarministry.org).
T. O. Banso is the President of Cedar Ministry International, Abuja, Nigeria.
Phone No: +2348155744752, +2348033113523
WhatsApp No: +2349081295947
Email: cedarministryintl@yahoo.com,
cedarministryng@gmail.com
Website: www.cedarministry.org
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