Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. Ephesians 6:11
What are the devil’s schemes? One illustration notes….
Satan called a worldwide convention of demons. In his opening address he said, “We can’t keep from forming an intimate relationship with their savior.” “Once they gain that connection with Jesus, our power over them is broken.”
“This is what I want you to do”, said the devil:
- “Distract them from gaining hold of their Savior and maintaining that vital connection throughout their day!” “
- “Keep them busy in the nonessentials of life and invent innumerable schemes to occupy their minds,” he answered.
- “Tempt them to spend, spend, spend, and borrow, borrow, borrow.”
- “Persuade the wives to go to work for long hours and the husbands to work 6-7 days each week, 10-12 hours a day, so they can afford their empty lifestyles.”
- “Keep them from spending time with their children.” “As their families fragment, soon, their homes will offer no escape from the pressures of work!”
- “Over-stimulate their minds so that they cannot hear that still, small voice.”
- “Entice them to play their tablets, phones, TVs or radios whenever they drive.” “To keep the TV, VCR, CDs and their PCs going constantly in their home and see to it that every store and restaurant in the world plays non-biblical music constantly.” “This will jam their minds and break that union with Christ.”
- “Fill every dead space with ads to make them feel like their missing something “
- “Pound their minds with the news, especially bad or fearful 24 hours a day.”
- “Invade their driving moments with billboards.” “Flood their mailboxes with junk mail, mail order catalogs, sweepstakes, and every kind of newsletter and promotional offering free products, services and false hopes.”
- “Keep skinny, beautiful models on the magazines and TV so their husbands will believe that outward beauty is what’s important, and they’ll become dissatisfied with their wives.”
- “Keep the wives too tired to love their husbands at night.” “Give them headaches too!” “If they don’t give their husbands the love they need, they will begin to look elsewhere.” “That will fragment their families quickly!
- “Give them Santa Claus to distract them from teaching their children the real meaning of Christmas.” “Give them an Easter bunny so they won’t talk about his resurrection and power over sin and death.”
- “Even in their recreation, let them be excessive.” “Have them return from their recreation exhausted.” “Keep them busy to not reflect on God’s creation.”
- “Send them to amusement parks, sporting events plays, concerts, and movies instead.” “Keep them busy, busy, busy!”
- “And when they meet for spiritual fellowship, involve them in gossip and small talk so that they leave with troubled consciences.”
- “Crowd their lives with so many good causes they have no time to seek power from Jesus.” “Soon they will be working in their own strength, sacrificing their health and family for the good of the cause.” “It will work!” “It will work!”
It was quite a plan! The demons went eagerly to their assignments causing Christians everywhere to get more busy and more rushed, going here and there. Having little time for their Christ or their families.
Having no time to tell others about the power of Jesus to change lives. Has the devil been successful at his scheme?
Does “busy” mean:
B-eing U-nder S-atan’s Y-oke?
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