Satan's #1 Goal

“The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance [to the full, till it overflows].” John 10:10 Amplified Bible

 

What does this verse tell us is Satan’s #1 thing to do?  It is to steal.  What is it that he steals from you?  Your first thought might be that he steals your joy, your contentment or even your life.  But those things really fall more under the category of kill and destroy. What he is trying to steal is God’s Word out of your life.  When he can do that, he can move on to the kill and destroy. If he can’t steal the Word, he can’t kill or destroy either.  Jesus has defeated him and the only power he has in our lives is what we allow him to have.  If we allow him to steal the Word we are giving him power in our lives.  We are allowing access into our lives that he otherwise wouldn’t have and it can kill and destroy us.

 

That’s exactly what he did to Adam and Eve. He basically said, is that what God really said?  He planted doubts in their mind about the words God had spoken to them and His intentions behind the words.  He was getting them to not believe that God had their best interest in mind. To doubt God’s great love for them.  That He was holding back on them.  Now before we get too hard on Adam and Eve for believing that lie and that scheme of twisting God’s Word, isn’t that what you and I do all the time?  We read God’s Word, we see a promise or a blessing that the Word says is ours and we doubt that God can be that good. Or maybe we doubt that He can be that big to bring it to pass in our lives.  Or we see a “rule” in the Bible that we feel will hold us back in life, will allow others to walk all over us, and we question whether we should live that way because we think we know a better way.  We unconsciously doubt the love that God has for us. Of course, all his rules are only for our benefit, just like not eating from the tree was a rule given to Adam and Ever for their benefit. 

 

At the root of this doubt and disbelief over God’s Word is fear.  Faith is believing what God said.  Fear is believing what Satan said.  Faith comes from hearing God’s Word (Romans 10:17).  Fear comes when we listen to Satan and his lies. Knowing that God is love, read 1 John 4:18. You could replace the word love in this verse with God. “There is no fear in love (God). But 

perfect love (God) drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love (God).”  We are no longer under the curse (the punishment for our sins) because of what Jesus did for us on the cross.  He took our punishment so we wouldn’t have to. His love allows us to live fear free. 

 

This week look up a few blessings and promises the Bible says, like - by His stripes we are healed, that he’ll open up the windows of heaven for us pouring out such a blessing we can’t contain it all, that God rewards those who earnestly seek Him, that God keeps us safe and the wicked one touches us not – and read it like it is the first time you are hearing it. Read it as if Jesus is standing in front of you talking face-to-face and saying it to you.  Read it like it is true, because it is!  Have faith to receive these promises and blessings in to your life.  Don’t let Satan steal these truths from you through fear and doubt.

 

Originally published June 16, 2017.