Why Satan Attacks You

In our home, I'm always telling the children not to listen to the devil. "The devil will get you in trouble every time," I tell them. They are learning to say 'no' to Satan at an early age. Since I've been studying more in depth about spiritual warfare, I am seeing things I've never seen before.

I Peter 5:8 says, "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour." Just because you are a Christian doesn't mean he quits and gives up. The only people who don't find themselves under attack by the devil are those who are so totally controlled by the devil that they no longer feel guilt or have any conviction about temptation.

We never get to a point to where Satan gives up. He is hard headed. He showed up in the wilderness to tempt Jesus. Satan showed up in the body of a man filled with a legion of demons in Mark 5:9. Satan always showed up in the public attacks to question Jesus' credibility and authority. He even came to the court of Herod and the judgement hall of Pilate.

Satan knows once you've accepted Jesus as your Savior, you are God's child forever and there is nothing he can do to steal your eternal home from you. He also knows he can't separate you from God's loving presence. Paul said in Romans 8:38-39 "Neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

So why doesn't the devil just give up and move on to somebody else?

Because his goal is to keep you and me from using our spiritual gifts to bless others in Christ and from doing God's work--all of which can result in a smaller reward in heaven. Satan will continue to come after you to undermine what you say and what you do so that your influence for Jesus will be questioned, weakened and ineffective. Because of this, he will discourage you, cause you to live in depression, oppression, make your life miserable and less fulfilling, bring doubts to your mind and hurl sickness, tragedy and crises into your life.

If you are in the middle of spiritual warfare, you're doing something right. Remember...new level, new devil!