Redeemed from Darkness

One of the realities of our spiritual journey is spiritual warfare. As believers in Jesus Christ, we are targets of spiritual assaults.

The Apostle Paul addressed this reality:

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.” — Ephesians 6:10-13 (NIV)

The Apostle Peter gave us a similar reminder:

“Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.” — 1 Peter 5:8 (NLT)

The Greek word Peter used for “devour” means “to drink down, to drown, to cause to waste, to ingest, to overwhelm, to swallow.” It refers to the consumption of a person’s life, influence or energies in a wasteful and destructive way.

We must be aware of the devil’s objectives if we are going to guard ourselves against them.

Jesus made a powerful statement about the agenda of our spiritual adversary:

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” — John 10:10 (NIV)

According to Jesus, the devil’s attacks are designed to steal from us the resources we need, to kill the good things God has planned for us, and to destroy anything the Lord wants to build in and through us.

Jesus also reminded us that He came to free us from the agenda of our spiritual adversary. He came to give us life! He came to reverse the works of the devil. This happens as we open our lives to Him, and prayerfully invite Him to do His redemptive work in us and in all areas that impact our lives.

With this in mind, I encourage you to start praying some specific prayers. Begin asking Jesus to:

  • Restore to you all the devil has stolen from you.
  • Resurrect for you everything the devil has killed in and around you.
  • Rebuild in and through you all things the devil has destroyed.

Jesus came to redeem us from the works of darkness. Invite Him to do this in you!

Dale O'Shields

For more information, visit the Church of the Redeemer's website.
Listen to Practical Living on OnePlace.com or watch Practical Living on LightSource.com.