DRAWING NEAR

September 5

Overcoming Satanic Opposition

"Be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of His might . . . .
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the
rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this
darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the
heavenly places" (Eph. 6:10, 12).

Spiritual warfare can be intense, but God's grace enables you to
prevail against Satan's attacks.

Through the ages Satan has accused, besieged, and battered believers
in an effort to prevent them from living to the glory of God. He
attempts to snatch the gospel message from a person's heart even
before salvation occurs (Matt. 13:19). He bombards believers with
false doctrine, trying to confuse and distract them from biblical
truth (Eph. 4:14).

Martin Luther reported that his conflict with Satan became so intense
that at one point it was as if he could see him. In anger over
Satan's incessant attacks, Luther picked up his inkwell and threw it
at him. It hit the wall with a resounding crash, splattering ink
throughout the room. The stains remained for many years, reminding
all who saw them of how vivid spiritual conflict can be.

You may not have experienced anything like the intensity of Martin
Luther's conflict, but spiritual warfare is just as real for you as
it was for him. You are in mortal combat with Satan and his evil
forces. That's why Paul said, "Our struggle is not against flesh and
blood, but against . . . spiritual forces of wickedness in the
heavenly places" (Eph. 6:12).

"Struggle" in that verse speaks of life-and-death, hand-to-hand
combat--the kind Jesus Himself experienced while on earth. He met
opposition and persecution at every turn. The same was true of Paul
and the other apostles as they dealt with Jewish religionists,
heathens, sorcerers, and demon-possessed people who tried in vain to
thwart their missionary efforts.

Satan's onslaughts may seem overwhelming at times, but don't be
discouraged. See them for what they are: a defeated foe's last-ditch
efforts to inflict damage on the conquering army. The Lord will
strengthen and protect you, just as He has protected all believers
before you.

Suggestions for Prayer:

Praise God for being your protector and the source of spiritual
victory.

For Further Study:

Read Acts 4:1-22.

What kind of opposition did Peter and John face? How did they
respond to the Jewish Council's order not to preach the gospel?

Drawing Near, Copyright 1993 John F. MacArthur, Jr.

All rights reserved. Used by permission.
http://www.gty.org

~~~


Matthew 13:19
19 "When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not
understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was
sown in his heart. This is he who received seed by the wayside.

Ephesians 4:14
14 that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and
carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in
the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting

Acts 4:1-22
4:1 Now as they spoke to the people, the priests, the captain of the
temple, and the Sadducees came upon them,
2 being greatly disturbed that they taught the people and preached
in Jesus the resurrection from the dead.
3 And they laid hands on them, and put them in custody until the
next day, for it was already evening.
4 However, many of those who heard the word believed; and the number
of the men came to be about five thousand.
5 And it came to pass, on the next day, that their rulers, elders,
and scribes,
6 as well as Annas the high priest, Caiaphas, John, and Alexander,
and as many as were of the family of the high priest, were gathered
together at Jerusalem.
7 And when they had set them in the midst, they asked, "By what
power or by what name have you done this?"
8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, "Rulers of
the people and elders of Israel:
9 "If we this day are judged for a good deed done to a helpless man,
by what means he has been made well,
10 "let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel,
that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified,
whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before you
whole.
11 "This is the 'stone which was rejected by you builders, which has
become the chief cornerstone.'
12 "Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name
under heaven given among men by which we must be saved."
13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived
that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they
realized that they had been with Jesus.
14 And seeing the man who had been healed standing with them, they
could say nothing against it.
15 But when they had commanded them to go aside out of the council,
they conferred among themselves,
16 saying, "What shall we do to these men? For, indeed, that a
notable miracle has been done through them is evident to all who
dwell in Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it.
17 "But so that it spreads no further among the people, let us
severely threaten them, that from now on they speak to no man in this
name."
18 And they called them and commanded them not to speak at all nor
teach in the name of Jesus.
19 But Peter and John answered and said to them, "Whether it is
right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, you
judge.
20 "For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and
heard."
21 So when they had further threatened them, they let them go,
finding no way of punishing them, because of the people, since they
all glorified God for what had been done.
22 For the man was over forty years old on whom this miracle of
healing had been performed.

These devotions are posted with permission from John MacArthur's
first (1993) devotional work, _Drawing Near_, and they are also sent
out daily for free to several folks via e-mail.

In addition, John's second (1997) devotional, _Strength for Today_,
is also available free via e-mail only. _Strength for Today_ follows
the same format as what you have seen here from _Drawing Near_, but
with different monthly themes.

If you would like to receive daily devotions via e-mail from either
of these series, just let me know (via e-mail), and I will gladly add
you to the list(s) of your choice.

You can hear John MacArthur daily via the Internet by visiting:

http://www2.oneplace.com/Ministries/Grace_to_You/

and

http://www.gty.org.uk/

You may email John MacArthur in care of Grace to You at:
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In Christ,



Peter

Peter G. Chase :: Columbus, Ohio, USA
pchase1@wideopenwest.com

STOP! Who do you think Jesus is?
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To forgive is to set a prisoner free, and to discover that the prisoner
was you. -Alistair Begg