DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- DEALING WITH SATAN

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – DEALING WITH SATAN

"Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the Angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to oppose him.  And the LORD said to Satan, 'The LORD rebuke you, Satan!  The LORD who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you!  Is not this a brand plucked from the fire?"  (Zechariah 3:1-2)

Do you ever feel like you are alone in your service to God?  Joshua may have felt that way.  Satan was giving Joshua a hard time, opposing his God-anointed ministry as the High Priest.  

I don't know what tactics Satan was using.  I do know that he has an arsenal of fiery darts and evil devices that he draws from in his attacks of the righteous (see Ephesians 6:14 and II Corinthians 2:11).  They may include self-pity discouragement, condemnation, discontentment, criticism by others, or even physical ailments as with Job.  

But we have One Who is fighting for us, the Lord Jesus Christ.  God is the One who has the authority and power to rebuke Satan.  Even the angels do not have supreme power over Satan.  Remember that Michael, the archangel, in contending with the devil about the body of Moses, dared not bring against him a reviling accusation, but said, "'The LORD rebuke you!'" (Jude 9). 

The Psalmist put it this way:  " 'If it had not been the LORD who was on our side,' let Israel now say, 'If it had not been the LORD who was on our side…then we would have been swallowed alive.'"  (Psalm 124:1-3). We are no match for Satan and his hordes, but we do have One Who is.  It is true that Jesus gave His disciples power over all the power of the enemy (Luke 19:10), but we need to be careful to not try to defeat him in our own strength or ability.

We are like brands plucked from the fire. We were on our way to hell, but Jesus rescued us.   And when we go through the fires of this life, He is not going to abandon us.  He is there with us to deliver us.  He is our strength.

Love, Dad