The Lord Jesus told us in John 10:10 that the devil does nothing but to steal from us, kill us, and destroy us (see John 10:10). He steals our joy, kills our hope in Christ, and destroys our lives.
Christ, on the other hand, wants us to have life, and have it abundantly. That's a stark contrast that we need to put to heart.
Seeing the Difference
Friends, Christ would never steal from us, kill us (unless we're talking about killing our fleshly and sinful nature), and destroy us. Only the devil does that, and if we take to heart what Jesus said, we would know that any and all agreements with the devil will result in our loss! Even a simple "no" to Jesus would mean a "yes" to Satan, and that will eventually result to a loss on our part.
Would you want to prevent the devil from stealing from you? Here are some things you can do to stop him from taking away what belongs to you.
1. Pursue Christ Real Hard
If we want the devil to have no place in us, the best thing to do is to be totally consumed with the love for Jesus. Having a heart full of Christ means having no room for anything else – even for ourselves.
If we want to have the abundant life that Jesus says, we have to follow Him. To follow Him, "you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow" Him (see Matthew 16:24). We need to deny our selfish desires, which actually opens the way for the enemy to lead us astray (see James 1:14).
2. Avoid Sinning
Sin caused man to die (see Genesis 2:16-17, 3; Romans 6:23). Sin of whatever kind takes away from us, and no matter how much we are deceived into thinking that it is pleasurable, sin will always take its toll on us one way or another. Want to avoid the price of sin? Then by the grace of God in Christ, stop sinning.
Disobeying God has consequences. Sin has consequences. Sin destroys our consciences, separates us from God, allows the devil some room in our lives, and ultimately binds us and takes us captive. We must live free in Christ! (see 1 Timothy 4:1-2; Isaiah 59:2; Romans 6:16)
3. Being Wise
Sin isn't the only way the devil steals from us. We can also experience losing something by not being wise. Staying depressed, being too generous, not taking care of our health, and focusing on church ministry while neglecting family are but some of the ways we endanger our joy, our provision, our wellbeing, and our relationships at home.
It's okay to feel sad, but choose joy in the Lord. It's good to be generous, but not too much to the point of being unable to meet your own needs. It's OK to work hard, but make sure you take care of yourself. It's good to serve in church, but don't neglect your family. Don't let the devil fool you into thinking you should do everything.
