Tag Archives: devil

In the Wilderness | Bible Gleanings – May 13-14, 2023

May 12, 2023 Brandon G. B. Leave a comment

He was fatigued, famished, and seemingly forsaken. The Lord Jesus was fasting in the wilderness for forty days all by Himself, and the devil thought He was in a prime position for temptation. As Matthew said, “Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread”” (Matt. 4:1-3).

Satan wanted Jesus to think that the Father had abandoned him. He was essentially saying, “Look at You, all by Yourself and starving. Do You not think the Father would feed You if He truly loved You? You’d better put some of that heavenly power to use and turn stones to bread because it doesn’t look like God is coming to Your aid.” But contrary to appearance, Jesus was not wandering the desert by Himself. The Father provided Jesus with divine reinforcements during Satan’s temptations: “The angels were ministering to him” (Mark 1:13b). Satan was wrong: Jesus had heaven on His side because he was heaven’s Son.

Jesus was not left to battle temptation alone, and neither are you. The honey of God’s sustaining grace is always available in the wilderness. The wilderness of this world may whet your appetite for sin, but God has planted the nourishing flowers of goodness in His word, in the place of prayer, and among His people so that you may eat your fill of His love. The Lord’s power will minister to you like an angel from above. That is why Paul assured, “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it” (1 Cor. 10:13).

Moreover, even time spent in the wilderness is not meaningless. No temptation proceeds from God, but every temptation can be used by God for good. Remember, God purposed to send Jesus into the wilderness: “The Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness” (Mark 1:12). What could possibly be God’s purpose in allowing you to be tempted? Pastor and author Warren Wiersbe articulated it well: “Satan tempts us to bring out the worst in us, but God can use these difficult experiences to put the best into us. Temptation is Satan’s weapon to defeat us, but it can become God’s tool to build us.”

Dear believer, when you find yourself in the wilderness of temptation, seek God’s way of escape and admit your need for His sustaining grace. Pray the words of I Need Thee Every Hour, a hymn written by Robert Lowry (1826-1899), which says:

“I need Thee ev’ry hour,

Stay Thou nearby;

Temptations lose their pow’r

When Thou art nigh.

I need Thee, oh, I need Thee;

Ev’ry hour I need Thee;

Oh, bless me now, my Savior,

I come to Thee.”

Bible Gleanings is a widely-read weekend devotional column, written for the Murray Ledger & Times in Calloway County, Kentucky.

Brandon is the founder and main contributor to Brandon’s Desk, the blog with biblical resources from his ministry. He is proud to be the pastor of the family of believers at Locust Grove Baptist Church in Murray, Kentucky. He and his wife Dakota live there with their three dogs, Susie (Jack Russell), Aries (English Shepherd), and Dot (Bluetick Beagle).

For more devotional entries like this, check out Brandon’s latest book, Bible Gleanings Volume II, which features 100 daily devotionals gleaned from God’s word:

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Away With the Accuser | Bible Gleanings – September 24-25, 2022

September 23, 2022 Brandon G. B. Leave a comment

My eyes consumed hours of daytime television when school was out during the summer. But, while most kids my age were watching the Disney channel or Nickelodeon, I was glued to “reality court” shows like Judge Judy, The People’s Court, and Judge Joe Brown. I always found it uniquely satisfying when the judge ejected unruly and disruptive litigants from the courtroom. The case had been settled, the gavel had been slammed, but there was always one defendant or plaintiff who would snivel and chatter about how unfair the trial had been—until the judge finally snapped. And then, in a commanding tone, they would exclaim, “Alright, that’s enough! Get out of my courtroom!”

Satan, the foremost accuser and counteragent of God’s people, has met the same fate at the hands of the Judge of all the earth. The devil lost his privileged position in God’s heavenly courtroom after Jesus paid the sin debt of believers and ascended to glory as the triumphant Lord. The Scripture says,

“And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God” (Revelation 12:9-10).

The devil was formerly granted special access to God’s tribunal, where he would slander believers and attempt to tarnish God’s glory. He attempted to slander Job of old before the bench of heaven, saying, “Job is too wealthy. He’ll curse you if you let me have him” (cf. Job 1:6-12). He sought to discredit Joshua, the high priest, alleging, “Joshua is too wicked. He should be cursed” (cf. Zechariah 3:1-5). But now that Jesus the Advocate has inexorably settled the case for believers, Satan has been expelled from God’s court, and the Lord will never hear another of his allegations (cf. 1 John 2:1). All those whose sin debt has been paid may thus join Paul in saying,

“Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us” (Romans 8:33-34).

“Down to the earth was Satan thrown,

Down to the earth his legions fell;

Then was the trump of triumph blown,

And shook the dreadful deeps of hell.

Now is the hour of darkness past,

Christ has assumed His reigning power;

Behold the great accuser cast

Down from the skies, to rise no more.” —Isaac Watts (1674–1748), “Let Mortal Tongues Attempt to Sing.”

Bible Gleanings is a widely-read weekend devotional column, written for the Murray Ledger & Times in Calloway County, Kentucky.

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Wake From Sleep | Bible Gleanings – Feb 19-20, 2022

February 18, 2022 Brandon G. B. Leave a comment

The German theologian and reformer Martin Luther (1483-1546) once told a sobering legend about what makes the devil happy:

“The devil once held a great anniversary,” he explained, “at which his emissaries were convened to report the results of their several missions.”

One minion remarked, “I let loose the wild beasts on a caravan of Christians, and their bones are now bleaching on the sands.”

“What of that?” the devil scolded. “Their souls were all saved!”

“I drove the east wind against a ship freighted with Christians,” said another, “and they were all drowned.”

“What of that? Their souls were all saved!” the devil chastised once more.

But said another, “For ten years I tried to get a single Christian asleep, and I succeded and left him so.”

“Then the devil shouted, and the night stars of hell sang for joy,” Luther concluded.

Luther was correct: nothing delights the devil more than a sleeping Christian. If you are a believer, Satan isn’t gratified by your death. But he exults and makes merry when you slumber on the bed of apathy and lukewarm spirituality. Those who snooze on the couch of indifference pose no threat to the savage kingdom of darkness (Eph. 2:2; Col. 1:13; 1 John 5:19). Those who catnap on the recliner of spiritual lethargy are unsuspecting prey to the roaring lion’s ferocious attacks (1 Pet. 5:8).

The Lord calls you to keep your eyes peeled for spiritual danger like a soldier on nightwatch, no matter how tempting it may be to catch a wink. That is why Paul wrote, “So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, are drunk at night. But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation” (1 Thess. 5:6-8). Don’t doze off. Remain vigilant. You can’t afford to sleep when you are fighting a deadly war (Eph. 6:10-20; 1 Pet. 2:11).

One dependable way to stay awake is to remain active in the Lord’s service. You are less likely to drift into the coma of moral carelessness and laxity when you are engaged in activity that is pleasing to the Lord. Idleness, on the other hand, will quickly lull you to sleep. Stay awake, and you’ll stay alive: “Give your eyes no sleep and your eyelids no slumber; save yourself like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter, like a bird from the hand of the fowler” (Prov. 6:4-5). Wake from sleep, dear Christian, and rob the devil of his delight!

Bible Gleanings is a widely-read weekend devotional column, written for the Murray Ledger & Times in Calloway County, Kentucky.

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Ready to Fight | Bible Gleanings – September 26-27, 2020

September 26, 2020 Brandon G. B. Leave a comment

“If people wanted to fight me in the garage, then bring them on, and I will fight them in the garage,” said Ryan Garcia, a lightweight boxer from La Jolla, California. Garcia is among many boxers who are training for the ring despite most televised boxing being put on hold due to the coronavirus. According to the New York Times, Garcia and other boxers are disciplining themselves without missing a punch, and sharpening their skills so they will be prepared for the day when they step into the ring again. Garcia, who lives with his parents, installed a heavy bag and reflex bag in his parents’ garage to keep his punches sharp. The living and dining room areas were cleared out so he could hit the mitts with his father, and practice his techniques as though he were in the ring. Garcia understood that you can never win a fight without preparation. That’s why he did everything he could to train for and win his next one.

Likewise, as a Christian, you will be defeated in your fight with sin, the world, and the devil if you neglect spiritual training. The Bible says, “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places” (‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭6:12‬). You are in the ring every day, wrestling up close against the opponents of God and godliness. In one corner, stands the flesh—the old sin nature that seeks to subdue you and make you its slave again: “Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions” (Romans 6:12). In the next corner is the world that aims to mold you after its pattern and entangle you in its system: “Do not be conformed to this world” (Romans 12:12a; see also 1 John 2:15-17). And in the last corner is Satan, the adversary whose desire for your spiritual destruction is insatiable: “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8).

A corrupt flesh, a dominating world, and a busy devil all stand ready to take you down. The key to winning against them is spiritual training and preparation. You must keep your spiritual muscles strong and stay in shape. Therefore, diligently watch out for deceiving temptations and keep your fists clenched against them. Remain in the place of prayer with your Father to stay alert for spiritual danger (Matthew 26:41). Wear the right protective gear, the armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-20). Wield the word of God as a sword to defend yourself (Matthew 4:4-11; Ephesians 6:17). Are you ready for your next fight?

Bible Gleanings is a weekend devotional column, written for the Murray Ledger & Times in Calloway County, Kentucky. In the event that the column is not posted online, it will be posted for reading here.

Brandon is the founder and main contributor to Brandon’s Desk, the blog with biblical resources from his ministry. He is proud to be the pastor of the family of believers at Locust Grove Baptist Church in Murray, Kentucky. He and his wife Dakota live there with their three dogs, Susie (Jack Russell), Aries (Aussiedor), and Dot (beagle).

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The Roaring Lion

November 16, 2019 Brandon G. B. Leave a comment

There are thousands of good ideas in the world—entering into a lion enclosure at the zoo is not one of them. Earlier this year, a man miraculously survived a lion attack after doing just that. An employee at the Serengeti Zoo in Hamburg, Germany, entered into the enclosure to do a routine fence check. Usually, the lions are in their cages when employees enter, but not this time. One of the lions pounced and attacked the man and he sustained several serious injuries as a result. Needless to say, lions are dangerous whether they are in the wild or in zoos. They are territorial and always ready to fight anything that may challenge them. Not to mention, they are natural hunters that can reach speeds of up to 50 miles per hour.

Another bad idea is walking around as a Christian, unaware of the fact that a more dangerous lion lurks around, waiting to chow down on your life. In 1 Peter 5:8, Peter gave a firm warning about this lion: “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” Peter says that Satan wants to devour and destroy you, just like a roaring and hungry lion.

Comparing the devil to a lion suggests at least four things about his nature and work. First, the devil wants to consume you just as lions consume their prey. Lions hunt by staying hidden so their prey will be inattentive to their presence. Once they get close enough to the unsuspecting animal, they chase them until they are caught. This is precisely what the devil does to believers. The devil is always hidden, disguised as an angel of light (2 Cor. 11:14). And he will attack when you are ignorant of his presence.

Second, like a lion, the devil attacks the weak. Lions don’t normally hunt elephants or giraffes because they are too challenging to kill—they are much larger than lions. Instead, lions will stalk smaller and weaker animals—antelopes, zebras, or wild hogs. Likewise, the devil hunts the spiritually weak. The devil will tear you apart when you are frail and defenseless without your spiritual armor (Eph. 6:10-20).

Third, the devil intimidates just as lions do. Lions roar to show how big they are—to scare their prey and competitors. The devil also roars to instill fear and he does so through persecution, fierce trials, and strong temptations.

Finally, the devil devours just as lions devour their prey. Lions don’t eat with silverware and neither does the devil. Like a lion, the devil wants to consume you until there is nothing left and he will leave a mess.

The best idea is to be sober-minded and watchful, alert and prepared to fight when he attacks.