Satan is at work. Stand up to him!

Jesus told the following parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and…when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop…the tares also appeared. So the servants of the owner came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?’ He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this’” (vv. 24-28 NKJV). We all need a spiritual wake-up call from time to time. Sometimes the problem we are dealing with isn’t of human origin. Jesus said, “While men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way.” Yes, it’s foolish to blame everything on the devil, but it’s even more foolish not to recognize when he is at work. Paul wrote, “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 powers of this dark world and…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” (Ephesians 6:11-13 NIV). He went on to say, “Take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one” (v. 16 NIV). So the word for you today is this: recognize when Satan is at work, stand up to him, and he will flee! (See James 4:7.)