The Lion Smells the Injured

The weak and broken. The injured and wounded. The battered and bruised. The torn and confused. The hurt and deceived. The lost and abused. The tormented and darkened. These are all of the signs of someone in need of a Savior which is why Satan, in his misinformed and misguided, ways, seems to target those very people. When we are going through any of those above mentioned, that is a vulnerability that knows no bounds! Vulnerability is exactly what Satan and his little pathetic minions of demons prey upon. There's a particular "smell" that surrounds us when we're vulnerable because it seems to attract all kinds of evil in the world. Think about that for a moment......you will find it to be true.

So that's why, in 1 Peter 5:8, it WARNS us to, "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour."

Satan is a cunning manipulator but he is at such a disadvantage in strength and power! He knows only what our past was and uses those instances to torment and attack us when we least expect it. But, if we pay attention to what 1 Peter 5:8 instructs us to do, well, he seemingly powerful ways are completely diminished and extinguished. However simple this scripture appears to be and how CLEAR it is, the one thing I want to point out is how Satan, our adversary, is SEEKING....that means he's walking around LOOKING for someone. He is on the prowl, if you will, for those who are going about living in the world, living life the way they want to, without any regards to the Lord Jesus Christ and His perfect instructions for our lives! This is in strong CONTRAST to Jesus! Jesus will pick up the weak and strengthen them while Satan will try to destroy them. Satan has no mercy. Father God DOES!

Seeking whom he may devour!

See, my friends, Satan is a predator. And the definition of a predator is as follows: 1) One that victimizes, plunders, preys, devours or destroys, especially for one's own gain. 2) An animal that hunts and seizes other animals for food. 3) A person who looks for other people in order to use, control, or harm them in some way. He does all of that and more. He is much like a roaring lion that hunts and seizes others for food. WE are his food that he needs to sustain himself ON THIS EARTH. He wants our souls more than anything else because he is in competition with God! God, however, doesn't need to compete. He's already won because since He created Satan, God knows what he's up to here on this earth. The lost and unsaved are already his.  Satan doesn't have to work so hard at getting them because they're already following him willingly. It's the children of God that Satan wants to attack and watch them fall. Why? Because we belong to our Lord and Savior! We've chosen to follow his competitor, in his eyes, and we've chosen eternal life. And because he wants to mar the name of Jesus Christ and our testimony of God's Grace!

Satan’s most notorious activity is that of tempting mankind. Temptation is the solicitation to do evil and it's the common experience of all people, all over the world, whether they are Christians or not. Yet, Satan puts forth extra effort and focus in tempting Christians. He knows that if he can bring down a Christian, he can, to a certain degree, discredit the church and bring reproach upon the name of the Lord. As David’s sin with Bathsheba gave “great occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme” (2 Samuel 12:14), so it is with sinning Christians. This is one of Satan’s favorite motives for tempting believers. Satan has been studying human nature ever since man was created and, in many ways, he is a master psychologist. We are his only subject and for all intents and purposes, he had to study us because it's all he has. One person he assaults with the lusts of the flesh. He has a whole arsenal of darts that can set those senses aflame. Another person he assaults with the lusts of the eye; someone else with the pride of life. The lust of appetite, the love of applause, (narcissism) and the lure of ambition, the lure of fame and fortune are among the host of darts Satan uses to kindle fierce fires in our souls. Satan uses all kinds of temptations to assault believers. It all depends on the believer's own weakness of which they will be assaulted.

He knows our weaknesses and strengths. He sends his legions of evil spirits to titillate our senses, inflame our desires, corrupt our souls, weaken our wills, deceive our minds, deaden our consciences, and distort God’s truth. Satan has a thousand wiles and he never gives up! Never! He is tenacious in his desires to mimic, and outdo, God! However, THAT will never be accomplished. Satan has already been defeated! Satan was and is still so very jealous of God that he rebelled against Him because of his own pride! You would think he would get tired chasing us down all the time, only being able to bring up our past transgressions to TRY to condemn us! But, that shows just how "smart" he really is. Always going after the same thing, hoping for a different outcome. The ONLY thing Satan can do is use our past. He cannot, EVER, create something new. Only our Lord and Savior can and does, do that!

Each of us are individually unique in what our temptations are that snag us. Satan knows that. He also ASSUMES the more he attacks us, the more likely we will be to cross the line of temptation right over to the actual ACT of sin. He hopes to break us. He hopes to make us weary, because when we're weary, we aren't as aware as we would normally be and more susceptible to temptations. And sometimes, he succeeds. So, with that said, with death and destruction as the primary aim of the tempter, we cannot afford to take temptation lightly. It is very much a serious subject that needs to be taken seriously. On the contrary, we must be sober and vigilant in dealing with our adversary, the devil.

To fully appreciate what Jesus Christ went through when he was tempted by the devil in the wilderness, we need to understand that the devil is not allowed to do anything and everything he wants to against God’s people. God has placed certain limits on Satan in his dealings with God’s people. God still reigns over the universe and He is still TOTALLY in control of everything. There are also certain limits on Satan that have to do with who and what he is. So let's take a look at Ezekiel 28:14 and see what it says. "You were the anointed cherub who covers; I established you; You were on the holy mountain of God; You walked back and forth in the midst of fiery stones." Satan is an angel, or, more exactly, a cherub. This means that Satan isn't at all even in the same class as God. He is NOT God’s adversary; he is ours. He poses no threat at all to God; but even though he has already been defeated by Jesus Christ on our behalf, he poses a serious threat to us by attacking our confidence and trust in God, which in turn, our obedience to doing the will of God and our ability to hear His voice clearly!

Since Satan is an angel, he exists moment by moment, like we do. He doesn't know the future, like God does. He only knows the past. But because of this, he has to continually guess and make all kinds of calculations. And sometimes, he makes mistakes. Sometimes his calculations are off the mark. But God never, ever, makes mistakes! This irks Satan to no end! So that's why he's so diligent in his bidding. Even when he fails! Because he is an angel, Satan doesn't know our thoughts. It may APPEAR that he does, but I assure you, and God makes it clear, that he doesn't know our thoughts. That would be the same as saying I know your thoughts or you know mine. Impossible! Only God knows our thoughts! He has, however, had thousands of years of practice in reading human beings and their BEHAVIORS, and he’s gotten very good at it. And because he is an angel, Satan can only be at one place at one time. He is NOT omnipresent like our Lord God the Father is! God is able to be present everywhere, all over the world, all at one time. However, Satan has numerous evil angels (his minions) under his command, and therefore is able to make his presence felt in countless places at once. He is mimicking God once again. God has His MANY angels under His command as well but for VERY different, and wonderful, reasons!

There is one major limit that Satan must work under that God has set forth and this is found in the first chapter of Job. In Job 1:6-7, "6 Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan[a] also came among them. 7 And the Lord said to Satan, “From where do you come?” So Satan answered the Lord and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it.” In this record, Satan comes into the presence of God and, when asked where he has been, he responds that he has been "going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it." This statement calls to mind 1 Peter 5:8! Satan’s purpose in going to and fro in the earth is to seek whom he may devour. But, in this record in Job, something happened between Satan’s going about and his attempting to devour. He stopped what he was doing and went to God’s throne room to talk with God. Their conversation was about the man Satan wanted to attack: Job. In that conversation, God permitted Satan to attack Job, but set limits in advance on what Satan could do. Within those limits, Satan showed himself to be absolutely ruthless; but he never stepped so much as a toenail over the line drawn by God. Satan has to obey God TOO! However, when it came to attacking Job’s servants or Job’s children, though, Satan didn't take time out to go talk with God. He pretty much did whatever he wanted, to whoever he wanted. From this point, it appears that he has much more freedom against those who do not belong to God.

It's in Paul’s first epistle to the Corinthian church that we see most clearly the limits set by God on Satan in his war against the saints of God. 1 Corinthians 10:13, "No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it." I Corinthians is written to men and women who are born of God, redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ. This verse lays out the rules of engagement under which our adversary, the devil, is required to wage his war against us for those who are born again. "There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man…" This means that Satan is only allowed to use HUMAN temptations, temptations normal to human beings, in his attacks against us. This may not seem very important at first glance; after all, aren’t ALL temptations human ones? Well, not exactly. Our adversary is a superhuman being, and he isn't inherently limited to human methods in his dealings with man. What havoc could he wreak in our lives if he were allowed to use superhuman methods in his war against us? I shudder to think of that! In his attack on Jesus during the temptations, we get a taste of what that would mean.  In Satan’s attack on Jesus, his gloves came off. He was allowed to do things that he is normally NOT allowed to do against God’s people.

Jesus Overcame 

The temptation of Jesus was taking place in the wilderness, far south of Jerusalem. But the devil wanted to tempt Jesus at the temple in Jerusalem. So he TOOK him there. He physically picked Jesus up and moved him to the place where he wanted him to be in order to make his temptation effective. Suppose the devil was allowed to pick you up and move you to where he wanted you to be, so that his temptation of you might have it's maximum effect on you. Suppose you had a weakness for alcohol, but had been successfully resisting it. Now, suppose the devil could take you, at will, but against YOUR will, into your favorite bar, right into the midst of all your former drinking buddies, in order to tempt you. How much harder would it be for you to stand against that temptation? Or let's suppose you had a problem with sexual temptations, but were resisting it successfully. If the devil was allowed to take you into the bedroom of a person for whom you had that particular weakness, against your will, and tempt you there, how much more difficult would it be for your to stand for God?

Physically being taken to a place of temptation is the kind of superhuman temptation Jesus was required to stand up to, but that the devil is NOT permitted by God to use against us. They’re definitely in his arsenal ready to use and tucked away in his tool chest waiting to be plucked out tool by tool. But he’s just not allowed to use them. Instead, he’s restricted to trying to catch you at the right place, at the right time, in the right set of circumstances. Or even restricted to trying to influence you and others in order to set up the right set of situations and circumstances in order to tempt you. However, this is not the only kind of superhuman temptation Jesus had to face. In Luke 4:5, it tells us this, "Then the devil, taking Him up on a high mountain, showed Him[a] all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time." Once again the devil physically moved Jesus in order to tempt him. What mountain is there from which you can see "all the kingdoms of the world?" Well, there is no such mountain. The devil moved Jesus to a very high mountain in order to set the proper mood; but in order to complete the temptation, he gave Jesus a vision of all the kingdoms of the world — against Jesus’ will! — then used that vision as the basis for tempting him. Suppose the devil was allowed to distort our sense of reality, or give us visions, forcing us to see the things he wanted us to see, and to hear the things that he wanted us to hear all against our will, in order to tempt us. How much harder would it be for us to stand for God?

Now, it's definitely possible for any of us to do certain things that make it possible for Satan to use superhuman WEAPONS against us. Let's say, for example, we engage in behavior that's undeniably forbidden by God’s word, such as, say, consulting psychics, or playing with tarot cards, or consulting horoscopes, etc., we WILL risk opening up doors with very real lines of attack against ourselves that would not. otherwise, normally be available. But Satan is NOT allowed to use such weapons against us in the normal course of events. He is limited to using "human temptations" against us.

So in the second part of  1 Corinthians 10:13 therein lies God's promise to us! ".....but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it." No matter what temptations you are confronted with during your life, you will be able to overcome them with the word of God, that you know or have available to you at the time of your temptation. In His strength, with His help, for His glory! This is, indeed, a serious limit for our adversary to adhere to because he wants to go to and fro, causing havoc, doing whatever he wants, to whoever he wants and with whatever tools he has to accomplish his feat. He is one of the wisest of angels, with unbelievable wisdom, however, he is required instead to "dumb down" his attack to the point where we're able to see it for what it really is, and to be able to deal with it accordingly, with the knowledge of the word of God that we have now! Now this doesn't automatically guarantee victory over such temptations because we have to be accountable and there are things we must do in order to combat Satan's attacks.

Satan tempts us to bring out the worst in us, but God tests us to bring out the best in us. Think back on all of the temptations that you faced, whether you gave into the act or struggled with turning from them. Those temptations were, and always ARE, the worst of the worst for us! It brings out the "ugly" and the "evil" in us. It brings out the fleshly side of us reminding each of us how desperately we NEED a Savior! How we NEED to be forgiven! And at this point in the article, I want to remind each and every one of you that GOD DOES NOT TEMPT US!!! EVER!!! The temptation to sin comes as an appeal to your self-centered feelings and fleshly desires which can entice you to sin. It can come from two sources:

1) Carnal nature. James 1:14-15, " But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. 15 Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death."
2) Satan. 1 Peter 5:8. "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour"
Your response to temptation determines whether you will stand firm in your faith and please God or fall into temptation (by actually committing the act) and please yourself. Of course, this is a choice.

I've always equated Satan to a hungry lion. Since I'm a huge fan of the cat family, from the domesticated to the wild, I've studied them over the years. They will lay in wait until they see a herd of their prey. Let's say it's the gazelle. They spot them at the river's edge getting ready to drink a cool drink of water. The gazelles suddenly get a scent of danger lurking in the bushes, but they don't know exactly where the predator is, nor do they know exactly the type of predator. Some are cautious to proceed and remain on lookout. Then out of nowhere, and catching the gazelles off guard, the lion stalks and then begins it's chase. The gazelles run for their lives, but, as in any group, people OR animals, there is always the weak ones. The injured ones. The broken ones. A predator ALWAYS preys on the weakest ones. A predator ALWAYS seeks out the ones falling behind because it's an easier catch. The strongest of the gazelles, and the fastest, escape. They might have been knocked down or lost footing, but they didn't fall victim. However, as the food chain is, and always will be, the weakest ones become the prey. Satan operates in the same way. A lion smells the injured and the weak become their prey. Well, Satan is the same way.

That's why it's so important to be on watch, to be vigilant and to be sober! It's important to stay grounded in the word so Satan's attacks can be recognized for what they really are, and not what he wants you to THINK they are. Satan TEMPTS us, but God TESTS us. God allows all believers to be tested. (He does not test the lost. They stand proved as failed because they have not believed or received the Truth of Jesus Christ so there is nothing to test them for. Job said, "But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold." Job 23:10. God's tests are designed to strengthen your commitment to obey no matter what the cost. Look at Romans 15:3-4 where it says, "For even Christ did not please Himself; but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached You fell on Me.” v4) For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope." Satan's temptations are designed to WEAKEN your commitment to obey the Lord God and to doubt Him!

Satan's very nature is to tempt. One of his names is the "tempter." We learn this in Matthew 4:3, "Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, "If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread." Satan is called a "tempter" and in the garden of Eden, Satan came to tempt Eve disguised as a serpent. In the Book of Job, Satan tried to tempt Job into cursing God and he used every means available, even Job's wife, to try and accomplish this feat. Satan also tempted the Lord Jesus in Matt. 4. Satan doesn't stop with just using the human temptations to get the job done, nor is he just focused on individuals. Satan works within churches, all over the world, to turn members away from God into sin and thereby destroying or making the church not as effective for Christ. His tools are apathy, false teachings, and appeals to pleasure. 2 Cor. 11:3, Paul concerned for the Corinthians and desiring them to be kept from false doctrine says: "But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ." False doctrine will lead a congregation away from God and in doing so lose the blessings and power of God. Satan attacks the church too!

 Look at all the false "Christian" churches today! So many people are being, and have been, misled. Many of these churches have the outward appearance of being very successful, very "godly" and very community driven. But I assure you, as I stand on the TRUTH of the Word of our God, He will NOT bless error and lies, nor will He use false teachers or false teachings to carry on His work! It makes me wonder what God thinks when He sees these churches sprouting up all over the place? A good example is found in Revelation 2-3 when the Lord Jesus spoke to seven churches in Asia and seriously warnings for five of them to turn from sin and false teaching! He was not joking around. It's the same today. Most of those that Christ addressed looked good on the outside, but were not pleasing God. I read an article once where the author believed one reason this is happening today for so many preachers falling into personal sin and others leading their congregations in error is that the Lord Jesus warned such churches that He would REMOVE their God called pastor if they did not repent. Well, I tend to agree with that statement, although I paraphrased to the best of my recollection! Many failed to repent and the Lord took His pastor from them and they then called a "hireling" or false preacher. God's men love the Lord and follow Him and they do not compromise God's word or misled their flocks. Period! It's not about the "faith seed" preaching, or the get all the MATERIAL blessings you can get. It's not about their "man-made" "god" that doesn't have power. It's about the TRUTH! Satan wants that truth erased.

Remember, Satan is the ruler of this world. Some have foolishly made it somewhat of a casual thing to rebuke Satan. Others who are not spiritually mature, or living a godly life, have no power in their lives and foolishly try to rebuke Satan. He is EXTREMELY powerful and should never be made light of, be little of or underestimated. And if you are not a mature Christian, casually trying to rebuke Satan is strongly discouraged because many that have tried seem to try rebuking Satan without INVOKING the name of Jesus Christ because it is NOT US who can rebuke Satan, it is THROUGH us, be the power of Jesus Christ because HE is the one that is actually rebuking him. James 4:7 says to "Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from thee." 

Know your enemy and the ways in which he operates. Know what his intentions are and how he goes about accomplishing those objectives. God sets people FREE, while Satan holds them captive. The more we focus on Jesus and witness to others with our testimony, the more he appears to set up a stumbling block from us accomplishing God's will. Going to battle in spiritual warfare is no different than going to battle in a worldly war. An army (or any branch of the service) MUST know their enemy. A child of God MUST know theirs as well. A soldier needs to have on their armor for battle. A soldier of God must put on the full armor of God before entering into their battle. Be sure of your salvation! Stand firm in your faith and in His Word! To protect our souls, we must study God’s word and faithfully follow what it says in doing only what God says, all of what God says, in the way God says, and for the reason God says. Narrow is the path.....

Don't let the lion smell your injuries! Stay Strong in the Lord and draw close to His bosom! Satan has been defeated and the Lord has overcome! I pray this gives you understanding to those who know Jesus, but I will pray that those of you who don't know Him as your personal Savior, receive Him now....before it's too late.....because, tomorrow? It's not promised to any of us! Jesus loves you and He doesn't want you to perish! Satan wants that......

 
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