Listen:  98 Question 2

The Lord Jesus, speaking of Satan, said in John 8:44, “…he is a liar, and the father of it.”  Again, speaking of Satan, the Lord said in John 10:10, “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.”  Satan will take away our peace in the Lord Jesus if we listen to him instead of listening to the Word of God.  We have this precious promise from the Lord in Hebrews 13:5 which says, “Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.”  This is a promise from the One who cannot lie.  He will never leave us, neither will He forsake us.  The Lord is telling us that He will never withdraw His presence by leaving us.  He will never withdraw His help by forsaking us.

However, we have the certain assurance of God’s presence and help when we walk in obedience to His will as revealed to us through His Word.  You say that you have swerved off the path.  You must realize, then, that you are not living the life the Lord wants you to live.  You cannot overcome the lies and influence of Satan alone.  You need to come back to the Lord so that you can find your protection and strength in being near to Him.  King David wrote in Psalms 73:28, “But it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord GOD, that I may declare all thy works.”  No matter what you have done, the Lord promises that when your desire is to be close to Him, He will draw close to you.  James 4:8 tells us to, “Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you…”

Let’s read 1 Peter 5:8 which says, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.”  Here, Satan is depicted as a roaring lion.  He is walking around, looking for those he can devour.  The Greek word for devour is ‘katapino’.  This word is translated ‘swallowed up’ in 2 Corinthians 2:7 and 5:4.  Satan is intent on consuming the Lord’s people so that he might dishonor the Lord through his own people.  As believers on the Lord Jesus Christ, we are called sheep as we read in Psalms 100:3, “Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.”  Satan is like a lion who is looking for those sheep he can swallow up.  Naturally speaking, a lion can defeat any sheep; however the sheep that are most vulnerable are those that are furthest from the shepherd.  If you have truly put your faith in Him, then draw near unto the Lord.  We read in Psalms 34:4-10, “I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears. They looked unto him, and were lightened: and their faces were not ashamed.  This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles. The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them. O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him. O fear the LORD, ye his saints: for there is no want to them that fear him. The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the LORD shall not want any good thing.”

It is a shame when a child of God lives in the fear of Satan, listening to his voice and living in despair because of him.  The Lord Jesus said in John 10:27-30, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand. I and my Father are one.”  The true sheep of Christ do not spend their days listening to the enemy; they listen to their shepherd.  Your story reminds me of the prodigal son that we have in Luke 15.  After leaving the presence of his father, he wasted all his riches and found himself destitute and desperate.  He finally came to realize what he had done.  We read his words in Luke 15:18, “I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee.”  Upon returning to his father, he was accepted and his position as son was re-affirmed to him by his loving father.  I encourage you to draw near to the Lord, repent and confess your sins to Him, and begin walking as a true child of God, where you will be protected from the wiles of the devil.  (98.2)