There are three enemies that every believer has: The world, the flesh, and the Devil. Scripture teaches us that before we trusted in Christ as our Savior, we were in bondage to these three. Paul wrote of this in Ephesians 2:1-3, “And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of THIS WORLD, according to THE PRINCE of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all conducted ourselves in THE LUSTS OF OUR FLESH, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and we by nature children of wrath just as others.” After one is saved the Devil (the “PRINCE of this world” …see John 12:31 KJV) knows he can’t rob us of our salvation, but he can try to “rob us of the joy of our salvation” and thus he will use the WORLD to stimulate our FLESH, so we take our “eye off from Christ.” This, dear fellow-believer, is the Devil’s strategy and it seems you have fallen prey to him at this time.

You may recall the account in Matthew 14:22-31 where the disciples of Christ were in a boat on the stormy sea and Jesus appeared to them. At first, they didn’t know it was Him and they were afraid, but Jesus said, “Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.” Peter then said, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water” and Jesus said, “Come.” Peter then “walked on the water to go to Jesus.” Peter took his eyes off the stormy sea and on Christ and after HEARING HIS WORD he simply obeyed His Word and “walked on the water to go to Jesus.” But then, suddenly, he took his eyes off Christ, and we read, “When he saw that the wind was boisterous, HE WAS AFRAID; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, ‘Lord, save me!” As soon as Jesus heard his FEARFUL and FAILING disciple cry out, we read, “And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, ‘O you of little faith, why did you DOUBT’” (verse 31). The lesson here is as relevant today as it was for Peter back then. We are walking in the “stormy sea” of this world. The Devil wants us to be AFRAID and cause us to DOUBT God’s Word. (This has been his strategy from the beginning…see Genesis 3:1.) If we keep “our eye of FAITH on Christ” all is well, but the moment we take our eyes off of Christ and put them on the “storms of life,” DOUBTS will fill our minds, and FEAR will grip our hearts. The solution? Ah, we must do as Peter did; he cried out “Lord, save me!”

I know you said that up until now you have been “vibrant about Him and never doubted His Word,” but there must be something that has come in to cast DOUBTS in your mind about God’s Word and His very existence. Again, the DEVIL is the “enemy of your soul”, and he surely has his hand in this. He is using something “in the WORLD to stir up your FLESH,” which in turn is causing DOUBTS and FEAR. The most earnest believer can fall prey to the Devil and thus we read, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8). Peter gives us the way of victory in the next few words, “Resist him, STEADFAST IN THE FAITH” (verse 9). James also speaks about this remedy in James 4:7-8, 10: “Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you…Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He WILL LIFT YOU UP.” Just as Jesus “lifted Peter from the stormy sea as he began to sink,” God will lift the doubts and fear from your mind as you CRY OUT TO HIM! In crying out to the Lord you are acknowledging you can’t defeat the Devil in your own strength. I pray you will indeed cry out, “Lord, save me!” and experience His saving power over the Devil, the world, and the flesh. Doubts will be replaced by faith, and fear will give way to peace (see John 14:1, 27).  (DO)  (663.5)