The Daily Word of Righteousness

The Tail of the Dragon, #20

And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so day come upon you unawares. For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man. (Luke 21:34-36)

Notice, in the above passage that living a careless life in the comforts and pleasures of the present world leaves us vulnerable to the deceptions and darkness with which God is authorizing Satan to fill the earth.

The Christian believer who continues in the traditional soulish church life, not separating himself from the world as a true disciple of the Lord Jesus, will be deceived. He shall fall. He certainly shall fall! God himself will send a strong delusion on him and he will believe a lie.

Speaking of the power given by the Lord to Antichrist in the latter days, Paul says:

Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: (II Thessalonians 2:9-11)

We Christians know of the keeping power of Christ and of His many promises that He will guard us until the Day of the Lord. These promises never shall fail, not even during the great tribulation; not even when the present earth and sky are removed.

But the promises of Christ are addressed to those who obey the Lord, who follow Him in stern, cross-carrying obedience—and these victorious saints will be tested to the uttermost. Even the righteous person is saved with difficulty.

And if the righteous scarcely be saved [is saved with difficulty], where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear? (I Peter 4:18)

The Testing of the Saints

There is far too much spiritual carelessness in the present hour. The believers are not praying earnestly throughout the day and night for God to deliver them from the evil one (Matthew 6:13). The spiritual darkness prophesied by Daniel is upon us now, and the saints, the holy ones of God, are asleep.

The Scriptures teach that the power of the saints will be overcome in the last days. This will take place in part because of their lack of diligence in obeying the words of Christ, and also because of the authority God will give to Antichrist. Only the most diligent in keeping the Words of Christ, the most vigilant in prayer, the most faithful to Jesus, will stand in the end-time. Every member of the Body of Christ will be tested severely.

Satan was condemned on the cross of Calvary. But the sentence of judgment never has been executed against Satan. The wrath of God is so fierce, so consuming, that once the Father gives the decree and Christ goes forth to avenge Himself on His enemies, everything of Satan will be shaken and removed from the heavens and the earth.

If there is any portion of Satan in a believer, that believer will be shaken until he chooses either to let go of Satan or else to cling to Satan until he (the believer) is cast into the Lake of Fire along with Satan.

To be continued.