Thought-bombs and launching rockets

Every believer confronts temptation.  How do we fight it?

Our pastor mentioned in a sermon last Sunday one very important way of battling Satan's seductive whisperings - praying the whole armour of God.

He had been discussing Satan's attempt to undermine Jesus in the wilderness, shortly after the Spirit of God descended on Christ (Matthew 4).

Our pastor noted that Jesus used scripture to resist Satan's blandishments.  To do that successfully, we must know scripture - memorize it and meditate on it.

He turned, as well, to Ephesians 6 and the apostle Paul's description of the spiritual armour we need for our struggle with Satan.  He pointed out that Paul concluded the passage by urging his readers to pray with these weapons in mind.

Coincidentally, I have been re-reading Terry Law's book The Power of Praise and Worship where he talks about Satan's "thought bombs" and the "launching rockets" that God has given us to destroy these Satanic attacks.

As most of us know, Satan is adept at dropping thoughts into our minds that entice us to do something hurtful to ourselves, to others, or to our relationship with God.  He knows the buttons to push.

In certain areas, I am very weak.  Without Jesus' help, I am easy prey to these thought-bombs.

Like our pastor, Laws says one weapon which destroys Satanic thought-bombs is the word of God. Another is speaking the name of Jesus Christ, meaning that we are delegated by Jesus to use his authority.  We are told frequently that, as believers, we are "in Christ" - Christ's spirit is in us.

And, finally, scripture says that the sacrificial blood of Jesus Christ has cleansed believers from sin and that it is powerful in battling Satan's condemnations.

Laws brings all these things together in the "launching rockets" of prayer, praise and worship.  We fight Satan's thoughts successfully as we pray and worship the Lord with the weapons of the word, the name of Jesus and the blood.

In the end, though, all this is useless if we don't use these weapons and launching rockets.

The message for me is that I have a choice: I listen to Satan and fall; or, I listen to God and overcome Satan.

The writer of the letter to the Hebrews says in chapter 13, verse 15 that I am to "offer to God a sacrifice of praise".  In this case, praise is a gift to God that costs me something.  I am to praise God because he is worthy to be praised, not because I get something out of it.

But as Terry Laws says, praise routs Satan.  And, in the end, it brings me great joy because I am pleasing my Lord.