MID-WEEK MANNA FROM PASTOR NAT’S DESK:
August 2, 2023
God’s Saving Enmity
Part 30
WHEN TO PRAY FOR ENMITY BETWEEN US AND SATAN
God’s messenger for these last days wrote: “The Lord will have A PEOPLE as true as steel and with faith as firm as the granite rock. They are to be His WITNESSES in the world, His INSTRUMENTALITIES to do a SPECIAL, GLORIOUS WORK in the day of HIS PREPARATION. . . .[Apparently faithful church members and even] “Ministers who have preached the truth with all zeal and earnestness MAY APOSTATIZE and join the ranks of our enemies, but does this change the truth of God into a lie? ‘Nevertheless,’ says the apostle Paul, ‘the foundation of God standeth sure ‘(see 2 Tim. 2:19). The faith and FEELINGS of men may change; but the truth of God, never! . . .
[Referring to the commandment-keeping remnant church of prophecy]:
“It is certain that we have the truth as God lives; and Satan, with all his arts and hellish power, cannot change the truth of God into a lie. While the great adversary [of God and man] will TRY his utmost to make of none effect the word of God [and the Testimonies of the Spirit of prophecy], the [present, testing] truth must go forth as a lamp that burneth.
“The Lord has singled us out and made us subjects of His marvelous mercy. Shall we be charmed with the pratings [idle talk; chatter] of the apostate? Shall we CHOOSE to take our stand with Satan and his hosts? Shall we join the transgressors of His law [and deniers of His character and power of godliness]?
“Rather, let it be our prayer, ‘LORD, PUT ENMITY BETWEEN ME AND THE SERPENT [and all his demonic and human agencies]. Why? “If we are NOT AT ENMITY with his works of darkness [that has the appearance of truth], HIS POWERFUL FOLDS ENCIRCLE US, AND HIS STING is ready at any moment to be driven to our hearts. We should count him a DEADLY FOE. We should OPPOSE him in the name of Christ. . . . Let all who name the name of Christ clothe themselves with ‘the armor of righteousness.’
“The time has come when we must KNOW FOR OURSELVES why we believe as we do. . . . Let us lay up FOR OURSELVES against the time to come, that we may lay hold of eternal life [the overcomer’s reward of immortality]. We must labor, not in our own strength, but in the strength of our risen Lord. So what will we do and dare for Jesus?” - E. G. White, Testimonies, vol. 4, pp. 593-597/ Mara 127 (all emphases and bracketed words supplied). Have you actually enlisted “under the blood-stained banner of Prince Immanuel,” “put on the whole armor of God” and are gallantly “fighting the good fight of faith,” “overcoming the world, the flesh, and resisting the devil” in “the battles of the Lord where champions are few?”
Then continually pray, “Lord put enmity between me and Satan and his hosts and keep its flame burning. Don’t let Satan blow it out!” We are assured that such a prayer is answered “before it is finished”, and if need be, He will send legions of angels to our aid for God sees the situations we are incapable of discerning and reads the motives of our hearts before they are rendered into audible words.
God “hears” our thoughts; that’s how personalized His omnipotence and omnipresence are toward each of His afflicted and struggling yet faithful followers on earth, as imparted through and enabled by the Holy Spirit.
Therefore, let us hate Satan and sin, and never ever “grieve away” the Holy Spirit by “persistently rejecting heaven’s yet-merciful offer to repent”and forsake all our cherished, self-indulging, secret, and hidden sins. God sees them all. Presumption and procrastination are deadly enemies of our salvation.
To be continued next MWM, God willing. Bless all, NMF.