Except for a few humorous sections in Chapter Seven, which are quite obvious, the incidents you've read in this book are true, just as true as what the devil will try to do with them when they happen to us.  Let me us a little illustration which happened just a few weeks before finishing this book. One night, just after sundown in July 1995, my daughter Robyn excitedly rushed into the house saying something about an owl outside.  I've seen owls here before and they've always interested me, so I'd hurried out to see what all the excitement was about. There to my surprise, sitting on a telephone pole, were two large owls.  They appeared to be Great Horned Owls.  They just sat there watching intently down the dimly lit streets for some small creature that they might silently swoop down upon. That small creature might be a mouse, out for a bite to eat. Picture him.  He suddenly senses something is wrong and looks up and sees a glimpse of something that looked like something flying, but he heard nothing.  He considers that nothing bad could happen to him and of course he didn't hear anything.  As he goes on to what he was doing, he thinks, "No, it couldn't be..." Before he can take another step, the owl appears from the darkness, snatches him up and carries the little mouse off to certain death.  The owl has used the inattentive and unconcerned attitude of the mouse for his own purpose.   That is, to destroy the mouse. We are a lot like the little mouse, going about our daily chores.  That mouse was not paying attention to what was around him.  He sensed that something was indeed amiss, but didn't pay attention to it.  He ultimately met his demise. The Word says, "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour" (1 Peter 58). We always know a lion is around when he roars. Likewise, we can ALWAYS know when the devil is around by the lies he tells.  He will tell you a lie then attempt to make you think YOU thought of it. He makes the most progress with his lies when something in your life goes wrong or not as you'd wanted.  It doesn't have to be much, just something minor, but he will use that to knock you off balance and destroy you in the end. Remember, the devil IS the father of lies.  Like the owl, he watches for some small creature (us) to devour.  The owl is in plain view to the mouse. He is not hidden.  The devil is the same way with us.  He is in plain view because his lies always gives him away. For instance, we find many times when something seems to go wrong in our lives, we think, "How can God be a good and loving God if he allows this awful thing to happen?"  Well, we do find that troubles aren't just for this person or that.  The Word tells us that all get good and bad (Matthew 545). Just as the mouse couldn't quite believe that the owl was really there, because he couldn't hear it, we too think the devil isn't around because "we" thought that God was being mean and hateful...   when in fact it usually isn't our thought, but rather the devil interjected it into our minds while telling us it was our own thought.  This was only the first lie.  He then attempts to make us believe that we are so horrible for 'thinking' such a terrible thing. God will never make any of these things happen, but He will sometimes allow he devil to do them (Job 16-12) then God will use them for His ultimate glory by making "...all things work together for good to them that love God, to them that are called according to His purpose" (Romans 828) See also Job 24-6; 4210,12-13. If we happen to commit some sin no matter how great or insignificant, it is important to deal with it immediately (repenting) or the devil will use it to condemn us and load our lives with guilt.  He will lie to us by putting thoughts in our minds that say things like, "I can't do it.  I can't make it as a Christian.  I've committed this sin and I'm on my way to the pits of hell.  I'm such a terrible person' I'm a poor excuse for a human being.  I just cannot make it as a Christian."  But remember, this is only the devil's lies. The devil will use anything in our lives that can bring us down spiritually.  He will lie to us about why it happened;  he will lie to us about who was behind it all or how it was caused.  He wants to mislead us to make us think someone or something else was to blame rather then him.  This will cause division between us and our families, friends, or churches.  He will even attempt to make us feel guilty, casting blame on us...   IF WE ACCEPT IT !!! There are many ways in which he will come against us, and many forms of lies which he will insert into our minds.  Read Matthew 41-11 to see how the devil tempted Christ.  If the devil is brazen enough to tempt Jesus, he WILL tempt us but we do NOT have to accept it. The devil will lie about many things including our families, other Christians, and even our salvation.  Don't believe him and his lies. Even if we WOULD happen to commit a sin, it simply proves our humanity.  We are not perfect.  We are fallible and can sin because we're still living in the flesh.  We can and do sometimes make mistakes, but when we do, it is NOT the end of the world.  We have an advocate with the Father.  That advocate is Jesus Christ (1 John 21).  The Word says that if we admit our sins and confess them to the Lord, He WILL be "faithful and just to forgive of all our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness" 1 John 19). We can't believe these lies!  We are worth it...   John 316 says that God loves us so much, in fact, that He allowed Jesus to hang on the cross in our place.  Christ loved us so much that he gave his life for us.  He would never have done that if we are not worth it to Him. He cares about us so much that He has even provided an escape hatch, so to speak, when we get into situations we can't handle (1 Corinthians 1013). Any temptation that would experience is nothing new.  Someone, even Christ, has already experienced it, so it is common to humanity.  God will not allow anything to cross our paths that we cannot handle without a way of escape.  We ALWAYS can make it if we WANT.  We are indeed so important to God that He graciously provided us with this way out of temptation that are too much for us. Be alert!  The little mouse, who was not alert and wasn't watching and paying attention to what was going on around him, was destroyed. We must listen to those thoughts that we may think are our own.  Is it truth lining up with God's Word or is it a lie being opposite to God's Truth?  If it contradicts the Scriptures, we know it is not God.  Refuse to accept it.  The Word says, "...resist the devil and he will flee from you..." (James 47).  The best way to resist the devil is by using the Scriptures just as Christ did in Matthew 41-11.  This is why we must "...Study to [show] thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of Truth" (2 Timothy 215). When we study the Word, we gain the ammunition (scripture) we need to bring the devil into subjection.  In doing this, we WILL be victorious. The Scripture is a must, however along with it, we may include other means of resisting the devil...   any devil...   any number of devils.  It will help by singing hymns or praise and worship songs and choruses.  We can pray and read our Bibles which will get our minds on the right track. The Word says that we must renew our minds (Romans 121-2).  In doing this we also change the pattern of our thinking.  We begin thinking on other things.  In fact, the Bible supports the thought that we don't have to think on the devil's lies and on negative things which the devil may throw our way.  When we think on these evil things, we become anxious, worried and fearful.  However, we are told the various good and positive things on which we ARE to think. According to Philippians 46-8, we should not allow ourselves to become full of anxiety.  The phrase in verse 6, "Be careful for nothing..." literally means, "Don't be anxious and worried."  The devil WANTS us to allow anxiety to rule our lives because worry causes us to have fear, and become troubled and nervous.  He wants us to be worried and apprehensive about life.  When he causes us to feel these things, he can lead us into his strong hold.  If we resist the devil, refusing to accept his lies, we can think on the good things which God instructs us to think on (Philippians 48).  Then we can have peace...   which passeth all understanding" that only God can give. Why peace?  By not accepting the devil's lies and anxieties, we can have peace.  When we don't accept lies which will cause trouble and strife in our lives, we will then have nothing over which to be troubled.  We can then experience true peace and contentment and then be accepted as a true child of God (Matthew 59). We must learn to realize and KNOW that the devil is always around the corner planning his next move against us.  Only then can we be ready for him.  Now when he attacks with a lie, we will be prepared to cut him down with the Word (Ephesians 611-17) bringing him into subjection by using the authority we have through Jesus Christ of Nazareth. Each time we've gone through one of these trials or situations, we will become much stronger, spiritually.  We will find that we will grow in many ways.  We will have greater faith.  We will be prepared for the next battle.  We will rely more fully on the promises of God.  We will find that we can count on Jesus always being there to help us through it all, for the Word says Jesus is "...a friend that sticketh closer than a brother" (Proverbs 1824b). I have shared with you some of the trials, brushes with death, hardships which I've gone through during my life, and how I've dealt with those situations. In closing, I've offered many, many Scripture references and considering the context of this book, I will conclude the first seven chapters with this paraphrased Scripture: We have the strength for all things in Jesus Christ who gives us our strength, power, and authority.  We can be fully prepared for anything through Christ who infuses inner strength into me.  God will absolutely and liberally supply our every need including protection according to His riches in Glory by Christ Jesus.  The things which you have learned, and seen in me (through this testimony) to it.  when you do it, the God of peace will live with and in you. Amen! Acts 18; Philippians 49, 19-20 AEAMT Home Our Mission     Our Vision     Tenets of Faith From Us     The Pastor     Contact Us