We must trust God completely. We must not become 


conceited... so sure of our own wisdom; instead, 


we must trust and reverence God and God alone.


Satan's goal is to keep us from proclaiming 


and living out the Good News that sets people free. 


One of Satan’s subtle strategies is to entice us 


to operate in our own ability.


David, the shepherd boy, 


took on the giant in faith and dependence,


knowing that the battle was not his in the first place, 


but rather the Lord’s (1 Sam. 17:47).


When he became the king, though, 


David sought to know just how mighty


his own forces were as he leaned more on himself 


than on God (1 Chronicles 21:1–5). 


Ego stepped in and steered him in the wrong direction. 


By the way... here’s food for thought: 


Ego is the acronym for: easing-God-out. 


When God is not in the forefront... 


our doom is near.


The enemy delights when we become full of ourselves—


when we’re much more like David the king... 


than David the shepherd boy.


The very task of spreading the Good News 


places us in the sights of the enemy. 


The devil doesn’t want us to reach non-believers, 


develop and plant healthy seeds of encouragement, 


or see us cultivate a close, intimate relationship with God.


God tells us to “go ye”. 


God sends us out where people are perishing!


The wider lesson is...


when we have been blessed, by God... 


those spiritual blessings are not for us 


to keep to ourselves or hide under a bushel basket. 


God gives the bread of life to us 


so that we might break it and share it with the world. 


This means that we are offensively 


engaging the enemy’s territory... 


we can know that the enemy will fight back.


We do genuinely wrestle against principalities 


and powers (Ephesians 6:12), 


but the devil and his forces have never been 


outside of God’s control.



Warfare is the devil’s attempt to deceive 


and divide believers. 


But, 


the enemy we face... 


is a liar and a defeated foe!



We need not fear.

 


In the power of God, 


we must simply love God 


and live and speak for Him 


in such a way that 



God is glorified...



and an already-defeated Satan 


is threatened (Acts 19:11–16).