December 30, 2009

Cling to what is Good

Jesus said, "Don't cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go to my brothers and tell them, 'I ascend to my Father and your Father, my God and your God.'" John 20:17

As I was reading this devotion, the sentence "We want to cling to our natural virtues" I was remembering the account of Christ telling Mary as she went to grab on to him in her excitement. Was He setting this example that we are not to cling to natural things. Things of this world crumble under the pressure when we cling to them. God has always warned us to cling to Him....will we listen? Or will we be as Judah is described in Jeremiah? Look at a few of these verses before you read Oswald Chambers devotion. It really deepens our understanding to read scripture in line with other scripture on subjects.

As a belt clings to a person's waist, so I have made the entire nation of Israel and the entire nation of Judah cling to me," declares the LORD. "I did this so that they would be my people and bring fame, praise, and honor to me. However, they wouldn't listen. Jeremiah 13:11

Let love be without hypocrisy Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good. Roman 12:9

"When the Day arrives and you're out working in the yard, don't run into the house to get anything. And if you're out in the field, don't go back and get your coat. Remember what happened to Lot's wife! If you grasp and cling to life on your terms, you'll lose it, but if you let that life go, you'll get life on God's terms.Luke 17:21

I pray that we have the same attitude as Christ had, not clinging to our own lives but to God who is capable of delivering us out of each and every situation that might harm us; that we not lean on our own understanding but on the wisdom of our Father who is mighty to save, and that where we have any unbelief he heal us so that we can be a mighty generation lifting Him up for His name to be glorified.

With Love,
Candace



"And Every Virtue We Possess"


. . . All my springs are in you —Psalm 87:7

Our Lord never "patches up" our natural virtues, that is, our natural traits, qualities, or characteristics. He completely remakes a person on the inside— ". . . put on the new man . . ." ( Ephesians 4:24 ). In other words, see that your natural human life is putting on all that is in keeping with the new life. The life God places within us develops its own new virtues, not the virtues of the seed of Adam, but of Jesus Christ. Once God has begun the process of sanctification in your life, watch and see how God causes your confidence in your own natural virtues and power to wither away. He will continue until you learn to draw your life from the reservoir of the resurrection life of Jesus. Thank God if you are going through this drying-up experience!

The sign that God is at work in us is that He is destroying our confidence in the natural virtues, because they are not promises of what we are going to be, but only a wasted reminder of what God created man to be. We want to cling to our natural virtues, while all the time God is trying to get us in contact with the life of Jesus Christ— a life that can never be described in terms of natural virtues. It is the saddest thing to see people who are trying to serve God depending on that which the grace of God never gave them. They are depending solely on what they have by virtue of heredity. God does not take our natural virtues and transform them, because our natural virtues could never even come close to what Jesus Christ wants. No natural love, no natural patience, no natural purity can ever come up to His demands. But as we bring every part of our natural bodily life into harmony with the new life God has placed within us, He will exhibit in us the virtues that were characteristic of the Lord Jesus.
And every virtue we possess

Is His alone.

December 22, 2009

Living Will

Before someone dies, they try to have a "living will" made up. This shows what their intent is for what remains behind from their lives. An executor of this will is appointed to be sure it is fully carried out.
Think about God's will. He says if we know what He has written, the bible, we will know His will. Are we like greedy families taking our battles before the judge to dispute what has been written? We are to be like the appointed executors of His "living word".

Think about our will. We go about daily living out our will, speaking words that form our tomorrows. Do we choose our words as if they are being recorded in a contract? God says we are accountable for all our idle words. He also says that a persons yes, should mean yes; and our no, should mean no. Our words are as good as signing a signature on a contract. That is also the reason for the wise proverbs such as Proverbs 1:31-33 They refused my advice. They despised my every warning. They will eat the fruit of their lifestyle. They will be stuffed with their own schemes. "Gullible people kill themselves because of their turning away. Fools destroy themselves because of their indifference. But whoever listens to me will live without worry and will be free from the dread of disaster." This is from God's living testimony - He has executors taking charge of these words - His angels.

I pray we think about His word, His death, His life and the power that He has. May we have a righteous fear of our Lord and truly appreciate what He left us all in His will as heirs.

With love,
Candace



The Drawing of the Father

No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him . . . —John 6:44

When God begins to draw me to Himself, the problem of my will comes in immediately. Will I react positively to the truth that God has revealed? Will I come to Him? To discuss or deliberate over spiritual matters when God calls is inappropriate and disrespectful to Him. When God speaks, never discuss it with anyone as if to decide what your response may be (see Galatians 1:15-16 ). Belief is not the result of an intellectual act, but the result of an act of my will whereby I deliberately commit myself. But will I commit, placing myself completely and absolutely on God, and be willing to act solely on what He says? If I will, I will find that I am grounded on reality as certain as God’s throne.

In preaching the gospel, always focus on the matter of the will. Belief must come from the will to believe. There must be a surrender of the will, not a surrender to a persuasive or powerful argument. I must deliberately step out, placing my faith in God and in His truth. And I must place no confidence in my own works, but only in God. Trusting in my own mental understanding becomes a hindrance to complete trust in God. I must be willing to ignore and leave my feelings behind. I must will to believe. But this can never be accomplished without my forceful, determined effort to separate myself from my old ways of looking at things. I must surrender myself completely to God.
Everyone has been created with the ability to reach out beyond his own grasp. But it is God who draws me, and my relationship to Him in the first place is an inner, personal one, not an intellectual one. I come into the relationship through the miracle of God and through my own will to believe. Then I begin to get an intelligent appreciation and understanding of the wonder of the transformation in my life. - Oswald Chambers

December 21, 2009

Mind Games

We all play tricks with ourselves as well as others in order to "help out" a situation. For me, I set my car clock 10 minutes fast. In my mind when I start to panic due to the inevitable traffic jams, I will be able to relax a bit with my buffer zone. Wouldn't you think that just knowing I am planning ahead and doing my best would sooth my anxiety on the front end? However I feel I need to warp reality. We do this with many things in life. God's word says we are to focus on the truth....I think I will try harder to stop playing with my own mind. Really seems odd when I think of it in His light. =D


I pray that we all spend time with God to see life through His truth and grace. Ever grateful for our mercy and grace which He promises is new each and every day.

With Love,
Candace



Grace and Truth

“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” John 1:14

It’s a grandfather’s prerogative to tease his grandkids a little bit, right? So when one of my young grandkids is first learning math, I quiz him about his newfound knowledge. “Do you know about math yet?” I ask.
“Sure, Papa, I know math.”
“Well then, what’s two plus two?”
Beaming up at me, he quickly and proudly replies, “It’s four!”
“Oh, that’s where you’re wrong. Two plus two is 22. You take one two, put it next to the other two, and you have 22. And,” I continued, “one plus one equals eleven. Three plus three is 33. Don’t you know that? Who’s teaching you math?”
Invariably, eyes roll, and I hear, “Oh, Papa, you’re wrong—2+2 is four!”
“Are you sure?” I say.
“Yes, I’m sure!” is the confident reply.
Thankfully, my grandkids are getting a good handle on the fact that truth can’t be played with. Even though I’m older, an authority figure, and a loved one, they are ready to challenge me if I don’t have the facts straight. The truth stands, and they can quickly spot (and point out) the error of my “logic.”

As Christ’s followers, we need to get a better handle on that reality. You don’t play around with truth. In fact, as John is telling us about Jesus, he assures us that we know that Jesus is full of grace and truth (John 1:14).
People don’t have much trouble with the grace part. Of course God’s grace is amazing, unlimited, lavish, and actively demonstrated in the death of Jesus on the cross. He forgives sins, restores lives, and pours out countless blessings that are neither deserved nor expected. No arguments about His grace.

But when we hit the “truth” part, the world walks out in protest. Truth, in so many minds, is a pliable commodity, so flexible that you can have “your truth” and I can have “my truth,” even if they are completely contradictory. Illogically, in the world’s eyes, every claim can be equally valid and, in fact, we are quickly written off as intolerant if we point out the wrongheadedness and false thinking of a worldview that does not line up with God’s Word.

John reminds us that Jesus came not only to demonstrate God’s unlimited grace but also His absolute truth. Jesus claimed to be the Way, the Truth, and the Life—the only way, in fact, to the Father. He told the crowd gathered at the temple that He and the Father were one. His truth claims can be rejected or received, with eternal consequences, but they cannot be altered or spun to a more politically correct alternative. They do not sync with false worldviews and are not simply one option among many.

So, the question for you and for me is: “Are we playing around with truth?” We wouldn’t be among the first to bend the words of Jesus to fit our own dreams and misplaced desires. And, I should ask, are we able to spot false truth claims and erroneous thinking as quickly as my grandkids spotted my flawed mathematical theorems? And, just as importantly, are we willing to speak out for the truth, graciously yet firmly exposing error for what it is? We can and should be agents of the grace of Christ. But let’s remember the rest of the verse and be agents of His truth as well.

It would be really great if 2+2 could be 22 when I am balancing my checkbook, but it is still and always will be four. The truth is the truth and that never changes. Thank God that He has given us truth to keep the balance of the checkbook of our lives in good order. - by Joe Stowell, Daily Strength devotional for more from Joe visit rbc.org

December 20, 2009

Never having to say you are sorry.....REALLY?

Isn't it strange the things we stated as facts when we  were kids?  Remember the Precious Moments brand?  I had posters, dolls, plates etc.  One of them made a statement "Love is never having to say you are sorry".  Some people actually believe that!

So, what is love? Love is doing what is best for someone no matter how uncomfortable it may feel. It is not doing what we think will make another person happy. Are we willing to put our feelings aside to be sure someone else is not heading into trouble? Would we stand by and allow someone to run off a cliff without trying to warn them. Well, maybe a cliff is extreme...what about just hitting a tree? Would we rationalize it by saying, "Well who am I to say it is wrong to drive off a cliff" Then just go on about our day as if it did not happen and we were not responsible in any way? Our society has the keen ability to turn a blind eye and harden our hearts to what our true mission in life is.


We are called to Love...above all else. God says it is our highest calling. Do you know anyone who is running toward a metaphorical cliff. Warn them, don't just think someone else will. If God has made you aware, He wants you to step up like He stepped up for you.

I pray we all pick up our cross and follow after our Christ.
Candace

The Right Kind of Help
And I, if I am lifted up . . . will draw all peoples to Myself —John 12:32

Very few of us have any understanding of the reason why Jesus Christ died. If sympathy is all that human beings need, then the Cross of Christ is an absurdity and there is absolutely no need for it. What the world needs is not "a little bit of love," but major surgery.

When you find yourself face to face with a person who is spiritually lost, remind yourself of Jesus Christ on the cross. If that person can get to God in any other way, then the Cross of Christ is unnecessary. If you think you are helping lost people with your sympathy and understanding, you are a traitor to Jesus Christ. You must have a right-standing relationship with Him yourself, and pour your life out in helping others in His way— not in a human way that ignores God. The theme of the world’s religion today is to serve in a pleasant, non-confrontational manner.

But our only priority must be to present Jesus Christ crucified— to lift Him up all the time (see 1 Corinthians 2:2 ). Every belief that is not firmly rooted in the Cross of Christ will lead people astray. If the worker himself believes in Jesus Christ and is trusting in the reality of redemption, his words will be compelling to others. What is extremely important is for the worker’s simple relationship with Jesus Christ to be strong and growing. His usefulness to God depends on that, and that alone.

The calling of a New Testament worker is to expose sin and to reveal Jesus Christ as Savior. Consequently, he cannot always be charming and friendly, but must be willing to be stern to accomplish major surgery. We are sent by God to lift up Jesus Christ, not to give wonderfully beautiful speeches. We must be willing to examine others as deeply as God has examined us. We must also be sharply intent on sensing those Scripture passages that will drive the truth home, and then not be afraid to apply them. - Oswald Chambers

December 19, 2009

Be angry and NOT sin?

My prayer for us today is that we all listen with our heart, choose our words with care and through it all remember the good in each other - which is the very essence of God, our father.

One of the poems I wrote is about this very issue. It is my hope that the poems will help us reflect on what God is telling us, personalize them through our past experiences and remember the lessons learned for future situations.  The devotional is from Daily Bread today.

With love,
Candace

No Cause For Alarm

READ: Ephesians 4:25-32

“Be angry, and do not sin”: do not let the sun go down on your wrath. —Ephesians 4:26The sound of the alarm blaring from inside the church struck panic in my heart. I had arrived at church early one Sunday morning, planning to spend a little time in peace and quiet before the congregation arrived. But I forgot to disarm the burglar alarm. As I turned the key, the disruptive and annoying blasting of the alarm filled the building—and no doubt the bedrooms of sleeping neighbors.


Anger is a lot like that. In the midst of our peaceful lives, something turns a key in our spirit and triggers the alarm. And our internal peace—not to mention the tranquillity of those around us—is interrupted by the disruptive force of our exploding emotions.


Sometimes anger appropriately calls our attention to an injustice that needs to be addressed, and we are spurred to righteous action. Most of the time, however, our anger is selfishly ignited by the violation of our expectations, rights, and privileges. In any case, it’s important to know why the alarm is sounding and to respond in a godly way. But one thing is sure, anger was never intended to continue unchecked.


It’s no wonder that Paul reminds us of the psalmist’s warning: “‘Be angry, and do not sin’; do not let the sun go down on your wrath” (Eph. 4:26; Ps. 4:4). — Joe Stowell


Spirit of God, please change my heart
And give me a new desire;
Help me to be a man of peace
Who’s not controlled by anger’s fire. —K. De Haan

Anger left unchecked is cause for alarm.



Obedience Walks True

Words form as my mouth is ignited into motion,
Muscles strain, face contorts, sounds of the deep are hurled forth,
Tremendous pain and agony is the kindle,
Sparks burst into existence singeing all within reach,
The burn turns to a blaze from the oxygen expelled,
The torrents of tears come too late to extinguish the flames.

Death of so many from the combustible forces,
Tender twigs reaching for life crackle and smolder from the impulsive havoc,
New seasons, new life, through years of dormancy reigned,
Each planting… reaching fingers, through rich soil from debris,
Encouraging waters penetrate that which is buried deep,
Slow saturation, life drank it in,
Overcoming the demons that snuffed years from the scene,
God understood the pain and the cause,
He never gave up or quickened the time,
His patience and love are more than enough…
Like creation and then destruction to regain true birth.

Let us always remember the loss from the fires,
Always go rushing, so seeds will throw down.

Time is the magic when obedience walks true,
His steps are leading though only one path is seen,
Forward forever, the future has no end.

Behind are the lessons to teach others to grow,
Remember your yesterday, put away all strife,
It’s in this we grow mercy, so all may have life.
By Candace Huffmaster

December 18, 2009

Testing..1..2..3

This is a great devotion by Oswald Chambers / My Utmost for His Highest, and a wonderful addition to this mornings post.

Please share your pondering thoughts and ask your most outreagreous questions, it will help us all grow in a deeper relationship with God and each other.
Candace

Test of Faithfulness

We know that all things work together for good to those who love God . . . —Romans 8:28

It is only a faithful person who truly believes that God sovereignly controls his circumstances. We take our circumstances for granted, saying God is in control, but not really believing it. We act as if the things that happen were completely controlled by people. To be faithful in every circumstance means that we have only one loyalty, or object of our faith— the Lord Jesus Christ. God may cause our circumstances to suddenly fall apart, which may bring the realization of our unfaithfulness to Him for not recognizing that He had ordained the situation. We never saw what He was trying to accomplish, and that exact event will never be repeated in our life. This is where the test of our faithfulness comes. If we will just learn to worship God even during the difficult circumstances, He will change them for the better very quickly if He so chooses.

Being faithful to Jesus Christ is the most difficult thing we try to do today. We will be faithful to our work, to serving others, or to anything else; just don’t ask us to be faithful to Jesus Christ. Many Christians become very impatient when we talk about faithfulness to Jesus. Our Lord is dethroned more deliberately by Christian workers than by the world. We treat God as if He were a machine designed only to bless us, and we think of Jesus as just another one of the workers.

The goal of faithfulness is not that we will do work for God, but that He will be free to do His work through us. God calls us to His service and places tremendous responsibilities on us. He expects no complaining on our part and offers no explanation on His part. God wants to use us as He used His own Son.

"Help Me....Help You!"

Sometimes I have to laugh at us all.  We can get in such a self preservation mode that we deprogram all of our discernment. It reminds me of the scene from Jerry McGuire when he is screaming through the phone to his client "Help Me...Help You" over and over again.

If we are not careful we will think others are always in it for themselves; not truly trusting them to have our back in the crucial moments of life. We will push them away, or run away from our help, as God says. At times we even use that same broken logic with God. We do not turn to him unless we have no other option, then we beg him to help us.

He is our Jehovah-Jireh. He is always imploring us to believe. He essentially is boldly putting it out there "Help Me...Help You!". Will we trust that while we are out here just playing the game with all our gusto, that He is out here as the supreme manager working all things together to "Show us the Money". We all know His provision is more than monetary, He gives us all the abilities as well as the full prosperity; that is why all Glory goes to Him...Jehovah Jireh! (meaning: The Lord Who Sees, or The Lord Who Will See To It)

My prayer for us today is for us to trust, keep doing our part as we wait with baited breath to see His promises show up in spectacular ways.
Candace
Jehovah-Jireh

READ: Matthew 6:5-15
Your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him. —Matthew 6:8
In my early years as a pastor, I served in small churches where finances were often tight. Sometimes our family finances felt the weight of that pressure. On one occasion, we were down to the last of our food and payday was still several days away. While my wife and I fretted about how we would feed our kids in the next few days, our doorbell rang. When we opened the door, we discovered two bags of groceries. We had not told anyone of our plight, yet our provider God had led someone to meet that need.

This reminds me of the Old Testament account of Abraham when he was asked to sacrifice his son Isaac. At just the right moment, God provided a ram instead. Abraham called this place Jehovah-Jireh, “The-Lord-Will-Provide” (Gen. 22:14). He is the One who still cares deeply for His children.

Jesus said, “Your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him” (Matt. 6:8). He is constantly caring for and seeking the best for us—a reminder that in times of hardship, need, and fear, we have Someone who cares. Peter wrote that we can cast all our cares upon Jesus, because He cares for us (1 Peter 5:7). We can turn to Him in our time of need. — Bill Crowder daily bread devoional.

I know not by what methods rare
The Lord provides for me;
I only know that all my needs
He meets so graciously. —Adams

What God promises, God will provide.

December 17, 2009

The Mind is a Terrible Thing to Waste

When we hear scripture or sermons on the subject of "those that have been given much, much is expected" or "sacrifice and giving", or parables such as the ones in this devotion....we think it can only apply to money. That is a very shallow interpretation, yet it is the most relatable.
Let's go a step deeper. Last night we spoke about God's concern with people seeing but not perceiving. Of hearing but not understanding. Further down in Chapter 4 Christ explains that we have to use what we have been given in order to gain more.

23 Let the person who has ears listen!" 24 He went on to say, "Pay attention to what you're listening to! [Knowledge] will be measured out to you by the measure [of attention] you give. This is the way knowledge increases. 25 Those who understand [these mysteries] will be given [more knowledge]. However, some people don't understand [these mysteries]. Even what they understand will be taken away from them."

Money helps on the surface of problems, but if we do not give people knowledge with understanding they will never be able to get away from what creates the difficulties in life. Next time someone needs help....give them something they can take to the bank every time....God's truth.
I pray that the LORD gives us wisdom and thank him that from his mouth comes knowledge as well as understanding. I pray that foresight will protect us and that understanding will guard us. I pray that we trust the Lord with all our heart and that we do not rely on our own understanding. And I pray that we know we are blessed; that we find our wisdom and obtain our understanding.
In Jesus Name,
Candace



The King Of Fruits

READ: Luke 19:12-26
Present your bodies a living sacrifice, . . . which is your reasonable service. —Romans 12:1
The durian, a tropical fruit, is often called The King of Fruits. Either you love it or you hate it. Those who love it will do almost anything to get it. Those who hate it won’t get near it because of its pungent smell. My wife loves it. Recently, a friend, who was grateful for what my wife had done for her, sent her a box of the finest quality durians. She took great pains to ensure that they were the best.
I asked myself, “If we can give the best to a friend, how can we do less for our Lord who gave His very life for us?”
The nobleman in Jesus’ parable in Luke 19 wanted the best from 10 servants to whom he gave money, saying, “Do business till I come” (v.13). When he returned and asked for an account, he gave the same commendation “Well done!” to all those who had done what they could with the money entrusted to them. But he called “wicked” (v.22) the one who did nothing with his money.
The primary meaning of this story is stewardship of what we’ve been given. To be faithful with what God has given to us is to give Him our best in return. As the master gave money to the servants in the parable, so God has given us gifts to serve Him. It is we who will lose out if we fail to give Him our best. — C. P. Hia

Give of your best to the Master,
Give Him first place in your heart;
Give Him first place in your service,
Consecrate every part. —Grose

We are at our best when we serve God by serving others.

December 5, 2009

Just for Today......

In our pop culture of self help, there have been many books written on the topic of building the empire of "ME", "Looking out for #1", etc. They all teach how to manipulate others by looking a person in the eye, mirroring their body language, speaking the persons name repeatedly and using empathetic language. The absurd thing is, this works because it is what we should be doing with each other. This is one of the greatest deceptions used to prey on the intrinsic goodness and hope within people. All for what .....more stuff? How did we get this calloused?

I thank God for his truth that shines light on worldly wisdom. I think it is no surprise that all this mirrors the desire of God. He desires to hear us call His name. He desires us to be able to stand face to face with his presence, He desires us to mirror His ways and to receive and show empathy to everyone's situations. Isn't it absurd that we have a hard time doing that?

I pray that we call His name at the start of each day, stand in his presence and ask for the way, mirror His love to all that we see and share of the mercy and grace we receive.

With all my heart to each of you...through Christ our Lord

Candace

Presents Or Presence?

READ: 1 John 2:24-29
In Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore. —Psalm 16:11

Oswald Chambers once wrote: “It is not God’s promises we need, it is [God] Himself.”

At Christmastime we often say, “God’s presence is more important than presents.” But the amount of time and effort we spend on shopping for gifts may indicate otherwise.
In certain parts of the world, people give gifts on December 6. By doing so, they have the rest of the month to focus on Jesus and the wonder of His birth, God’s perfect gift to us.

When we say we want God’s presence more than presents from others, perhaps we’re being truthful. But how many of us can honestly say that we want God’s presence more than His presents?

Often we want gifts from God more than we want God Himself. We want health, wealth, knowledge, a better job, a better place to live. God may indeed want to give us these things, but we can’t have them apart from Him. As David said, “In Your presence is fullness of joy” (Ps. 16:11). Presents may make us happy for a time; earthly gifts from God may make us happy temporarily, but fullness of joy comes only when we remain in a right relationship with God.
So, what would Christmas be like if we truly celebrated God’s presence? — Julie Ackerman Link

Lord, we want to remember You and Your coming in special ways this Christmas. Give us creativity and thoughtfulness in our planning. Help us to focus on Your presence and not on what we hope to give or receive.
God’s presence with us is one of His greatest presents to us.

December 2, 2009

Do you believe more in Jesus or the Devil?

That sounds ludicrous to even ask; doesn’t it? Well what are we really stating when we doubt when we should have faith? We become afraid or worried in situations that Gods word says we should believe He is faithful and true. Don’t you think God is saying “Why do you doubt; that’s ludicrous!”

I pray that we come to each situation, cast down our false imagination and see the truth, which is Christ….and then STAND!
With Love of Christ,
Candace

He Doesn’t Stand A Chance

READ: Ephesians 6:10-18
He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. —1 John 4:4

In 2004, Josh Hamilton was an outstanding pro baseball prospect, but he was suspended because of drug abuse. Then one night Josh had a life-changing dream. He was fighting the devil. “I had a stick,” he said, “and every time I hit him, he’d fall and get back up. I hit him until I was exhausted, and he was still standing.”

After that nightmare, Hamilton vowed to stay clean. The dream returned, but with an important difference. “I would hit [the devil] and he would bounce back,” said Josh. But this time Josh was not alone. He said, “I turned my head and Jesus was battling alongside me. We kept fighting, and I was filled with strength. The devil didn’t stand a chance.”

The Bible says that the devil doesn’t stand a chance because the Spirit, who is in us, is greater than he is (1 John 4:4). Christ came to destroy the works of the devil through His life, ministry, and sacrifice (3:8). At the cross, He disarmed and triumphed over the devil (Col. 1:13-14; 2:15).

Though defeated by the cross, the devil remains active in this world. But his final defeat is certain (Rev. 20:7-10). Until then, we take up the whole armor of God (Eph. 6:10-18), standing firm against him by Jesus’ blood and His Word. He doesn’t stand a chance. — Marvin Williams

And though this world, with devils filled,
Should threaten to undo us,
We will not fear, for God hath willed
His truth to triumph through us. —Luther

The devil is a defeated foe.