God's Kid, Don't Kid

God's Kid, don't Kid!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reading: Matthew 4:1-11

"Resist the devil and he will flee from you" (Js 4:7)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Satan's attack on God's people are multifarious. Let's learn today how to overcome Satan when he challenges you.
The first two of the three typical temptations Jesus faced in the desert were a challenge on His Sonship. The tempter came to Him and said, "If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread... If You are the Son of God, jump down..." (Mt 4:3,6). It was not only a challenge to Jesus but also on what God the Father had said just before Jesus went into the desert: "This is My beloved Son in whom I am well pleased" (Mt 3:17). Satan put the same words of challenge in the lips of the passersby who watched Jesus on the Cross: "If You are the Son of God, come down from the Cross!" (Mt 27:40).
Satan spares no saint of this temptation. He challenges every child of God about God's fatherhood towards him and his sonship. This temptation will be intense during your days of spiritual infancy as well as times of infirmity due to adversities. "How can a sinner like you suddenly become a child of God? Can this happen to you if you are a child of God?" Such questions will bombard you day and night.
To overpower Satan against this temptation, you must constantly remind yourself of the assurance of your sonship. This assurance is yours through the written Word of God and the inner voice of the Holy Spirit. Jesus combated the devil's attack in this area by quoting on his face the Scriptures. He said, "It is written... It is also written" (Mt 4:4,7). You can say, "It is written that I have the right to be a child of God because I have believed on Christ and received Him" (Jn 1:12).
The assuring companionship of the Holy Spirit with Jesus was another weapon. We read that He was led into the desert "by the Spirit" and returned "in the power of the Spirit" (Mt 4:1; Lk 4:14). While talking to the Christians in Rome about suffering, Apostle Paul said, "The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God." Don't therefore be intimidated by any fear caused by the devil. God is your "Abba" and He is your "Father!" (Rom 8:15-18). This adoption into God's family cannot be cancelled or the authority of sonship annulled under any circumstance.
Be ye strong in the Lord and the power of His might!
Firmly standing for the truth of His Word;
He shall lead you safely through the thickest of the fight,
You shall conquer in the Name of the Lord! 
                                                          (El Nathan)

Are You In Jesus?

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new." (2 Corinthians 5:17, NKJ)

TODAY'S WORD
The very moment we receive Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, we instantly become a new creation! Our spirits are made alive in Him and the old passes away. His peace fills our hearts. Now, everything in your life doesn’t change instantly. Some things do, but God will do some things in your life over time as you grow in your relationship with Him. The key is to keep moving forward in your spiritual journey one step at a time. As you abide in Him by spending time with Him in prayer and worship, and as you study His Word and connect with other believers in a Bible-based church, He will continue to transform you and renew you from the inside out!

Today, remember, God is at work in your life. You may not be where you want to be. You may have made some mistakes or had some setbacks. Know that in Him, you are the righteousness of God. In Him, you are new. In Him is everything you need to have victory in every area of your life!

A PRAYER FOR TODAY
Father God, thank You for making me new! Thank You for ordering and directing my steps. I trust that You are at work in my life transforming me into Your image. Keep me close to You as I put You first in everything I do. In Jesus' Name. Amen.