The Bible clearly tells us that we have an enemy in Satan/Devil; and oh, what a formidable enemy he is. He uses the subtlest of tricks, yet still is effective in execution. Our enemy is so subtle that one of his strategies is to allow us to think and feel he is NOT present and even nonexistent. But this is so far from the truth. The Devil is so present and likes to be in our midst that the Apostle Paul told us:

Romans 7:19-21 (NIV-WS) 19 For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. 21 So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me.

Yes, the work of the enemy and his sins are sometimes locked away in our minds (Romans 7:22-23) so it is carried with us mentally. What also happens is that he creates external scenario’s which causes us to stumble. He sets up these scenarios and is ever present in many of the plots and story-lines in our lives to execute his main objective; which is:

John 10:10 (KJV) The thief (Devil) cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

I want to remind everyone today that the devil exists and is not hiding somewhere in a remote location. He is very present and is coming to steal, kill and destroy. But what is he coming to destroy apart from wanting to take our life? Well, he wants to steal and destroy the fruit that God has placed in side of us. He wants to take it away (steal) or destroy it completely. So, my question to you is, now that you are aware of his plans are you going to allow him to kill the fruits that you have to produce?

During our lifetime our godly works/fruits are the physical representation of God’s righteousness and desires on earth. Therefore, if we allow the devil and/or ourselves to abort these works/fruits then we are allowing things to hinder the work of God. Look at the following examples. Imagine what would have happened if these actions were not taken and these fruits not produced.

  1. If Moses turned away from the burning bush and denied the instruction of God. The Israelite nation might have never left the bondage of Egypt – Exodus 3:1-17.
  2. Salvation came to the us gentiles because Peter acted upon the direction of God and went to Cornelius- Acts chapter 10
  3. David would have never been King if the Prophet Samuel feared the opposition of King Saul and didn’t want to execute God’s will of anointing David – 1 Samuel 16:1-12
  4. Jerusalem’s walls would have not been rebuilt if Nehemiah gave in to the opposition of Sanballat and Tobiah – Nehemiah 4

Look all through the Bible for similar examples. Imagine if the enemy got his way and caused these types of fruit to be aborted. What would have happened? Similarly, in our own small way we have a responsibility to contribute to the enhancement of God’s kingdom by producing fruit (Ephesians 4:11-12, Romans 12:3-7)

The thing is, all of the spiritual realm is looking for fruits. Jesus is looking for fruits as well as the Devil is looking for fruits. But they are looking for these fruits for two different reasons. Jesus is looking for fruit, so he can multiply what we already have and give us the capacity and capability to produce more as noted by the Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14-30). The devil is looking to steal, kill and destroy our fruits by bringing spiritual weeds, locust, worms, drought, excessive rainfall, etc. The devil’s objective also extends to replacing godly fruit with his own in order to squeeze out and stifle the greatness inside of us.

In this moment I encourage you to tap into the Holy Spirit since it will allow us to be conscious of the devil’s presence and plans. Walk in the spirit and reach a stage where we can fully discern how Satan is coming and who he is working through. Like how Jesus knew the enemy was working through Peter in Mark 8:33 and He rebuked him from hindering His Godly work. Let’s combat the hindrance of the enemy today and do our best to bring forth godly fruit. Knowing fully well that if we apply ourselves and seriously commit to God in no way can the devil STOP US! Don’t let the devil gain ground on you and if he has, take steps to reclaim what you have lost.

Book Recommendation: This is a great book and one of my favorites. It can help you to better understand the operations and workings of the enemy in everyday life. – This Present Darkness by Frank Peretti

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Note: Ideally, I would have liked to title this blog entry “The Fruit Within & The Foe Without”. But for brevity I split the entries into two. To read the blog “the fruit within” click here: The Fruit Within.