John 17:11-12. I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name, the name you gave me, so that they may be one as we are one. 12 While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by that name you gave me. None has been lost except the one doomed to destruction so that Scripture would be fulfilled.
Those of us who have received salvation have obtained complete spiritual liberation and freedom. Then how should we live while we are still on this earth?
First, until the end of the world, we must clearly know, foresee, and remember that Satan still exists. Among all the books on earth, the only book that reveals the true identity and schemes of Satan is the Bible. That is why Satan hates it when people understand the Bible correctly.
In the Bible, when the Genesis 3 incident occurred—when man lost the blessings God originally gave them—God gave a promise in Genesis 3:15. God prophesied that the offspring of the woman would come and crush the head of the serpent, which symbolizes Satan.
According to that prophecy, Jesus Christ, who came to this earth as the offspring of the woman and was conceived by the Holy Spirit, died on the cross and rose again. Through His death and resurrection, He completely broke the authority of Satan. Therefore, Satan’s head has already been crushed. Now he is only wandering around, struggling desperately until the end. The Bible also states that on the day when Jesus returns again as the Judge, Satan will be bound forever.
However, there is something we must not overlook. While we live on this earth, Satan continues to deceive believers through evil spirits, deceiving spirits, false prophets, heresies, and demons. Therefore, it is very important for us to gain spiritual victory through worship, the Word, and prayer.
Satan does not only try to make us fall; he also tries to attack our families. Therefore, we must pray for the evangelization of our families. Every member of our family must believe in Jesus as their Savior and become children of God, so that God’s kingdom may come upon our family. This is something you must pray for.
Satan especially looks for unbelievers without the Gospel and believers without assurance. 1 Peter 5:8 says that he prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. For those who believe in Jesus Christ as their Savior, Satan’s head has already been crushed. However, for those who do not yet believe in Jesus, Satan still remains a threatening force that leads their lives toward destruction.
Matthew 12 says that if Satan’s attack is allowed once, later he can return with seven times greater power. Sometimes he attacks people with various unknown diseases. Sometimes he causes confusion through mental and emotional problems, bringing suffering through psychological illness.
However, the Bible says that those who believe in Jesus Christ as their Savior and have assurance of their status as children of God can overcome. James 4:7 says: “Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”
Satan looks for a place to rest, like an empty house without water. “Without water” means without the living water of God’s grace. Even if someone has received salvation, if they do not experience God’s grace and love through worship, the Word, and prayer, they become spiritually vulnerable to Satan’s attacks.
Matthew 12:45 says that the devil likes an empty house. This refers to a spiritually empty house. If Jesus Christ is not truly enthroned in our hearts, if our hearts are not filled with God’s grace and love, then our hearts become spiritually empty. Even if we try to clean and organize our lives outwardly, Satan will attack that empty heart again, and the person’s spiritual state can become even worse.
That is why Satan hates the Gospel so much. He hates prayer,
he hates studying the Bible correctly, and he especially hates proper worship. He fears most when believers worship on Sunday and share the Gospel.
There are five important truths we must always remember. First, it is most important to know Jesus Christ deeply and correctly. Jesus is the One who solved the three fundamental problems that humans could never solve—the spiritual problems caused by Satan, sin, and separation from God.
He is the True King who delivered me from Satan’s authority, the True Priest who freed me from all sin and disasters, and the True Prophet who gives me eternal life and leads me back to God. These three works together are called Christ. Therefore, Jesus is the Christ. The more we know and believe in this Christ, the more Satan will flee.
Second, according to the Bible, the Triune God—God the Creator,
Jesus Christ, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, the Counselor—is my God and is with me. We must pray so that the Spirit of the Triune God truly fills us. Then the Triune God will be with us through the power of the throne.
Third, if we confess that Jesus Christ is the Lord of our hearts, the Lord of our families, the Lord of our workplaces, and the Lord of all areas of our lives, then Christ will establish the Kingdom of God in our lives, our families, and our workplaces.
Fourth, if we acknowledge the name and authority of Jesus Christ and testify and witness about Him to others in our daily lives, God will work so that darkness is broken and the light shines.
Fifth, when Jesus Christ becomes our Lord, regardless of our level, ability, environment, or background, Christ will work through us by the power of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, it is important that we always remember and practice these five truths.
The people of the world can be divided into three types according to their spiritual condition. We should think carefully about where we are and where we should be.
First, in the first spiritual state, the seat where the Lord should be is occupied by ourselves. We become the lord of our own lives, and Jesus is still outside our lives. This is the state of an unbeliever. When this happens, because we are living as the lord of our lives, Satan can freely attack our lives. Our lives and even our families can become playgrounds for Satan, and we continue to experience problems, confusion, and suffering.
Second, when we receive Jesus into our hearts, we become children of God. Jesus is now inside our hearts. However, if you look carefully, even though Jesus is in our hearts, we are still sitting on the throne of our lives. We still live according to our thoughts, our plans, our methods, and our strength. We still live centered on ourselves. In this situation, Jesus is inside us, but He waits. Satan still deceives and attacks believers who live centered on themselves.
Third, the correct state is when we completely accept Jesus Christ as the Lord of our lives and begin to hold onto His Word and pray. When this happens, Satan cannot overcome us. Even if Satan tempts or attacks us, the Christ who lives in us is our Lord, so Satan has no choice but to kneel. Problems become opportunities to find God’s answers. Conflicts become opportunities for renewal.
Crises become opportunities to experience God’s new works. Therefore, we must give the throne of our lives to Christ and entrust our lives to Him.
From today, I encourage you to begin scheduled prayer. When you wake up in the morning and open your eyes, begin with a prayer that looks toward God. If you start your day thinking, “I’m tired, frustrated, and exhausted,” that thought becomes your state, and that state eventually becomes your life. Instead, when you open your eyes, begin by looking toward the Triune God. Pray to be filled with the power and authority of the throne, and start your day with the strength that God gives.
During the day, you go to work, meet people, and do many things.
But even one minute after lunch is enough. Pray that God will work in the place where you are, in the work you are doing,
and in the people you are meeting. Through this brief midday prayer, God’s kingdom can be established in your field.
Before going to sleep at night, look back on your day with thanksgiving. Pray that God will fill you with His power again.
Check your schedule for the next day and expect God’s work. Then you will sleep with true peace, comfort, and strength from God. That becomes your scheduled prayer for the night.
Even three prayers of one minute each day are good: Morning prayer to begin the day with God’s strength; Midday prayer to bless the field where you are; Night prayer to end the day with thanksgiving and expectation. Through this scheduled prayer, begin a new life.
During the day, connect everything to prayer—the people you meet, the places you go, and even the problems, events, and crises you experience. When everything is connected to prayer, everything becomes prayer. Through scheduled prayer, you receive strength, and when you turn all your thoughts into prayer during the day, you will begin to experience 24-hour prayer.
Then you will experience God who is with you 24 hours, and you will live victoriously through the strength, wisdom, and power that God gives. May you receive Jesus Christ as the true Lord of your life and enjoy God’s presence through scheduled prayer and continuous prayer, and you will experience God who is with you 24 hours a day.