Today's encouragement comes from Acts 19:15, which says this:
"And the evil spirit answered and said, 'Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?' "It is not a good sign when the demons “do not know" someone! Perhaps as the redeemed are written in the Lamb's Book of Life, the evil spirits become privy to this information—we do not know for sure. But this much is certain: the devil is concerned only to wreck havoc on souls—he cares not at all about anything else. Those who are in Christ as His church are no longer within his gunshot range; but the devil does all he can to minimize our joy, and our effectiveness.
May we not wait to be assaulted by the evil one; instead, may all of us in God's church who love Jesus in integrity, bring the battle to him (Satan). The promise of Matt. 16:18 is a solid one.
[Puritan quote of the day: "God intermixes mercy with affliction. He steeps His sword of justice in the oil of mercy. There was no night so dark but Israel had a pillar of fire in it.” —Thomas Watson, in, "The Godly Man's Picture"]
