The Attacks

During a sermon I said that the enemy tries to disconnect us from the vine by Isolation, Intimidation and Ignorance. I have returned to that thought several times in the past week.

Isolated: adjective- to set or place apart; detach or separate so as to be alone. For what I am talking about I will be talking about detachment and being alone. The tempter will always try to work in secrecy. The more alone we are the less likely we are to be truly fruitful. Someone once said you are only as sick as you are secret. We are only letting the devil in as much as we are not accountable. We must stay connected to each other and more importantly the true vine. Isolation is a dangerous place to be.

Intimidated: verb- to make timid; fill with fear; to force into or deter from some action by inducing fear. Our enemy is good at using the things of this world to scare is into remaining the same. The fear of loosing friendships or even relationships with family members keeps us bound to our old ways. Or perhaps it is even the fear that we will never be better than what we are. Do not let the devil scare you. You were not given a spirit of fear but of love, power and a sound mind.

Ignorant: adjective-lacking in knowledge or training; unlearned;lacking knowledge or information as to a particular subject or fact; uninformed. Satan has no authority to trick us into using our own will against ourselves. We must be continually transformed by the renewal of our minds. When we do this, we will know the will of God and be able to move our will accordingly. When we are conforming to the pattern of the world we will continue in ways that are destructive. The enemy has no authority until someone gives it to him. "Keep your authority!" is what I want to say to myself but all too often I just hand it away.