“The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” John 10:10
“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.” 1 Peter 5:8-9
“For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.” 1 John 5:4
The devil has a three-fold mission, to steal, to kill, and to destroy, and while he would probably love nothing more than to try to prevent people from placing their faith in and committing their lives to Christ for the promise of everlasting life, he would probably love nothing more when it comes to those who have already been promised eternal life than to keep them from loving and worshiping and serving God and loving others as the Lord desires, from helping to build God’s Kingdom of Christ followers, and from fulfilling God’s purpose for their individual lives. In plain English, if you haven’t given your life to Christ, the devil will likely try desperately to stop you from doing so. And, if your life is devoted to Christ already, the devil will likely try to stop you from loving and serving God and loving and helping others to find and follow Jesus forever.
Let me give you a clear example. My life already belongs to Christ. I am entirely His. He is my Lord. He is my Savior. I live for Him. The devil can’t undo that. But the devil has gone to exceeding lengths through the years with all sorts of tactics most clearly with awful accusations and terrible thoughts and horrendous temptations with the intention of getting me so weary, so worn out, so discouraged, so disheartened, so distracted, so unfocused, so anxious, so doubtful, so confused, etc., to try to get me TO QUIT serving the Lord as an evangelist and writer whose life’s calling is to help people to find and forever follow the Lord Jesus Christ. Countless times I have been under such heavy artillery fire from the devil against my mind and regarding and through my circumstances that I have felt like crawling under the covers and never coming out, calling it quits with ministry, discontinuing my writing, shutting my mouth and no longer preaching the Gospel on the streets, refusing to help others in their relationships with God. The devil wanted, and wants, me TO QUIT.
By the Lord’s grace alone, He has disclosed to me the enemy’s plans and tactics, and given me His full armor (Ephesians 6) and His Word, His strength and His Spirit to lead me, to secure and walk in the victory that comes only in Christ Jesus. God has given me all I need to stay the course, to persevere, to keep on keeping on, most importantly faith in Him and His love to go with it.
The devil not only wants us TO QUIT serving God to help build His Kingdom, but He wants us TO QUIT doing God’s will in general and pleasing Him, whether in small matters or big ones. The devil wants to destroy families, marriages, relationships, friendships, life callings, big plans, little plans, of the Lord’s, and anything he can get his despicable hands on. Does he not above all else want God’s followers to doubt God, get angry at God, get distracted from God, and to try to keep us from having the level and degree of intimacy with Christ as Lord we can have, convincing us our lives are more important than the Lord, wanting us to forsake spending time with the Lord daily, in His Word, for “more important things”, etc.?
Perhaps there is something in your life right now the Lord has called you to do, and you’re discouraged and exhausted and ready to quit, or a relationship to which the Lord has called you and you’re ready to walk away from the person, or you’re in a marriage and feel too worn out to carry on and are ready to call an attorney, or you have a job you’re sure God sent you to but you just can’t take it anymore, or you’re helping someone you’re certain the Lord asked you to help but you’re ready to quit because the person is driving you crazy, etc. Maybe the devil is coming against you trying desperately to get you TO QUIT.
The only time we should ever quit is when the Lord tells us to walk away, to let go, to end something, to turn in our resignation, etc. If you know the devil is trying to get you to quit, and you’re clear it’s not the Lord, please do what I have done, and am doing, day by day, and place your faith in the Lord, trusting Him to give you all you need to persevere! The victory is in Him! Stand fast and secure in Him, and let Him be your strength, let Him equip you to endure, and give the Lord the glory as you trample on the devil and leave him in the dust.