FromNowUntilForeverBook8.5x5.5 REV.indd

He tempts – A clear example is seen in the contest be- tween Jesus and Satan that took place in the wilderness im- mediately after Jesus was baptized (Matthew 4:11). Although Jesus stayed strong and remained pure throughout the ordeal, His disciple Judas was not as fortunate.When the devil orches- trated a plot in which Jesus’ enemies offered a price for Jesus’ betrayal, Judas took the bait. He steals – As Jesus said, “The thief (an obvious reference to Satan) comes only to steal . . .” (John 10:10). One of his favorite things to take from us is joy. Although the devil cannot steal our salvation, he can help make us sour and bitter believers. He’s been miserable since being kicked out of heaven and wants to drag us down in the mud with him. He blinds – Why is it that the masses reject abundant and eternal life that only comes through Jesus? From a human standpoint, fear and lack of understanding play a huge role. Yet, there’s so much more going on supernaturally. According to Paul, Satan “has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God” (2 Corinthians 4:4). He destroys – Concluding a verse quoted above, the devil “comes only to steal and kill and destroy ” (John 10:10, em-phasis added). Make no mistake, Satan’s ultimate goal is the physical and spiritual destruction of the crown jewel of God’screation, humans created in His image. Just looking at the persecution of the Jews over the centuries provides sufficientevidence. And though this has been going since the beginning, it will be amped up considerably during the tribulation – the dif- ference being that Satan, or the “great dragon,” as he is referred to at that point (Revelation 12:9), will be joined by the two other members of the unholy trinity. Unlike Satan, a created

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