Growing in our faith is the process of learning more about God, His will and His ways, and developing a child-like trust as we wait on Him to reveal His glory in our lives.  We see this maturing process at worth throughout Jesus’ time with His disciples on earth.  They lived in a constant state of doubt and fear, but Jesus taught them the certainty of belief by giving them glimpses of His Father’s incomprehensible power.  (Yesterday’s post)

The gospels tell us about the day Jesus was on the sea with His disciples in the midst of a storm.  The disciples were overwhelmed and cried out, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?” (Mark 4:38 NIV)   Jesus, who was busy napping on a cushion when they found Him, got up and rebuked the storm: “Quiet, Be still!”  It ceased.  Then Jesus asked His disciples why they were afraid.  “Do you still have no faith?”  With their hearts beating out of their chests and their hands still shaking they spoke to each other: “Who is this?  Even the winds and the waves obey him.”

Do you see it?  We know the disciples had enough faith in Jesus to follow Him.  But they still hadn’t connected some dots until they saw Jesus speak to the storm that day.  That’s when they realized His authority extended well beyond anything they had considered.  The miracle of the storm was a reflection of His Father’s infinite, immeasurable, incomprehensible divine option.  In time, the disciples would grow in the certainties of faith, and their fears and doubts would diminish.  Then they would experience a mature faith that isn’t subject to the back and forth motion of the waves.

Our greatest weapon against the deceiver is knowledge.  He wants to keep us in the dark with an impaired vision of God’s power.  There he terrorizes us with fearful screams, and encircles us with lies.  In using the word “delusion” I do not mean to suggest Satan’s power and its impact on our lives is not real.  If we remain imprisoned by his evil storyline, he can rob us of our very souls.  But the knowledge of God and the truth He gives us sets us free.  As He sent the adulterous woman on her way he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12 NIV)

We challenge Satan when we pour our hearts out to God and confess our fears and doubts.  As we meditate on the tapestry of God’s wisdom and providence we poke holes in the deceiver’s logic.  And when we live in the abiding grace of Jesus and give ourselves time to contend and adjust, Satan can no longer exploit our anxieties.  Put another way, evil can’t triumph in the presence of the truth!  This doesn’t mean the battle will be easy, or without pain.  Yet, blood has already been shed at Calvary, and the victory won there makes our victory certain here.  The delusion has been dispelled and no longer has mastery over us.

How do you believe you can go on the offensive against Satan?  How does He try to keep you from knowing God?

Dear God, Help me see through the delusion.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.