SATAN'S STING and the SAVIOR'S SALVE
It seems that many things in this world are out to get us - our money, our attention, our focus - and depending on where we are in our spiritual walk, it may be easy for us to be "gotten." Christians sometimes get a bum rap in this area because the world watches us, and when we falter, fall and fail, the fingers all point our way and we're criticized for not being any better than those who don't profess to be Christians.
Little does the world know, but Christians get an extra dose of Satan's attacks, and the stronger the Christian's faith, the more intense the attack. When Satan finds that tiny little niche that is a weakness for the Christian, you can bet Satan does his best to break that Christian. He works everything he has to bring doubt, questioning, and loss of faith into that life. If Satan succeeds, unfortunately, the whole world doesn't cry, but instead, it gloats. Satan and the world may have scored a minor point, but is that the end of the story?
No, it's not. While a failure is heartbreaking for any Christian, there's so much more to be had. God didn't leave Christians exposed and alone. He gave us His Son to take the penalty of sin in our stead. He gave us His Spirit to empower us and not leave us helpless. He gave us weapons of faith to put on to fight the temptations of the world, and when we do stumble and sometimes fail miserably, we are not crucified for our mistakes, but forgiven and saved. There is nothing we can do to cause God to forsake us, other than forsake and deny Him, first.
The Bible studies for these months deal with the attacks of Satan and the power and grace of God. If you ever feel that evil always has the advantage, then study the Word and think again! Our God is an awesome God.