Ever wonder why you seem to be getting attacked constantly? Why don’t things seem to work out for you? Most of the times they are demonic forces working through the people around you that are doing these things to you. The real enemy may be Satan. He and his demons are working overtime to destroy the believers. Satan has his set of objectives, but we as believers have our own.
 
According to John 10:10 and I Peter 5:8, Satan’s objective is to STEAL, KILL, DESTROY, and DEVOUR:
 
STEAL:  According to Luke 8:12 the devil steals the seed that is planted in us. The seed is the Word of God because he knows it saves us. He will also steal your focus, your time, your energy, God’s blessings, and our joy (by keeping us frustrated). He will cause us to be so distracted that we can’t be effective in what we’ve been called to do. 
 
KILL:  The enemy wants to kill us through life-threatening diseases, and/or accidents. He will try to kill our loved ones too because that would devastate us.
 
DESTROY:  The enemy wants to destroy our marriages, our relationships, our finances, our health, our faith in God, and our destiny!
 
DEVOUR:  I Peter 5:8 says he (the devil) seeks whom he may devour. He wants to destroy us completely by trying to affect every part of our lives and those around us. Many people have become so weary that they stop serving God because they don’t see the use if all they do is suffer.
 
The believer’s objectives [as commanded by Jesus]: 

• Matthew 28:19-20 tells us to make disciples of all the nations, baptize them, teach them, heal the sick, and expel demons.
• Mark 16:17 says that in Jesus’ name we will cast out demons, will speak with new tongues, lay hands on the sick and they will recover.
• Matthew 10:1 says, “He gave them power over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease.”
• Luke 10:19 tells us that Jesus gave us the authority over all the power of the enemy and nothing shall by any means hurt us!

 
Distinguish where the attack is coming from:

• The devil’s most effective methods are deception and offenses. Try your best not to be offended; be aware that it is a tactic of the enemy.
• We should not be so quick to run to psychiatrists and be put on medications when it’s just sadness or discouragement.  We need to run to God, His Word, and to those God placed over us and around us to help us through attacks. See James 5:13-18.
• Get the focus off yourself. Don’t take things personally. Look beyond the flesh. (Eph. 6:12 “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood…). Deal with the pain but don’t stay in it! Otherwise, it turns to bitterness and unforgiveness and the enemy succeeds in keeping you ineffective.
• Don’t open a door to the enemy. Keep your heart clean from sin. James 1:14-15 says, “But each one is tempted when he is drawn by his own desires and enticed. Then when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full grown, brings forth death.”

 
How to protect yourself:

• James 4:7:  Therefore, submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.”
• I Peter 5:8:  Be sober, be vigilant.
• Memorize the scriptures and use them as a weapon at any given time. 
• Eph. 6:11:  Put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
• I Peter 5:9: “Resist him (Satan), steadfast (strong, firm, immovable) in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.”
• Avoid bitterness.  It is like poison, and it springs up trouble (Eph. 4:31; Acts 8:23; Heb. 12:15).
• Repentance and forgiveness are necessary (See Luke 17:3 and Matt. 18:15-19).

 
Most importantly, “Test all things! Hold fast to what is good” (I Thess. 5:21). Do no give place to Satan. Live a consecrated life. You have been given the Word, power and authority as weapons to fight against the enemy. In the end, you will be victorious.

When you hear the word “womanhood,” what comes to your mind? When I set out to write my book, “Purposed for Womanhood," I was appalled at what I found on the internet as I searched the word “womanhood.” The results were erotic and perverted. It was certainly not what I expected. It’s no wonder many church-going women buy into the latest trend of showing lots of cleavage or their breasts. They don’t have a Biblical understanding of womanhood. 

Biblical womanhood calls for decency, dignity and self-respect. Some may think they have to give up fashion and dress like the Amish women (no offense to them intended at all). We certainly don’t have to go to the extreme. But we are called to use wisdom and discretion. It breaks my heart to see young women (who claim to be Christian) dressing in a manner that illustrates they are still allowing the world to dictate their fashion picks.  Ladies, if you are in ministry or are a church leader, please be the example the other women desperately need.  Don’t show cleavage or your breasts.  If you do, you don’t have the right to complain that people are looking at you a certain way or that men are being aroused by what you are exposing. I’m even seeing this type of dress on Christian television.  How sad and disturbing that the network even allows this.  ​

Let’s respect and honor our God. Let’s be the example the church needs. Only then will we be the example the world needs. We cannot bring the world into the church.  We are to be the light they desperately need.

A few years ago I attempted to sign into my Wordpress blog account. I tried and tried but to no avail.  I researched the web to find a justifiable reason for my blog site not opening.  It turns out that when I was in the midst of switching web hosts, my blog was deleted because it was linked to the host of my previous website.  Frustrated?  You better believe it!  I wrote for five years in that blog and never even thought I would need a backup of all my writings.

So here I am, starting from scratch. This inconvenient circumstance reminded me of when I had to start my life over after being married for 20 years.  We all, at one time or another, are forced to start over because life throws curve balls at us.

How do you handle curve balls?  Change?  Crisis?  Loss?  In order to stay sane in this insane world we live in, it is crucial that we learn how to handle change in an effective way.  Many people choose to become bitter and angry at what happens to them.  They don't realize that anger and bitterness robs them of joy.  

Don't allow unexpected circumstances to defeat you.  Just like when I educated myself on the blog issue, you should educate yourself on whatever change life has thrown at you.  Learn how to handle that change, embrace it, and find the good in it.  As my hubby always says, "flip that baby!"