There are two plans for your life. Did you know that? That’s right. God has a plan and the prince of darkness has a plan. And the choice is yours.
Now with that in mind, let’s explore a possibility. Let’s say that you choose God’s plan. You decide to make Jesus the Lord and Savior of your life and seek Him first in all you do. You do your best to keep in faith and you do your best to not fall into sin. You attend church and you give your tithe joyfully to the Lord’s work as He leads.
Now let me ask you this. Because you are doing all these things, because you have chosen to serve God, does Satan give up on you? Does Satan say to himself, “Well, I guess this Christian has decided to serve God completely, so I guess I’ll just give up on this one. Okay demons, back off this Christian, he’s serving God.”
Well, of course not. Satan is relentless. He doesn’t give up. He knows that one Spirit-filled Christian, walking in faith, can deal a severe blow to his kingdom. Even though Satan has been defeated and his destiny has been sealed, he doesn’t believe it. According to Jesus in John 8:44, Satan is a liar. He must believe his own lies because he still attempts to win.
The Bible tells that we are to not be ignorant of his devices. Even though he is relentless, he still uses the same old methods. His methods haven’t changed in 2000 years. And we know from the Word of God that he doesn’t give up just because someone is seeking the truth, or just because we are Christians.
When Jesus was tempted by Satan, Jesus quoted the Word. Satan was defeated in this exchange of events but the Bible tells us something very interesting about the nature of Satan. The Bible says that after Jesus spoke the Word and Satan left, that he didn’t leave without a plan. He just retreated for a little while and waited for another opportunity to attack. The Bible says he left and waited for a more opportune time to return.
Now, here’s the good news. We have been given authority over Satan and his entire kingdom of darkness. We as Christians have been given, by Jesus, the authority to remove the forces of darkness from our path anytime, anywhere. Of course, there are limits to our authority and conditions to our authority, but nevertheless we have been given authority and as Christians, we are a major threat to his kingdom.
Satan does not want you to know you have authority over him. He will attempt to distract you any way he can. If he can distract your thinking from the things that build faith, then he will render you ineffective, and that’s what he wants for you. He wants you neutralized in the spirit realm.
But, I have more good news. Satan doesn’t always get what he wants. The only way he can get to you, the only way he can distract you, the only way he can neutralize you, is if you let him. In this spiritual battle as a Christian, we have no excuses. Jesus has given us the tools. He has given us the authority. Do we use the authority? The choice is ours.
Jesus said, “Behold, I give you authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the powers of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.”
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Dr. Larry Ollison is founder and Senior Pastor of Walk on the Water Faith Church and founder of Larry Ollison Ministries. With over forty years in the ministry, he is a very popular speaker nationally and internationally and ministers the Word of Faith through radio, television, Internet, and daily e-mail devotionals. As the author of twelve books (including The Power of Grace, The Practical Handbook for Christian Living, Breaking the Cycle of Offense, Life is in the Blood, and recently released The Paradise of God), he is in frequent demand for radio/TV interviews, book signings, and magazine publications.
Dr. Ollison was raised a Southern Baptist. While majoring in theology at Southwest Baptist University, he received the baptism of the Holy Spirit. For many years he traveled extensively speaking at Full Gospel Business Men's meetings and conventions. He later earned an M.A. in Theology and a Ph.D. and Th.D. from Life Christian University.
Currently President of International Convention of Faith Ministries (ICFM), Dr. Ollison is also Vice-President of Spirit FM Christian Radio Network, Missouri State Director of Christians United for Israel (CUFI), and a Trustee on the boards of several international ministries. He is also the host of The Cutting Edge Radio Broadcast and authors The Cutting Edge Daily Devotional.
As the owner of a marine dealership, his extensive business background brings a unique flavor to his teaching. He founded and served as chairman of the Missouri State Marine Board, President of the Marine Dealers’ Association, Vice-President of a bank holding company, along with holding several directorships in various corporations.
Dr. Ollison's strongest areas of teaching are the blood of Jesus, faith, relationships, the Hebrew language, the Holy Spirit, the end times, and heaven. During ministry, he operates freely in the gifts of the Holy Spirit. His use of humor and his ability to make a theological concept simple makes it enjoyable and easy for everyone to understand. Countless testimonies have been received from people who say their lives have been changed after experiencing Dr. Ollison's unique ministry.
Dr. Ollison is a pastor, pilot, teacher, and author. His number one goal is to meet the needs of the people through the teaching of faith in God's Word. He and his wife, Loretta, have two children and six grandchildren.