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PROGRAM D-7957

When you get up in the morning, does the devil send up a groan and say, “Oh, no, she’s awake!”? I want to be the kind of Christian that gives the enemy fits, don’t you? How do we live in such a way that, instead of being constantly defeated by our enemy, we have him scared of us?

One way I have pointed out is that it takes a strong commitment to God’s Word. A person who really knows the Bible and how to use it will give the enemy a hard time.

Here’s another sure way to upset the enemy: Be faithful and steadfast.

When we refuse to quit or be discouraged, Satan is defeated. Discouragement is one of his most powerful weapons, and he knows how to use it well!

If he can get us discouraged, the next step is to quit and sit on the sidelines. A Christian sitting on the sidelines is no threat to Satan; he wants to get you on the sidelines and then leave you there.

He’ll do that through self-pity, bitterness, or failure. Maybe you’ve been mistreated by someone and, as a result, you’ve decided to drop out. Did you know that Satan loves it when you quit? You’re no threat to him when you’re having a pity party!

When you allow bitterness to control your mind, you become a very unlovely and unlovable person. A bitter person who refuses to forgive and let go of injustice or pain is not likely to have any positive effect in their worlds for Jesus. Satan doesn’t mind at all when a bitter person is awake—you’re easy to defeat when you’re bitter!

Maybe it’s failure that has caused you to be discouraged. Don’t you know that God is so great he can turn your failures into a tool for doing good? He’s done it in my life. Satan wanted me to feel guilty for the rest of my life because, for ten years, I walked away from my commitment to Jesus. If he can saddle me with guilt, I’m no threat to him. But praise God—he didn’t get me on that one. I’m living proof that even when we mess up, he can use us.

If the enemy has been defeating you because you haven’t been steadfast and faithful, I encourage you today to get rid of your self-pity, bitterness, and guilt. Tell him, “Satan, I’m going to live in such a way that when I get up in the morning, you’re going to say, ‘Oh, no, she’s awake!’”