God has a plan, does the enemy?

Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” What an incredible verse. God has a plan for you, for me. He has a plan to prosper us and to give us hope! Praise the Lord.

I have been planning on reading “The Screwtape Letters” for the past few weeks, but I wanted to prepare myself for what I would be getting into. In thinking about the book and thinking about Jeremiah 29:11, I thought that perhaps the enemy also has a plan for you, for me. If there is such a thing as spiritual warfare going on around us, which I know there is, then the enemy would want to counter whatever God’s plans are. So this got me to thinking that maybe the enemy’s counter to Jeremiah 29:11 would look something like this: The Enemy 29:11 “For I have different plans for you,” declares satan, “plans to add to the chaos and to inflict damage upon you, plans to take away your hope and make a mess of God’s plan.”

War is all about strategy. Satan is a good strategist, its no secret. Of course we know that God is triumphant and that Jesus conquered death. We ARE free from the curse of sin! As a Christian, the enemy cannot take away my salvation, but he sure can try to inflict as much damage and pain upon me as possible. You see, since salvation is mine, the enemy must hit at me where he can.

The enemy does this in Christian lives around the globe. Pornography, divorce, anger, sarcasm, etc…enter into Christian households and rip lives apart. Satan has taken some of God’s greatest gifts, and put his own perverted twist to it. The enemy strategizes against Christians. Singles, married couples, young and old…the enemy wants to render us useless. Too many times, however, we give into the enemy’s version of Jeremiah 29:11. We either give up, give in, or let the enemy convince us that its actually God…not the enemy, but you see, God’s will is to “prosper us” and to give us “hope and a future”. You want a simple litmus test on whether it’s the enemy or God speaking? God never goes against His Word. Sure, the enemy will twist things and confuse you, but if you know God’s Word, then the enemy’s schemes become obvious. Its not just Christians that the enemy wants to harm. Those who do not know Christ are also under attack. Satan’s greatest victory can either come from rendering a Christian useless or condemning a soul to hell.

Maybe this comes as a shock to some of you. Heck, the closer I draw to God the more obvious and shocking the enemy and the warfare around me becomes. It IS shocking to see that such a battle rages around us. Let me offer you some hope though…God will prevail! Jesus died on a cross and rose again on the third day so that you and I would not have to pay for our sins. Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” You see, Jesus already paid your ransom, he already paid mine. I am fully God’s and in knowing this, I refuse to let the enemy’s version of Jeremiah 29:11 affect me. I know that there is a schemer out there, one who wants to do me harm, but there is One who is greater who wants to prosper you and me. How then will you live today?