Paul and Barnabas, warned that the pagans and the Jews, in concert with their leaders, were moving to insult and stone them, had to take refuge in the neighboring towns of Iconium and in the surrounding country.(Acts 14:5-7)
They had done nothing against the leaders of the city, nor against the people of this city. The population had split in two and part was against the apostles.
Indeed, when people react with hatred and violence, they usually do not act on their own; they are puppets of the devil. Paul was aware of this.
Paul says in another biblical passage that:
« Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. »(Ephesians 6:12)
When we, too, are as aware as Paul, that our real enemy is the devil, that it is he who pulls the strings to incite and agitate people against others, it will be easy for us to expressly avoid or dodge all its solicitations to confrontations or conflicts with our neighbours.
Committing to confrontation with anyone the devil uses against us is playing the devil’s game.
The devil knows how to pull strings to divide us and make us angry with each other, but if we refuse to fight in a battle that the devil has initiated, we will surely escape all unnecessary conflicts and quarrels with our neighbors.
PRAYER:
Our Father who art in heaven, give us the wisdom to always know how to avoid playing the devil’s game.
It is in the precious name of your son Jesus Christ that we pray, Amen.
THE LION OF JUDAH MINISTRY IN THE WORLD©
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