“The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.“ (John 10:10)
In any competitive sport, the best game plan is to anticipate what your opposition is about to do so you can counteract their moves. God wants us to know that we have an enemy out there whose purpose and agenda is to steal, kill, destroy, and devour our life (John 10:10a). God doesn’t want us ignorant of how our enemy operates (2 Cor. 2:11). To win the battle you must identify your opponent or enemy, know how he operates, know yourself, and know what weapons you have to counterattack.
John describes our enemy as a thief. As we all know a thief takes what does not belong to him. He steals our privacy, property, and peace. He will break windows, knock down doors, and tear up your car just to get what he wants. He will also kill anyone that gets in his way, because he doesn’t care. The word kill here means slaughter for any purpose (John 10:10a). He is not your friend. He is cunning and strategic (2 Cor. 11:14) and the Bible tells us to be watchful and alert (I Peter 5:8). Even though the devil has his agenda, thanks be unto God, Jesus has an agenda also. He has come to give us life in opposition to all the death Satan brings (John 10:10b). Not just life, but in abundance, which is exceedingly, beyond measure, and excessive. Jesus came to totally annihilate the works of the devil so that we can bounce back from his clutches of death with a vengeance (I John 3:8).
As mention earlier, another key to winning the battle is to know yourself and to make sure you’re not doing anything to give the enemy advantage over you. Remember the game between the Dallas Cowboys and the New York Giants (2008) prior to Super Bowl XLII? In the beginning, the Dallas quarterback was slamming New York by quickly moving the ball down the field with pinpoint accurate passes. The Giants were keeping up, but it was taking them a little longer to execute their plays and move the ball down the field. Also, their team members were getting hurt. The Giants did not have a good defensive strategy, at first. After halftime, it was amazing what the Giants did to counteract the Cowboys. The little adjustment that they made drastically changed the direction of the game. The Giants came back into the game sacking the quarterback. They clearly identified their problem, targeted the problem and turned the game around. The New York Giants beat the Dallas Cowboys and went on to win the Super Bowl game. Let’s just say they definitely bounced back with a vengeance!
Just as the Giants made a small, but major adjustment, so did our friend Paul of Tarsus. Paul (aka Saul) was literally killing Christians and throwing them in jail (Acts 9:1-2). He thought he was doing what was right in his own eyes (Prov. 14:12). He was snared by Satan, who has the ability to blind your spiritual sight and deceive you into helping him carry out his agenda (Rev 12:9). Fortunately, Paul had a miracle from God and converted (Acts 9:3-6). Did he have a choice? Yes, because miracles do not guarantee conversions. Look at the children of Israel. God did many, many miracles, and many of them never believed, therefore, many never made it into the Promised Land (Exod. 10, 13, 15; Num. 14). When presented with the truth, Paul immediately made the adjustment to make Jesus his Lord. Later, God used Paul to complete 3 major missionary journeys (Acts 13-20), begin numerous churches (Rom 15:24, 28), and write one-third of the New Testament books of the Bible. We can truly say Paul bounced back from the clutches of the enemy with a vengeance.
You have the same opportunity to bounce back out of any situation you may be facing. The Bible tells us as Christians to flee youthful lusts, avoid strife, discipline our flesh, lay aside every weight, control our anger, keep pure thoughts, and more (2 Tim 2:22, 24; Rom 8:13; Col 3:5; Hebr. 12:1; Eph 4:26; Phil 4:8). All of which if not done, can create a snare for the enemy in our life. Identify where the enemy may have you bound. Get in God’s Word concerning that area and begin memorizing scriptures to counterattack it. The Word of God is our weapon for the game plan (Eph 6: 17; Heb 4:12). Use it! God will give you victory and cause you to help many others get victory too. Before long, you will have triumphed over the enemy with a vengeance!
Prayer:
“Father, I surrender every area of my life to you. Help me to identify any snares that the enemy has set up for me to fall. I give you full control and submit to the truth of your Word. This truth will renew my mind and make me free forever. You have already given me the victory over all the power of the enemy. I ask for wisdom how to walk in that victory. Thank you that Jesus has come to give me life more abundantly and that life allows me never to be in bondage again. I’m so glad I have a second chance to bounce back in life with a vengeance. In Jesus Name, AMEN!”
