John 10:10 “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”

I use this passage so often that I have it memorized in Japanese as well as English, but it’s still worth meditating on regularly. When Scriptures become so familiar, there’s a real danger of their losing their meaning in our hearts, as in the old expression of familiarity breeding contempt. That would be a tragedy! I probably use this verse most often because of how clear it is about the devil’s character. It’s important to know our enemy. However, we will never gain the victory God intends and Christ provided for us by focusing on the enemy! We need to know him well enough to recognize him and his schemes, but our focus must be on Christ our Lord. This is a real problem with some deliverance ministries. They end up giving glory to the devil and demons by paying them so much attention, and that is a recipe for disaster. Yes, there is a lot of demonic activity in the world, but the devil craves worship and adulation, and he accepts fear as a close substitute. Christians must remember that the Holy Spirit in them is far greater than the devil (1 John 4:4) and walk in assurance and not fear, exercising the authority that Christ has entrusted to us. (Matthew 10:1)

This is an area where I need more growth. (Aren’t they all?) I know the facts of the matter, yet I have had only occasional success, as I have seen it, in delivering people from demonic oppression. Today I will be dealing with a very specific case in point as I visit the mental hospital. I have been instrumental in healing and/or deliverance for several people who were hospitalized there, but one man is a particularly tough nut to crack (and I mean nothing disrespectful to people with mental problems). He’s not insane, as we usually think of such things, but he is consummately self-centered, and that has kept him in and out of mental hospitals for over half his life. I do not want to write him off, particularly since I also minister to his parents, but I have no wisdom for the situation. I must remember that I am not my own, I belong to God, paid for by the blood of Jesus, (1 Corinthians 6:19-20) and accordingly be totally sensitive and obedient to Him, allowing His authority to flow through me. Deliverance is no problem if I will walk in that fully.

Father, I feel like I have known these things already, yet I have not walked in them fully. Thank You for continuing to take me deeper and closer to You. May I speak, act, and live as Your agent, in this and every area, so that You may be glorified and Your will be done as Your authority, Your Spirit, Your life flows through me. Thank You. Hallelujah!