Ambush Warnings

By Michael Youssef, Ph D.  02/08/24

Yesterday we were reminded that in order for God’s power to work in us, we must rely on His strength alone and we must be prepared for traps that the enemy sets for us.

So what are some of the ambushes we need to be aware of? One tactic Satan uses is convincing us that God’s principles do not work in a fallen world and therefore we need to depend upon our own ingenuity to survive. He lures us into the trap of worldly power by calling it practical and realistic. Instead, we need to exercise faith in the living God, the one who will carry us through until the end.

We are ambushed when we expect that seeking the Holy Spirit will make our lives supernaturally easy and smooth. However, the Bible does not teach that we will live a pain-free life in the Holy Spirit but rather that He will equip us to face difficult times with a peace that surpasses understanding (see Philippians 4:7).

A third ambush is the temptation to indulge our feelings of inadequacy and failure, which leads to focusing more on ourselves than on God. The Holy Spirit wants to empower us, but we need to surrender our shortcomings to Him instead of holding on to them. As Paul admonishes the Galatians: “Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by believing what you heard? . . . After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh? . . . It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery” (Galatians 3:2-3, 5:1).

Are you keeping your path clear for the Holy Spirit, or are you getting sidetracked by the devil’s ambushes?

Prayer: Father, thank You for the reminder today that there are many ways the devil tries to ambush us, but You always know his schemes and just how to strengthen me to stand firm. Help me to remain strong and steadfast by the power of Your Spirit. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.

“Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8).