Choosing to put your head in the sand and deny evil’s reality is like receiving a ‘heads-up’ that someone is intent on harming/destroying you and your family and deliberately taking no precautions to prevent it.

Would you knowingly ever do that?

Of course not!

10 Reasons for Understanding How Evil Works

Here now are 10 additional reasons why it’s absolutely essential to educate yourself on the basic facts about evil and finally come to grips with how it works.

1. THE LORD Himself Says You Should Educate Yourself on Evil

The profound importance of educating yourself about evil was, and remains, a fundamental aspect of Jesus’ teaching ministry.

This is why it should matter to you.

Like everything else that’s vital to the success of your relationship with God, the Lord’s own teaching on evil really matters to your overall wellbeing.

It should get your attention.

It should form the basis for your understanding of evil.

Jesus, your Saviour, goes to extreme lengths to make completely sure that you, His deeply loved and profoundly cherished child understand that

• Satan is a real and present threat to your wellbeing —not just spiritual but physical, emotional, and psychological as well (John 10: 1 -13)
• you need to pray for the Lord’s protection against evil

Jesus experienced evil up close and real.

Yes, Satan had the brazenness to tempt the Lord of all life himself!

Luke 7:21 NIV (My emphasis)

Jesus experienced firsthand the very real and present danger evil poses.

Not surprisingly, Jesus’ first disciples went to great lengths to reaffirm Jesus’ warnings about the dangers Satan poses to YOU.

2. You and I Are NEVER Immune from Satan’s Attacks

Satan attacked even the Lord himself (Luke 7:21 NIV)!

If he does this to the Lord himself, how much more will he do it to you and me?

No one is ever immune from an assault by the Evil One.

 

3. It Makes Very Good Sense to Understand What Can Threaten and Destroy Your Emotional, Mental, Spiritual and PHYSICAL Health

Just as it makes good sense to understand what can destroy your physical health, it makes good sense to understand what can destroy not only your physical health but your emotional, mental and spiritual health as well.

To do so is not obsessive or neurotic.

It’s just wise.

It’s a sign of maturity.

4. You’ll Need Protection, and Perhaps Even Healing, When Evil Attacks You

Jesus had to heal those who were under Satan’s influence:

At that very time Jesus cured many who had diseases,

sicknesses and evil spirits …

Luke 7:21 NIV (My emphasis)

 

5. Satan is Far More Intelligent Than You

Satan is FAR more intelligent than you and me.

It appears that many Christians still aren’t aware of this.

His methods of operation are

• meticulously thought-through
• highly organized
• methodically carried out

You see, the devil NEVER wings it. 

6. It’s NEVER POSSIBLE to Defeat Satan in Your Own Human Strength!

Never be tempted to believe you can defeat Satan in your own strength.

Evil is a supernatural power (Ephesians 6:12)

Therefore, defeating it ALWAYS requires the Lord’s own SUPERNATURAL STRENGTH.

You’ll ALWAYS NEED the Lord’s help.

And He has made sure to give you that help (Luke 10:19).

If you try to resist Satan in your own human strength alone, you’ll harm yourself profoundly.  —AND those close to you and/or those who are in your care.

Your human strength cannot defeat the devil.

Only the Lord’s supernatural strength is powerful enough to defeat evil.

That’s exactly why He’s given it to you. 

7. When You Understand Evil, You No Longer Fear It

The Lord does not want you to fear evil.

He wants you to know HOW to protect yourself, your loved ones, and the wider world against it:

…deliver us from the evil one.

Matthew 6:13 NIV

(My emphasis)

People continue to fear evil because they don’t understand it.

And they don’t understand it because they haven’t educated themselves about it.

When you really understand evil, and the help the Lord has already given you to defeat it, you no longer fear it.

You simply acknowledge its reality and power.

And you make sure you educate yourself on the basic facts about it.

8. When You Are Able to Let Go of Your Fear of Anything, You No Longer Need to Obsess Yourself Neurotically with It

When you no longer fear evil, you no longer need to obsess yourself neurotically with it.

And remember that obsessing neurotically about evil lures you into its web.

9. It’s Important to Understand That if Satan Can’t Succeed in Harming You, He’ll Harm Those Close to You

If Satan can’t succeed in harming you, he’ll harm those close to you. 

Often, he does both together.

This is a very common tactic of the devil.

It’s extremely important, therefore, to pray protection for your family at all times —but especially if Satan is attacking YOU.

It’s vital that you recognize and remain fully aware of this tactic.

You see, Satan’s gaol is to steal not only your inner peace and joy but your family’s inner peace and joy.

Satan knows that this will further upset and confuse YOU.

And to constantly upset and confuse you is his ongoing goal!

Satan is a top-notch creator of strife within families.

I’ve seen this happen time and again in my own life and in the lives of many others —especially at the Christmas and Easter seasons.

You can keep yourself and your loved ones protected from evil at all times, but especially during the seasons of Christmas and Easter, by praying the Lord’s special protection for your family EVERY DAY when you wake up in the morning!

 

10. Do You Know What Satan’s # ONE GOAL Is?

Satan’s ultimate SINGLE goal NEVER changes:

To separate you (and your loved ones) from God’s LOVE

This is precisely why it’s so important to know HOW to experience the Lord’s love for you firsthand, directly, one-on-one,  any time you want or need it.

You might be attacked by Satan, but you’ll never become his victim if you know how to keep connected to the Lord’s love for you.

Note:

When you are able to repeatedly experience —firsthand for yourself, directly, one-on-one —God’s LOVE for YOU, you’ll come to understand and appreciate exactly how horrific evil is.

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 I hope you’re starting to appreciate that it’s not enough to be aware of evil and that, instead, you need to understand it!

I hope you’re starting to appreciate that if you don’t, your ignorance will dearly cost

• you
• your loved ones
• your wider community
• your nation
• the world itself …

Whenever you’re tempted to doubt this, read the daily newspapers and watch the TV news for a day or two.

Ignorance of evil is NEVER bliss.

Instead, it’s choosing to put your head in the sand and denying its reality.

It’s like receiving a ‘heads-up’ that someone is intent on harming/destroying your family and deliberately choosing to take no precautions to prevent it.

That can only be foolish.

So, I want you to start to take on board the importance the Lord himself places on recognizing and understanding evil.

Remember:

Both you and your loved ones and/or those in your care are often simultaneously targeted by the devil.

Your loved ones and/or those in your care might be too young to know how to protect themselves.

The responsibility for protecting them lies with YOU.

You do so with the power the Lord has already given you (Luke 10:19).

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Watch out for Part 3 of this series coming soon 

Scroll down for the Recap

 

Recap …