Sun.’s Devo - Power Over Satan

Read: Numbers 30:1-31:54; Luke 4:1-30; Psalm 63:1-11; Proverbs 11:20-21 God gave Moses the law about vows. If you want to understand this spiritually put Jesus name in for the husband. So if we say something that brings a curse on us and Jesus hears it and decides to stop it, it won’t curse us but if he allows it to pass, then we will reap the consequences of our impulsive words. This can be a comfort but the bottom line is that we need to watch the words that come out of our mouth because they can be life or death to ourselves and others. God told Moses to take revenge on the Midianites who had led the people into idolatry since that happened on his watch. He was to chose 1,000 men from each tribe to fight them. The high priest, Eleazar was to lead them into battle and the priests were to carry the sacred objects from the tabernacle into battle. They were to sound the charge on the trumpets and attack. They killed all five of the Midianite kings in battle. They also killed Balaam who had joined with Balak. Now we see his true colors. The Midianites stand for the stronghold of strife and contention. The Israelites took the plunder and burned all the towns and villages where they had lived. They brought the women and children back to the camp. It was the women who had led the people into idolatry and Moses was so mad at them for letting them live. He had them kill all the boys and the women who were not virgins. The people who killed them would have to stay outside the camp for seven days then be cleansed before they could reenter. They were to divide the plunder in two groups and give half to the ones who fought and half to the rest of the people. Out of the army’s plunder one of every 500 was to go to Eleazar and his family. From the half that belonged to the people they were to take one of every fifty and give it to the Levites. The plunder included sheep goats, cattle, donkeys and virgin girls. The generals and captains reported that not one soldier was missing so they made an offering to the Lord of items of gold that was captured. In Luke, Jesus was led into the wilderness to be tempted. When he had fasted for 40 days and nights the devil came to him and tempted him, if he was the son of God, to turn the stones into bread. Jesus replied that the Scriptures say that man doesn’t live on bread alone. Then the devil took him to a place where he could see all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. He told him he would give him all of them and authority over all for the if her would just worship him. Jesus told him that the Scriptures said that you must worship the Lord your God and serve only him. Then the devil took him to Jerusalem to the highest point of the Temple and told him that if he was the son of God, jump off. He used Jesus words says, “the Scriptures say, He will order his angels to protect and guard you. He continued quoting the 91st Psalm. Jesus replied that the Scriptures also say not to tempt the Lord. Then the devil left for a season. Jesus returned full of the Holy Spirit and began preaching. He went to his hometown and went to the synagogue on the Sabbath and went to read the scripture for the day. He unrolled the scroll of Isaiah and found the place where it said, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me… and that the time of the Lord’s favor has come.” (Isaiah 61:1-2) He stopped right before it said and “the time of the Lord’s vengeance.” He then said, “the Scripture you’ve just heard has been fulfilled this very day.” The people doubted he was the Messiah because they had seen him grow up among them. Jesus said that he would not be able to do many miracles here because of their unbelief, then he told them of two miracles in the Old Testament that had to do with Gentiles being healed. The point was that God would go to the people who would receive him and it wouldn’t be the Jews. This made them furious. They forced him to the edge of the hill and intended to push him over the cliff but he passed right through the crowd and went his way. There is nothing the devil can do to us when we walk in the power of the Holy Spirit. All of his plans will be thwarted and we will be saved. Lord, may we walk in the power of your Holy Spirit and fear no evil.