SPIRITUAL FRAGRANCE
Part one of seven devotions in Warrior Saint series
Part one of seven devotions in Warrior Saint series
Deuteronomy 28:7: “The Lord will grant that the enemies who rise up against you will be defeated before you. They will come at you from one direction but flee from you in seven.”
Twelve year old Missy watched kids splashing each other in the pool’s shallow end. Then she confided to her best friend, Cassie, “Every morning I wake up thanking God for His love.”
Cassie sprayed sun block on herself before lying down on her towel beside Missy. She responded, “God’s love is awesome! Being God’s kid gives me confidence.”
“I feel Jesus hugging me when I wake up. … Why confidence?”
Cassie explained, “There is sooo much wrong in the world! I hear my parents talk. Mom wrings her hands, wanting to help people. Dad wants to change stuff. When I wake up, I thank God for the confidence to even get out of bed!”
Missy said, “Life doesn’t scare me. Of course, I don’t hear horror stories, either.”
“Unseen evil surrounds people every day.” Cassie commented. (See the lesson linked, below).
“Okay.” Missy relented. “But what’s unseen doesn’t scare me. Do you think demons and evil angels pick fights with good angels—in a different realm?”
“Nonstop!” Cassie said, giggling. “Let’s not ruin our fun day with spooky unseen evil lurking.” Cassie wiggled her fingers at Missy saying eerily, “Whhhhoo!”
“Stop!” Missy laughed.
Jesus knew where unseen evil lurked as He walked on earth with His disciples. Once, landing on the far shore across the lake from Galilee, a demon-possessed man from town greeted Jesus. Wearing tatters of cloth over his bony skeleton, he fell at Jesus’ feet.
“What do You want, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? Please don’t torture me!” he screeched.
“What is your name?” Jesus asked.
“Legion,” the man answered. “Many demons live here. Please don’t order us into the Abyss!” they pleaded with Jesus, sounding like many voices coming out of one man. “We prefer entering the herd of pigs eating on the hillside,” he (they) asked, hopefully.
“I give you permission to do so.” Jesus said.
Immediately, the demons poured out of the man and entered the pigs. The entire herd rushed down the steep embankment into the lake and drowned.
When word spread to the town what happened, people came to investigate. Jesus sat with the man sitting at His feet—washed, dressed, calm and talking in his right mind.
The crowd was afraid of what power Jesus possessed to cure this man. “Leave us,” they asked Jesus.
Jesus prepared to get into the boat. The man grabbed Jesus’ arm, “Take me with You,” he pleaded.
Jesus took his hand into His own, saying, “Go back to your town. Tell what God has done for you.” (Luke 8:26-39).
Take Home Nugget
Whenever the devil or his demons encounter Jesus, they flee. Cassie is correct to rise from sleep with confidence. She will be unharmed throughout the day because Jesus lives in her.
Cassie oozes a spiritual fragrance which evil spirits detect and which causes them to tremble. Remember Believers, “He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world!” (1 John 4:4). No curse, accusation, threat or destruction planned against you can succeed.
Thank You, Father, for radiating a spiritual fragrance from me that causes evil to flee from me seven ways! Amen.
Adapted from “See Your Enemies Flee Because of Jesus” by Rev. Joseph Prince. June 6, 2016. www.josephprince.org.
J.D. Griffith
Here’s another eBook by J.D. Griffith:
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