“So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.” (Matthew 10:31 NIV)
Have you ever had the devil whisper that you’re not going to make it? So have I… and so have countless other believers throughout the ages. We may not always talk about it, and therefore it might appear as if we were the only ones being attacked this way. Many times, we’ll even think the thought is our own, though in reality it has been suggested to us by the enemy of our souls. But guess what? The devil is a liar! Jesus himself said that “when Satan lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies” (John 8:44).
There is a multitude of promises in the Bible, both in the Old and New Testaments, assuring us of the Lord’s care and protection and concern for us. Remember these? “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you… when you walk through the fire, you will not be burned” (Isaiah 43:2). “If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31) “We are more than conquerors through him who loved us” (Romans 8:37). “I will never leave you; never will forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5). “He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:6). “The very hairs of your head are all numbered” (Matthew 10:30). “Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand” (Isaiah 41:10). And there are many, many more.
With so many promises from God, why is it that at times we end up believing Satan when he tells us that we’re not going to make it? One reason is that he is known as the accuser. He tries accusing us to God, but when he does, Jesus shows the Father his nail-scarred hands, and Satan’s accusations are to no avail! Jesus’ blood has made atonement for our sins and we have put on the righteousness of our Savior!
Unfortunately, it doesn’t work that way when Satan accuses God to us, and he’s done that from the beginning of time. The serpent told Eve, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden”? (Genesis 3:1, emphasis added) What God had in fact said was that they could eat of any tree in the garden except one—the one that would result in spiritual death. And so it has been down through the ages. Satan tells God’s people that God doesn’t care about them, that he’s out to spoil their fun, that he isn’t really going to take care of them, that they’ve messed up and therefore God won’t take care of them. But we have to go back to the words of Jesus: “Satan is a liar”!
Whatever problem or pressure you might be facing today, God wants to tell you, “You’re going to make it!” The old hymn says it best: “Some through the waters, some through the flood, some through the fire, but all through the blood” (“God Leads Us Along,” by George A. Young). May this truth encourage our hearts today!