The devil does have a plan for your life. And it can be expressed pretty fully with five words:
- Doubt—He wants you to question God’s Word and His goodness.
- Discouragement—He wants you to look at your problems rather than at God.
- Diversion—He attempts to make the wrong things attractive to you so your appetites will be turned from godliness.
- Defeat—He wants you to feel like a failure so you don’t even try.
- Delay—He wants you to put off doing what the Holy Spirit has prompted you to do so it never gets done.
Doubt, discouragement, diversion, defeat, delay—they’re temptations to all of us.
The key is to recognize them for what they are, submit to God, and resist Satan.
Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.—James 4:7
God has a plan for your life, too, and it involves reassuring your doubts, strengthening your heart, challenging your faith, and encouraging you to take action.
Do you wonder how God’s plan is set in motion? By your obedience to a simple invitation.
Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you.—James 4:8a
Are you wrestling with doubt? Struggling with discouragement? Diverted from your purpose? Feeling defeated? Delaying to act?
Draw near to God. Seek His face. And His truth will set you free.
It all starts by drawing near to God.
