Madness that drives one to shoot into a crowd with intent to kill as many as possible, comes from a very real source of hate. The desperation that draws one, yet again, into a pit of consumption to numb the pain, originates from hate. A desire to take ones own life, rather than continue to live, stems from the depths of hate. There is a real enemy who’s set his eyes on each one of us, and he is the origin of all hate. The task of darkness is to steal, kill, and to destroy.
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy…~John 10:10
To Steal
Our adversary sets out to steal the dreams that God has for us. As the father of lies, Satan – the name of evil, entices us with secondhand offers from the world. The tempter wants us to believe that what he presents is better than God’s plan. He wants us to question God’s trustworthiness and come up with our own truth and plan. If he can influence us to give up the things of God – His way, His truth, and His dream, then he’s got us right where he wants us, ignorant and blind to his schemes.
To Kill
The enemy wants to kill God’s seed that reproduces His children. If we don’t believe, our children and circle of influence will be affected by an environment of unbelief. The more people the wicked one can deceive into believing that he’s not a real threat, the greater the darkness and hate will become. His tactic is deception, and although we may fail to recognize the source of evil as what it is, he continues to prowl the earth, seeking whom he may devour. Read more about the devil’s tactics during the last days, here.
To Destroy
The serpent desires to destroy our earthly lives and eternal souls. He wants to torment us on earth, and ultimately, bring our souls with him into hell. Luring us with disbelief and self-reliance, his objective is deception.
If he can’t stop us from trusting in God, he’ll try to distract us through strife, insecurities, or fear. He’ll offer opportunity for jealousy and offense. All are offshoots that stem from the same source of hatred. The enemy’s ways are ancient and cunning; let’s acknowledge them for what they are – attempts to bring destruction.
In John 10:10, Jesus offers hope:
I came that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.
We need an antidote to the evil among us, and if we are honest, we have need within the darkness of our own hearts and minds. Just as evil has a name, so goodness also has origin. Every good thing originates from a good God who personified love when He, Himself came to the earth – God in human form, named Jesus. Living perfectly in an imperfect world, He bore all evil and died on a cross to satisfy sin’s requirement. He died so that we – messy people, can have relationship with a perfect God.
I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world. ~Jesus (John 16:33)
The task of darkness is to steal, kill, and destroy, but Jesus came to bring us abundant and eternal life. Within a fallen and sinful world, we can have peace within chaos, hope inside our heartache, and purpose on the earth, through relationship with a loving and just God. We can overcome darkness through the light of Christ, alone. Jesus said:
I am the door. If anyone enters through Me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. ~John 10:9
To read more about the gift of salvation, visit The Navigators site here.
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