The Devil’s main objective is to get as many Christians as he can to stumble. He does not like it when people obey the gospel, but he never gives up hope. As long as he has the opportunity to turn the new convert back to the world, he will keep on trying. What we must do is anchor ourselves in the Lord.
Jesus taught us the importance of abiding in Him (John 15:1-7). Paul admonished the brethren at Corinth to be steadfast (1 Corinthians 15:58). The reason for these admonitions is the activeness of Satan in trying to get God’s children to become unfaithful. He is still at it. How can we prevent the Devil from being successful with us? How can we anchor ourselves so that we will not drift away from God by succumbing to the cunning craftiness of the old serpent? Here are a few suggestions.
- Look toward Heaven
The Hebrews writer said that hope serves as an anchor of the soul (Hebrews 6:19). When we become too materialistic, we become vulnerable to drifting away from God. The reason for this is that we take our eyes off of that which is truly important, that is, heaven. Let us remember that this world is just a temporary dwelling for us, not our final destination; thus, our affections should be on heaven (Colossians 3:1-3). This is our hope, and we must always keep it before us (Hebrews 6:18). Thinking about heaven daily will help us to be anchored in Christ.
- Remember Life without Christ
Looking back is sometimes helpful. I do not encourage you to do this a lot because it could impede your progress forward. Instead of dwelling on the past, Paul exhorts us to press toward the goal of Christianity (Philippians 3:13-14). Nevertheless, an occasional glance backward can help us realize how much we now have in Christ. Paul led the minds of the saints at Rome backward when he said, “For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness. What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death” (Romans 6:20.21).
Are you happier now that you are a Christian than when you were in the world? The answer should be yes. If we are not happier now, it is probably because we do not reflect enough on our many blessings in Christ. We used to be servants to sin, but now we are free. We were headed toward a place of eternal torment, but now we are on our way to an eternal state of bliss. Before we obeyed the gospel, we were without hope, without God, and without Christ, but now we enjoy fellowship with God. Remembering these blessings should help anchor us.
Study And Pray
God has arranged it so that we can stay in constant contact with Him. When things get tough, talk to God. He always likes to hear from you. When you find life perplexing, perhaps even to the point where your faith is growing weak, listen to God. His Word is “a lamp unto our feet, and a light unto our path” (Psalms 119:105). Study and pray! It, too, will help you avoid drifting. Have you cast your anchor?
As you wind down for the night, think about these things.