Years ago, I listened to a sermon by my pastor. He was trying to show how we blame the devil for everything wrong in our lives.
He said, a man ventured out for a stroll one evening to get some fresh air. Under a tree, he saw the devil weeping. He was sad and dejected. The dude was depressed.
He asked, “Mr. Devil, what’s wrong? Why are you crying?” The devil responded, “It’s those Christians, they keep blaming me for everything. If they are late to work, they accuse me. If they get a headache, I carry the can. When they are sick or have relationship problems, I get all the flak. This is just too much. It’s not fair!”
Now, without a shadow of doubt, scripture shows us that the enemy consistently works to the detriment of the church and humanity. Peter says in 1 Peter 5:8-9 (NIV), “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devilprowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” Trust me, the dude is not looking to play poker with you. He wants to take you out! Not for dinner, you are on the menu. He's not your friend. He is your adversary.
There are those who say, the Devil doesn’t exist. He is a figment of our imagination. However, scripture tells us of a real personal entity. Most of the time, we think of him in terms of acts of power and great feats of destruction. But his biggest weapon is deception. He deals in lies. Once he can get you to take in what he is peddling, he’s got you. You are officially under his control.
In Revelation 12:9, John says, “This great dragon-the ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, the one deceiving the whole world...” No wonder Jesus called him the father of lies (John 8:44).
Temptation is not a sin. We all get tempted. It is a question of whether we chose to give in to the carrot dangled in front of us or not.
Despite his modus operandi, the New Covenant doesn’t endorse laying in everything at his doorstep. Not every health challenge is demonic in origin. Pauls says in 2 Corinthians (CJB), “This is why we do not lose courage. Though our outer self is heading for decay, our inner self is being renewed daily.” The Bible in Basic English Version says, “…but though our outer man is getting feebler, our inner man is made new day by day.” The New International Version states, “…Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.”
As we age, we lose vitality. But that's not the end of the story. Don’t be discouraged. Our inward man is being renewed daily. The Lord will also give us a new Earth suit, that is not subject to decay (1 Corinthians 15:51-57). Praise God!
So, in the interim, it makes sense to take good care of our physical bodies the best way we can. Eat right. Rest. Exercise. Pay attention to it. This is something you and I have control over.
If you must go to the doctor for a check up, go for it. Thank God for good Doctors. It is better to know what you're dealing with, than put your head in the sand, thinking your problem will disappear. It is not a sin to consult your physician. It doesn’t demonstrate a lack of faith. Being aware of what's going on with you could help you make lifestyle adjustments that could save or prolong your life.
I am not saying it is wrong to trust the Lord for healing. He is our source. But, we must be good custodians of our bodies. Don't be deceived that you can claim supernatural immunity without taking responsibility for your health.
As I sign out, if you feel something isn’t right, don't be afraid, go to your doctor for a check up.
Have a blessed week 😉🙏🏾
Olu
The original blog post - 09.02.2015