Thrown by the Devil

   

  In the familiar account of the Upper Room, the Bible says that, “During supper, when the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray him…” Most Christians rightly understand this passage to be the time where Satan convinced Judas Iscariot to become the traitor.

     But if we take a closer look at the word “put” we see something interesting. When it says “the devil had already put it into the heart,” that word means “to throw.” So we could say, “The devil had already thrown it into the heart of Judas Iscariot.”

     This is not exactly a subtle move on the Accuser’s part. Satan is violently and aggressively throwing ideas Judas’ way. And if this strategy worked 2,000 years ago, you had better believe that Lucifer has only gotten better at what and how he throws things our way.

     So how do we withstand what is being thrown at us? Paul told us. In Ephesians 6:11 he said to, “Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles (schemes) of the devil.” Paul then gets more specific.

     Listed among the armor of God are the shield of faith and the breastplate of righteousness. When we put our faith in God we are also raising a shield of defense that can ward off enemy artillery, and even if something happens to get past the shield, we can be girded with the breastplate. Satan threw his schemes at the heart of Judas, which is exactly what this plate protects.

     This passage reveals to us that it is not enough to simply have faith in Jesus. That is what saves us, but our righteous living is what becomes expected of us. Satan will throw some schemes at you today, so you better put on your armor, grab your shield, and get ready to do battle.  

(Read this post about the armor of God)