Luke 22

Then Satan entered Judas, called Iscariot, one of the Twelve. And Judas went to the chief priests and the officers of the temple guard and discussed with them how he might betray Jesus. They were delighted and agreed to give him money. He consented, and watched for an opportunity to hand Jesus over to them when no crowd was present. ‭‭Luke‬ ‭22‬:‭3‬-‭6‬ ‭NIV‬‬

We are all potentially vulnerable to Satan’s negative influence, and have to be prepared and watchful in order to remain free from the bondage that his ideas create.  The apostle Peter warns us: “Be alert and of sober mind.  Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8).   Lions look for weak or sickly animals to prey on.  Satan works in a similar manner, as he can most easily affect the hearts of those who are weary, depressed, lonely, offended, or filled with self-pity.  We need to make sure that we depend on God and turn to Him when we are not at our strongest.  We can tap into His power and strength to protect us and help us to overcome our problems.  Unfortunately, it is all too common for people to do the exact opposite.  When hard times arise in our lives, we will often pull away from God or even blame God for our circumstances.  This gives the enemy a perfect opportunity to enter our lives and lead us further away from our Loving Father.  Satan uses lies and fills our minds with negative thoughts to exert his influence on our lives.  We must learn to listen only to God’s voice, and we must get in the habit of praying for protection from Satan’s schemes.  With the Holy Spirit living in us, we are protected, as long as we continue to listen to His promptings.  “You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the One who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world” (1 John 4:4).