30-Day Personal Devotion Challenge Day 11

Good Morning Church Family – Day 11

Read Colossians 2:8-10

Devo Thought: Have you ever wondered why it is that so much of the New Testament is made up of letters that Paul, Peter, John, James, and Jude wrote to various churches throughout the Roman Empire? It seems like a strange thing to use so much of the space of sacred scripture on letters. Why not write more about the history of the early church? At least one reason why we see so many letters in the New Testament after the birth of the church is due to the fact that the world is a dangerous place for Christians. You see, we have an enemy who is seeking to destroy us. Peter puts it this way: “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” Often, we make the mistake of believing that the enemy attacks us directly. Paul in 2 Corinthians 11 writes, “Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness.” What this means is that Satan often attacks us indirectly, by way of “plausible arguments.” This is why Paul must write to this church: “See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit (save yourself), according to human tradition (follow the Law), according to elemental spirits of the world (think of Satan and Eve), and not according to Christ.” The letter writers of the New Testament are writing to the early churches and to us to remind us of the truth and to be on guard because we have an enemy on the prowl.

Prayer – Let us ask God to remind us often of the truth and to ask Him for his protection (pray Ephesians 6:14-18).