Guest post by John Money:

Today I feel compelled to offer a spiritual warning….a “heads-up” to all who have joined our church-wide 21 day Fast.

Scripture tells to “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” (1 Pet 5:8)

Our enemy, the devil, hates us and he hates that we are seeking to draw closer to Jesus through fasting and prayer.  He wants to ruin your fast.  Ruin your faith.  Ruin your relationship with the Lord.

How do I know?  The Bible tells me so!

Satan hates us; just like he hated Jesus.  Look at what he tried to do to Jesus during his 40 day fast.  Satan came to tempt him at the end of the fast and when Jesus was hungry, tired, and weak.  Satan will try to do the same thing to us.  We are at day 18 of a 21 day fast.  It is time for us to be spiritually alert and ready to refute Satan’s lies/attacks with faith and the truth found in God’s Word.

Matthew 4:1-3 -Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. ² After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. ³ The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”

⁴ Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

Let’s be ready like Jesus was.  We too have been led by the Spirit to Fast.  The devil will try to tempt us to give up, to take short cuts, to doubt, to despair.  Let’s do what Jesus did and answer with the Word of God.  Let’s put on the armor of God and say to Satan, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’” (Matthew 4:10)

“Away from me, Satan!”  “Away from my family!”  “Away from my friends!”  I have been fasting for 18 days and I am connected to Jesus….get away from me!”