OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL
DATE: FRIDAY, JANUARY 30, 2026.
TOPIC: UNDERSTANDING SATANIC TRAPS 4
MEMORISE
Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man. - (Luke 21:36)
READ: Matthew 16:13-23 (KJV)
13 When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?
14 And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets.
15 He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?
16 And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.
17 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.
18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
19 And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
20 Then charged he his disciples that they should tell no man that he was Jesus the Christ.
21 From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day.
22 Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee.
23 But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.
MESSAGE
Today, I want to conclude this series by discussing another kind of trap which the devil uses. This trap is very subtle but potent in keeping people under his bondage. It is something I would like to call a trap of hypnosis. In this case, the devil hypnotises an individual by trapping his or her mind and taking control of it.
In today's Bible reading, Jesus asked His disciples who He was, and one of them, Peter, accurately described the person of Jesus. When he gave that description, Jesus announced that he could only have gotten it from a divine revelation. However, the next moment, when Jesus was telling the disciples about the things that were to come, Peter rebuked Him and said that He was not going to die. Immediately, Jesus said, "Get thee behind me, satan..." In a split moment, the devil had put Peter in bondage and was controlling his thoughts and speech, such that he started speaking as the devil's puppet without knowing it.
One major tool the devil uses to hypnotise people today and take control of their minds is social media. He pushes certain ideologies to them consistently, and after a while, they begin to think the thoughts that he wants them to think. We see this everywhere in the world today; things that were considered shameful and an abomination a few decades ago are now seen as normal in society. The devil particularly targets children, ensuring that they learn all sorts of abominable things at a tender age so that he can take control of their fragile minds. As a child of God, you must beware of this subtle but very dangerous tool that the devil is using to bring people into bondage.
Many times, the devil sneaks his evil ideas into songs and movies, and by so doing, he subtly introduces them to unsuspecting people, hypnotising them without their knowledge. This is why (1 Thessalonians 5:17) says that you must pray without ceasing. To avoid this trap of the devil, you must remain in touch with the Holy Spirit at all times by studying the Bible dilig diligently, meditating on it at all times, and praying without ceasing.
Beloved, watch, pray, and guard your heart with all diligence (Proverbs 4:23). You must take heed lest you fall (1 Corinthians 10:12) because Jesus Himself said that if it were possible, even God's very elect will be victims of the devil (Matthew 24:24).
KEY POINT
Watch, pray, and guard your heart with all diligence.
AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR
HYMN 28 - GUIDE ME, O THOU GREAT JEHOVAH
1. Guide me, 0 Thou Great Jehovah Pilgrim through this barren land; I am weak, but Thou art mighty,
Hold me with Thy powerful
hand: Bread of heaven! Bread of heaven! Feed me now and evermore (2ce)
2. Open Thou the crystal fountain,
Whence the healing stream
doth flow: Let the fiery, cloudy pillar Lead me all my journey
through: Song deliverer! Song deliverer! Be Thou still my strength and shield (2ce).
3. If I tread the verge of Jordan,
Bid my anxious fears subside: Bear me through the swelling torrent, Land me safe on Canaan's side: Songs of praises! Songs of praises! I will ever give to Thee (2ce).
4. Saviour, come! We long to see thee, long to dwell with thee above and to know in full communion, all the sweetness of Thy love. Come, Lord Jesus! Come, Lord Jesus! Take thy waiting people home (2ce).
No comments:
Post a Comment