Articles
Where The Seed Falls
“The seed is the word of God. Those by the wayside are the ones who hear; then the devil comes and takes away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved” (Luke 8:11, 12). The Bible teaches that if someone does NOT desire to follow Christ, that Satan can actually assist them in not believing. “But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them” (2 Corinthians 4:3, 4).
But, it's not a terminal condition. “But the ones that fell on the good ground are those who, having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience” (Luke 8:15). Satan doesn't have the final say. When men and women stop refusing to believe, there is hope.
It does require changing sides of the fence, and not simply an acknowledgment that God is real. When a person's heart is willing, when we hear the word with a good and sincere heart, when we believe that teaching and obey through baptism the commands of our Lord, then “He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins” (Colossians 1:13, 14). "Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life." (Romans 6:3-4)
New life and victory over Satan is possible. Paul says “And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience” (Ephesians 2:1, 2).
Satan does not give up easily, and scripture tells us we must count the cost of following Christ, but with Christ, comes love, peace, joy and contentment. If you are missing these in your life, and find yourself under the bondage of Satan and sin, there is hope, and there is help. “And the God of peace will crush Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.” (Romans 6:20)
