I know many people who are not Christians, but they would still agree with this concept.
The thief comes to steal, kill and destroy.
A thief takes without thought of giving.
What a thief takes can be different in different situations and for different people; but, believe this- they will destroy and kill if they are allowed.
Destroy and kill relationships, happiness, trust, love, hope, joy, peace.
The thief will not always be up front about it, either.
But, thieves are everywhere and they mean only to take for themselves without thought of how they have affected the victim(s) of their schemes.
Most thieves are pretty good at what they do. They are usually liars. Sometimes they are so good at lying, even they believe themselves.....
Take the illness that feeds on it's victim trying to convince him or her that they don't stand a chance. Making them ill and zapping their joy.
Look at the bully at school who belittles the other children- putting them down, trying to make themselves look better by making others feel worse.
How about the boyfriend/girlfriend who doesn't really love their mate- but loves the fact that they can get what they want from them pretty much when they want and don't have to give much if anything back to the relationship so they stay in it and keep just saying the words to make the other person stay under false hope.
What about the parent who just can't let their child become who they were made to become- doing what they love and are passionate about because they demand the child go in a direction the parent dreams about.
Or maybe it's the friend who just is so insecure that they are constantly putting pressure on everyone around them to be who they want them to be so they feel safe. If they see their friends having relationships with others, or do well at something, they feel threatened and so they get upset and the friendship is attacked.
Have you thought about drugs and alcohol and they way it makes a person feel better for a few minutes or hours and then leaves them lower than they had been?
I believe we often ignore or forget that we live in a spiritual realm. We feel like our fights are between us and another person. Or us and God. The reality is that a spiritual war is raging and it is always present. To not believe in good and evil is to not believe in right and wrong, day and night.....
The real thief the devil prowls around like a lion waiting to devour. He is a liar and the father of lies.
In my mind, he is behind these battles above. Not a person..... yes, he may plant some seeds in a way that makes a person believe a lie and follow the wrong path. Yes, he may convince you that you are defeated. He may work through a person.....an illness......drugs or alcohol.....but the key to battle is always to KNOW YOUR ENEMY.
If you know that his job is to steal kill or destroy..... then, be on the look-out for that happening in your life!
If you feel like your life or the things in life that you enjoy are being taken- relationships, happiness, trust, love, hope, joy, peace- then you can be pretty sure that the enemy is scheming against you! If you are feeling defeated, like giving up, like a complete failure with no hope and no love- you are being played!! DO NOT let the schemes of the thief work against you in your life! FIGHT BACK!
Sometimes, it means you have to totally turn away from a situation or even the person. Sometimes it means you need a support group. Sometimes it means you need to get help and guidance by way of counseling. Sometimes it means standing up to a person or a situation and doing all that you can to communicate and gain understanding together.
But recognizing what is going on is the first step to fixing the problem. So not allow your life to be stolen killed or destroyed! Do not allow a thief to have an easy job! Choose to recognize, work to conquer and keep away!
