I read early this morning in Isaiah 36 and 37, Sennacherib, king of Assyria, had come against Judah, and took them, then sent messages and one of his challenges came right out of the pit of hell. In Isaiah 36:7 we hear this great challenge, which was and is often echoed throughout history to God’s people. “But if thou say unto me, We trust in the Lord our God: is it not he whose altars Hezekiah hath taken away, and said to Judah and to Jerusalem, Ye shall worship before this alter? Now therefore give pledges, I pray thee, to my master the king of Assyria”,…..then in verse 14 we read: “Let not Hezekiah deceive you: for he shall not be able to deliver you. Neither let Hezekiah make you trust the Lord, saying, The Lord shall surely deliver us: this city shall not be delivered into the hand of the king of Assyria.” Our adversary has a myriad of means to question our faith in the Lord, though he speaks to men the devil has deception of his lips and unfortunately many get lured to sleep and many in this world enjoy the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life.

The threats were delivered to Hezekiah in Chapter 37, and he rent his clothes, and covered himself with sackcloth, and went into the house of the Lord. He then sent to Isaiah. Isaiah said in verse 4, “It may be the Lord God will hear the words of Rabshakeh, whom the King of Assyria his master hath sent to reproach the living God, and will reprove the words which the Lord thy God hath heard, wherein lift up thy prayer for the remnant that is left.” In verse 6 Isaiah sends a message back to Hezekiah. “Thus saith the LORD, Be not afraid of the words that thou hast heard, wherewith the servants of the king of Assyria have blasphemed me. Behold, I will send a blast upon him and he shall hear a rumor, and return to his own land, and I will cause him to fall by the sword in his own land.” The threat of the Assyrians continued. Who threatens you today in your walk with God. Is it not our adversary, the devil, who goes about as a roaring lion, seeking whom He may devour? Where is our strength? It is always in the strength of the promises of God. Listen to the reply the Lord God gave, in Chapter 37:33: concerning Assyria, “He shall not come into this city, nor shoot an arrow there, nor come before it with shields, nor cast a bank against it. By the way that he came, by the same shall he return, and shall not come into this city, saith the Lord. Then the angel of the LORD went forth, and smote in the camp of the Assyrians a hundred and fourscore and five thousand: and when they arose early in the morning, behold they were all dead corpses.”

          So often as believers we wilt under the assault of the devil, when we should resist Him, pray, ask and receive the power necessary to resist the devil. Each challenge to God, was turned away by God against the Assyrians adversary, and we read in verse 38, “as he was worshiping in the house of Nisroch his god, As Sennacherib, was worshipping Nisroch his god, that Adrammelech and Sharezer, his sons smote him with a sword: and they escaped into the land of Armeoia: and Esarhaddon; his son reigned in his stead.” The Devil had a plan for the Son of God also, and it was to kill Him and destroy the work of God, and yet Jesus Christ, God’s only begotten Son was crucified and yet the grave could not hold Him. God had a better plan!  He rose again and ordained men with a commission to go into the world and preach the good news. Christ overcame the grave, rose from the dead and ascended into heaven and has given us exceeding great and precious promises that we might be partakers of His divine nature. We need to learn to cast down every vain imagination that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and be ready to avenge every disobedience with obedience. Repent quickly, and destroy the works of Satan and be not deceived. God is not mocked. Whatsoever a man sows, that shall he also reap. If we sow to the flesh, we shall reap corruption, but if we sow to the spirit, eternal life. If we stumble, we repent, get back up and continue forward in our walk with God. We cast down vain imaginations that exalt themselves against God, and we revenge every disobedience with obedience. Hold fast to faith and continue in the things you have learned and been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them.