Protection From the Evil One
To the Thessalonians Paul writes that God will strengthen and protect them from the evil one. He will give them protection from evil.
This excites and comforts me, because I want to be protected.
But that’s only half the of the promise. The other part is that we will be strengthened.
To be protected is passive. It is easy and safe.
To be strengthened is more active. It reminds us that we will undergo trials, temptations, and attacks from the enemy—and for this, we will be made strong in order to withstand it.
Standing strong is not easy or safe. It is hard and risky. But we don’t need to endure it alone, for God gives us the strength we need and protection from evil.
[Read through the Bible with us this year. Today’s reading is 1 Thessalonians 1-3, and today’s post is on 1 Thessalonians 3:3.]
Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.
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