Scripture : John 10:10
“The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.”
The Devil’s Purpose vs The Lord’s Purpose
There are two different persons who take interest in our lives, the devil and the Lord Jesus. These persons have their own purposes respectively. The devil, whom the Lord calls a thief, comes to steal and to kill and to destroy, whereas the Lord Jesus comes that we may have life and this life is not just ordinary life, but abundant life. The devil wants to take this life and everything that we have received or may receive from the Lord.
The Devil Comes to Steal, to Kill and to Destroy The Word
“Listen! Behold, a sower went out to sow. And it happened, as he sowed, that some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds of the air came and devoured it. Some fell on stony ground, where it did not have much earth; and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of earth. But when the sun was up it was scorched, and because it had no root it withered away. And some seed fell among thorns; and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no crop. But other seed fell on good ground and yielded a crop that sprang up, increased and produced: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred.” (Mark 4:3-8)
“The sower sows the word. And these are the ones by the wayside where the word is sown. When they hear, Satan comes immediately and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts. These likewise are the ones sown on stony ground who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with gladness; and they have no root in themselves, and so endure only for a time. Afterward, when tribulation or persecution arises for the word’s sake, immediately they stumble. Now these are the ones sown among thorns; they are the ones who hear the word, and the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. But these are the ones sown on good ground, those who hear the word, accept it, and bear fruit: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred.” (Mark 4:14-20)
The Lord Jesus calls the devil a thief not by accident. It describes his personality. He likes to steal, to take away what does not belong to him. What does he like steal from our lives? Many things, such as the peace of God, the joy of the Lord, the material blessings, etc. But, one thing he goes after the most because it is the most precious thing, that is, the Word of God. Described in the parable of the sower as the birds of the air that come and devour the seed which is sown, the devil comes immediately and takes away the word that is sown in our hearts (Mark 4:4,15). The devil is always going to try to steal the word of God every time it is sown. But if he fails to do so, he is going to use his second strategy, which is direct attack of the sown word, using tribulation, persecution or temptation (Mark 4:17, Luk 8:13). This attack is his attempt to kill the word. Like a thief who fails to steal without violence, he would turn into rage like a roaring lion to kill (1 Pet 5:8). Still, if he doesn’t succeed in killing the word of God in our lives, the devil will use his ultimate and most successful strategy. Many people have become its casualties. This strategy seems harmless at the beginning, but it is destructive and deadly at the end. What is this strategy? He sows his own seed into our hearts in the form of cares, riches and pleasures of this life. These are legitimate things, but when they occupy our lives, they will destroy and choke the word in our hearts (Mark 4:19, Luke 8:14).
Abundant Life Is in The Word
The key to the abundant life that the Lord Jesus promised is the word of God. As we receive His word into our hearts, that word will multiply thirty fold, sixty fold and a hundred fold (Mrk 4:20). This multiple fold is the abundant life. But, for us to experience this, we must be able to stand against the devil who always walks about trying to steal, to kill and to destroy the word in our lives.