Checking My Temperature

I've made the devil mad. I've scared him. Thrown him for a loop, and he does not like it. How do I know? I feel his attacks against me.
Satan's favorite kind of person is the lukewarm Christian. How do I know that? Because that is the kind of person that disgusts God. In Revelation 3:15-16, God speaks to the church of Laodicea, and He says:

“‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth."

It makes perfect sense why Satan would love the lukewarm Christain. The cold person is a nonbeliever: living in the world and of the world. No threat at all to the works of the devil -- unless, of course, that cold person becomes hot. The hot person is saved by the grace of God. The hot person is continually growing in his faith, becoming strong in the Lord each day. He is a threat to the works of Satan. Yeah, Satan hates the hot person.

But the lukewarm. Oh the lukewarm person is Satan's favorite kind. Take some hot water (believer) and add in enough cold water (worldly), and you've got lukewarm. Room temperature. Tepid. Cold water can freeze, hot water can boil, but lukewarm water just sits there. Doing nothing. So a person who claims the name of Christ but lives like the world, Satan can work with that. He can use that to deceive both believers and unbelievers alike. The lukewarm do the work of Satan for him.

I have been slowly inching toward lukewarm. Slowly losing my focus on the cross and instead listening to the lies of the world. What pleasure I was bringing to my enemy! But now I am renewed. Refocused. Walking closer with my Lord. And the closer I walk with God and the stronger I feel His love, the more Satan hates me.

And so he attacks. He does everything in his power to throw cold water on me to get me back to lukewarm. Back to where he wants me. Away from God. Next Monday, I'll talk more about the ways Satan attacks the Christian. But for today, I have one prayer:

Lord, keep me close. When my ears start tingling at the sound of this world's lies, keep me close. When my pride builds up and tells me I deserve more, better... Lord, keep me close. I want to be hot. And tomorrow, I want to be even hotter than today. I want my life to bring glory to you.