Relentless Opposition - Greg Laurie Devotion - October 1, 2026
Thursday, October 1, 2026
Relentless Opposition
“Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.” (1 Peter 5:8 nlt)
The Bible doesn’t tell us how long Adam and Eve lived in the Garden of Eden before temptation reared its head. The devil certainly had heard God’s warning to Adam: “You may freely eat the fruit of every tree in the garden—except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If you eat its fruit, you are sure to die” (Genesis 2:16-17 nlt). In narrative of Genesis, the tempter appears almost immediately with his wily pitch.
His immediate appearance reminds me of Jesus’ parable of the Sower in Matthew 13. As the farmer scatters seed, some of it falls on the footpath. Birds quickly swoop in and devour it before it has a chance to grow.
If you’ve ever dropped a French fry outside a McDonald’s in a heavily birded area, you can probably picture the scene. Birds suddenly seem to appear out of nowhere. If you live near a beach, you know there are seagulls that will swoop in and fly off with your lunch, your small dog, or your children.
Jesus said, “The seed that fell on the footpath represents those who hear the message about the Kingdom and don’t understand it. Then the evil one comes and snatches away the seed that was planted in their hearts” (Matthew 13:19 nlt). This is one of the many reasons we need to pray for people who have just come to Christ. The devil will be at their door with temptation, doubt, and an onslaught of other things.
Remember that wherever God is blessing, the devil will be opposing—immediately. He isn’t going to wait a year. He isn’t going to wait a month. He may not even wait an hour.
You can be walking out of church when temptation suddenly strikes. You think, “What’s going on? Why here? Why now?” The fact is that Satan wants to undermine what just happened in your life. He opposes immediately. He always will.
The apostle Peter wrote, “Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8 nlt).
The devil knows all too well the power of God’s Word. According to Matthew 4:1-11, after Jesus was baptized, the Holy Spirit led Him to the wilderness, where He fasted for forty days. The devil appeared to Him there in His weakened state. Three times the devil tempted Jesus to deviate from God’s plan. Three times Jesus responded by quoting Scripture. Finally, Jesus commanded the devil to leave, and the devil went away.
The devil knows what will happen if the seeds of Scripture start to take root in a believer’s life. He knows that a heart in which the words of the Bible are hidden is hard to access. He knows that a life guided by the Word of God is hard to disrupt.
Reflection question: How can you keep the devil from snatching away a nugget of wisdom from God’s Word in your life?
Copyright © 2026 by Harvest Ministries. All rights reserved.
Photo Credit: ©iStock/Getty Images Plus/Yulia Sushkova
Greg Laurie is the pastor and founder of the Harvest churches in California and Hawaii and of Harvest Crusades. He is an evangelist, best-selling author, and movie producer. His latest film ‘Jesus Revolution,’ from Lionsgate and Kingdom Story Company, is now available on-demand worldwide.
For more relevant and biblical teaching from Pastor Greg Laurie, go to www.harvest.org
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Some Christians think Bible reading, prayer, fellowship, and sharing their faith are things they eventually move beyond. The truth is just the opposite. In What Every Growing Christian Needs to Know, Pastor Greg Laurie explores the foundational practices that help believers grow spiritually and stay strong in their faith. Whether you're a new believer or have followed Christ for decades, this practical guide will help you focus on the things that matter most. Request your copy this month with your gift to Harvest Ministries.
