Modus Operandi

John 10:10
10The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life and have it to the full.

Jesus used the analogy of sheep and shepherd to describe his love for all He calls by name. And yes, Jesus calls us by name. True sheep will only respond to the voice of their shepherd. A shepherd always go ahead of his sheep to make sure they are safe and they follow him. But a hired hand or one who is only interested in what they will gain cares nothing for the sheep and will let them go to slaughter. Why this analogy? Shepherding or sheep herding was indeed a common profession. It was even the profession of David before he became king. A shepherd cares about his flock and desires to see them safe at all times. It is how Jesus sees us. We are His flock. But the enemy of our souls, Satan, is a thief. His concern will always be about him and him only. That's why he was cast out of heaven. His concern was about him and his vanity to be number one as opposed to lifting up the one who created him. Simply put, whatever the enemy can do to undermine the Lord he will attempt it. Did he not attempt it through Judas? A person who thrives on sin and willful ignorance (unwilling to learn the truth) in their life becomes very open to Satan. Satan is a spirit. Ephesians 6:12 says our struggle is not against flesh and blood but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of the dark world and against spiritual forces of evil.  Satan and his cronies are opposite that of the Holy Trinity: God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. So just as the Lord can use someone, Satan can too but his modus opporandi (Latin for mode of operation) is always about himself and distracting anyone he can away from the Lord. He and his cronies mask themselves very well. But as Jesus said, sheep will not respond to a strangers voice, they run from the stranger. Our task is to press into the Lord more via studying His word in the Holy Bible, consistent prayer and doers of the word not just hearers so that we know the Lord's voice and will not respond to a stranger. Jesus always wants the best for us and does not seek our death but our eternal life.

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