“Stop that Thief!”

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. –JOHN 10:10 ESV

This is one of my favorite bible verses because it so plainly states and clearly contrasts Satan’s intentions, regarding you and me, with Jesus’ purpose in our lives.

First and foremost, Satan (I call him “The enemy”), comes to steal. He is a thief at the core of who he is. He cannot create, he cannot originate. He steals by deception, trickery and lies.

By definition, a thief is a person who takes things that do not belong to them. They usually take the belongings of others in secret and without permission.

Here are 4 Types of Thieves:

  1. Burglar – Breaks into a buildings, like homes and businesses, to steal
  2. Shoplifter – Steals items from a store
  3. Pickpocket – Takes things directly from people’s pockets in crowds

Now this fourth type of thief is one I’m going to add that you’ve probably have never heard of before today. I know about it because, recently, it almost happened to me: 

I call this thief a “Joy Jacker.”

A Joy Jacker is someone the enemy uses to steal your joy when you are in the middle of celebrating and rejoicing over an answered prayer, spiritual victory or some other good news. It happens so quickly and, seemingly, so randomly that, without discernment, you won’t realize it’s happening. And, in case you don’t know what it means, here are a few examples of how a Joy Jacker strikes:

You just found out you got a promotion, and in the middle of celebrating, a cousin calls to start an argument about an issue that the two of you settled weeks ago. See, how random that is? That’s the stealthy part. The enemy is trying to “jack your joy” the way a thief tries to “jack” or steal your car–while you’re in it.

Here’s another example:

You’re excited about your plan to take a trip with a group of friends. Then, a different friend who is not included in your vacation plans, reaches out and “randomly” complains, (without knowing your vacation plans with your other friend group) that you never go on trips with them. Do you see what the enemy is doing, here? The goal here is to steal your excitement about your trip with one friend group and replace it with guilt because you’re not planning a trip with a different friend. 

The enemy is a THIEF! He comes to steal, kill and destroy. But we won’t fall for his tactics! This week on @wilmahollislifespeak on IG, I’m going to talk about 5 things that the enemy comes to steal from your life and how YOU can STOP THAT THIEF!

Join me and Keep the Faith, LifeSpeakers!

Love,
Wilma

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