We can't prevent God from accomplishing His plan for the world, but we can quench His Holy Spirit in our own lives. God has given us the freedom to stop the activity of the Holy Spirit in our lives. It is not how much of the Holy Spirit we have, but it's how much of us, the Holy Spirit has. When we ignore, disobey and reject what the Spirit is telling us, we stop the work that he can accomplish through us. We can't battle Satan alone. It's only through the power God has given us, through his Spirit that we can defeat the forces of evil around us.
God has given the lost world a warning in Matthew 13:13-15 “Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not; neither do they understand. And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, by hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see and shall not perceive. For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.
But he has also given us a promise of what we will receive if we do not quench the working of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Matthew 13:16,17 “But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear. For verily I say unto you, that many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.”
The evil is all around us and getting worse every day, but no matter how hard Satan works, he cannot change the outcome. God will prevail, and his word is clear, it is up to us to listen and obey what the Holy Spirit instructs us to do, and maybe some will hear and see the truth. To those who don't the outcome is very clear in Matthew 13:36-43 “Then Jesus sent the multitude away, and went into the house: and his disciples came unto him, saying, declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field. He answered and said unto them, he that soweth the good seed is the Son of man; The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one; the enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels. As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world. The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; and shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.”
When Jesus went to be with the Father he sent the Holy Spirit to be with us to show us the truth and guide and protect us from the evil one. It is our duty to listen and obey his guidance and direction.
John 16:7, 13 “Nevertheless I tell you the truth; it is expedient for you that I go away; for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will show you things to come.”
Things to ponder from the old cowboy preacher; It is safer to heed wise council, than to ignore it and learn from experience.
From The Old Cowboy Preacher Jerry Canterbury