In John 12:10-11, the chief priests wanted to kill Lazarus because Jesus had raised him from the dead and many Jews believed in him because of this miracle.
They had nothing against Lazarus as a man but the works of Jesus on Lazarus that led many to believe He is the Christ was the point of their discontentment.
The devil is not intimidated by us, but by the power of God and the works of God in us. His effort from time old has been to stop people from believing in God and following him, which is the ultimate disobedience. And anyone who emanates the light of God in his life in such a way that others are drawn to God is susceptible to the attack of the enemy.
You more often than not see non-believers and blasphemers and religious hypocrites have a smoother ride. There’s apparently ‘not much God’ in them to intimidate the enemy. They have no testimony that shakes the devil. But Satan is hot on the heels of anyone who has a testimony, anyone in whom God is evident, and anyone who draws people to Christ. Whether they realize it or not, the spiritual war waged against true followers of Christ, and especially those in whom the light of God is evident is very real and ongoing.
Spiritual discernment is needed to distinguish between what is a normal misdoing of life and what is spiritually instigated. Otherwise we will be in a war and not even be aware of it, which is really what the enemy wants so that we do not fight back.
When such attacks come, we ought to remember that the battle belongs to the Lord, for after all; it’s the Christ in you that draws more people to him that the devil hates. And his rage grows because He knows the love that God has for man. God often works through men to spread salvation, and so if the devil knows that He may not succeed in turning you away from God, he will try to disable you so that others might not come to God on account of you.
You therefore have to be wary of the Devil. The more the challenges you face the more the power of God is manifest through you to others. Others will see God working in your for good of your salvation and theirs.
