The word “goal” means ‘The state of affairs that a plan is intended to achieve and that when achieved terminates behavior intended to achieve it’. Its synonym is “end” in this context. Therefore, what is the goal for being a Christian? Looking at the word “goal”, it fits in as the ultimate of the endeavors of a Christian which undoubtedly is a desire “To  make Heaven”. Like in any area the word can be applied, once the destination is reached the end would have justified he means. The Christian goal, to my mind, is a means to an end. The end is to spend eternity with Jesus and all the heavenly Saints in God’s kingdom. By all we have read about, seen or experienced, one has to struggle hard to be able to win the race. Even on earth, building a habitable house or home or obtain academic or professional certificate with the license to be able to practise the acquired knowledge, it involves worthy hardships at such.

It is obvious that he who wants to eat honey embedded in the rock must not look at the cutting edge of the axe. There would be strain and stress consequent  upon cutting deep into the rock before the honey can start to flow. To be able to eat fresh corn in tropical dry season, there has to be mechanized farming facilities that incorporate irrigation. It is an essential requirement for pursuing Christian goal to “walk the talk” as a follower of Jesus with a view to meeting the biblical transcendental goal of making heaven. Jesus’ coming to the world is to make mankind acceptable  into God’s kingdom eternally under his code of conduct per his preaching,

As man is striving to follow Jesus with a view to inheriting the kingdom of God, the devil is perfecting its own strategy towards thwarting the believer’s endeavor. Satan had always been foxy. The serpent (Satan) won over Eve by deception and Adam fell for it as well. Clearly, satan manifests by the names of Demon, or Devil. The bible recorded that the Devil has come to steal, kill and destroy. Through this means it was able to mislead and enmesh many great anointed people of God  like King Jeroboam, and King Saul. Remember their elevation to kingship was of God but they were not able to hold their own as their conscience was turned away from God. Starting from Adam and Eve the number of such people is countless. Think of Hazel who got a prophesy that he would become king of Syria and then felt he was wiser than God who would surely have fulfilled the prophesy at his own time. He decided to carry out a palace coup by killing his master, of course, he never enjoyed the grace of God that goes with legitimate kingship.

Satan finds it difficult to coerce people who have given their life to God. since they have submitted their lives to God they can no longer divide their loyalty between God and the devil, by so doing, they become untouchable and are able to achieve their goal of making heaven. We find such people in the nature of people like Jeremiah, Enoch (who did not die but was no more) and Daniel. Let us recall the famous response of Daniel to the King who went to the site of the lion’s den early in the morning to find out if Daniel’s God has saved him. Daniel 6: 22 states: “My God has sent his angel, and has shut the lion’s mouth that they have not hurt me: as much  as before Him innocency was found in me ; and also before thee, O king, I have done no hurt” (NKJV)

Impediments to Christian goals are a situation in which people go into various studies that make them look smart or able to find a short cut to God.  Alas ! They really miss the ways of the Lord. The fate of practitioners of spiritism in the form of Tarot card, Palmistry, sand reading, charms and amulets or ancestral worship is sealed in what we read in Deuteronomy 18:10-11. “There shall not be found among you anyone that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire , or that uses divination, or an observer of times or an enchanter, or a witch, or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer” (KJV). After Paul’s conversion, he became unassailable to Satan’s attempt at making him fail in his newfound faith.

If we really understand the admonition in Ephesian 6: 10-13, we shall be able to practise Paul’s saying in James 4: 7-8 thus: “Submit yourself therefore to God, Resist the devil and He will flee from you…….Draw near to you. Cleanse your hands ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double-minded…..(verse 10) Humble yourself in the sight of the Lord, and He shall lift you up” Max Lucado describes the situation( of seeking to achieve Christian Goal in this submission) , He says: “God planned for His people to be distinct by their peaceful and humble attitudes. By  words and actions mark these qualities”