So that whole verse in first Peter about the devil prowling around like
a roaring lion seeking someone to devour . . .
Yea. That totally freaks me out.
Honestly, I’ve known people who spoke about the devil trying to cause
problems in their lives, and not so long ago, I kinda thought they were . . .
you know . . . nuts.
It wasn’t that I didn’t believe the devil exists, because I do. Hard to deny Satan when the Bible mentions
him dozens of times. I just wasn’t sure
how I felt about the idea of him hanging out in my house every day. I prefer to imagine him up in the heavenly
realms somewhere – trying to tiptoe past Jesus on those scrawny red devil legs
of his and failing every time.
I don’t want to acknowledge the devil and the ways he attempts to work
in my life, but lately, God’s been pointing them out to me. And you know what? It’s still totally freaking me out. At the same time, God has opened my eyes in
some seriously meaningful ways.
Suddenly, I have a name for those whispers of doubt that creep into my
mind on a regular basis. The ones that
tell me I’m not pretty. The ones that
tell me I make too many mistakes. The ones that tell me I’m an awful wife and a
terrible mother and an all-around horrible person. You’ve heard those whispers, haven’t
you? They say your house is ugly and your
husband is all wrong and your children will grow up to be convicts and God
doesn’t really care about little old you anyway, so why on earth are you even
entertaining the ridiculous notion of grace.
Screw off, Satan.
I hear your messages of nonsense, but I have my fingers in my ears and
I AM NOT LISTENING!
Now you think I’m nuts, don’t you?:)
I’m not the person who stands in her kitchen, has a fleeting thought of
discontent because the black, filled-to-the-brim refrigerator doesn’t match the
stainless steel dishwasher, (never mind the fact that tens of thousands of
children will die of starvation TODAY), and instructs the devil to flee in a
loud, commanding voice. Not yet,
anyway. But I have begun to take notice
of that lion prowling around me. No, he’s not the one making me covet things I
don’t need and which can never bring contentment – I do that all on my
own. He is, however, the one that takes
my sin and uses it against me. Oh, he’s
a nasty little bugger – sneaky and scheming and full of lies. And when the
devil tells me I’m unlovable because I occasionally wish for matching
appliances, I can now recognize the trick, and instead of believing him, I remind
myself that God makes a habit out of loving the unlovable . . . that God loves
me despite my selfish, sinful ways . . . that God loves me so much he
sent his son to die in my place, covering me with grace that is never
ridiculous, yet always miraculous.
A wise woman in my weekly Bible study once said, “Satan is the
accuser. God is the advocate.”
Who will I choose to believe? My
accuser or my advocate? Will I entertain
those whispers of doubt, or will I resist the devil, so he will flee from me
(James 4:7)?
I choose to believe the truth.
And God is The Voice of Truth. He
is my advocate. He is right here with
me, always, relentlessly defeating Satan in a battle he’s already won.
Psalm 119:160 The sum of your
word is truth, and every one of your righteous rules endures forever.
