The Devil, Demons, and Deception

When the Lord brings a particular topic up several times from different sources in a single day, it is wise to take heed. Especially one like this: Satan, demons, and temptation. My Pastor preached an amazing and informative sermon entitled  We Believe... God Wars; I received a text from someone in another state about Satan, demons, and temptation; my devotional just happened to be on that subject that afternoon; and the X-Files I watched dealt with it too.


OK, God. I'm listening.


What's the point? First, we need to neither give them too much, nor too little, thought. Here is a great passage from C.S. Lewis' book The Joyful Christian:


"The commonest question [I am asked about The Screwtape Letters] is whether I really "believe in the Devil".

Now, if by "the Devil" you mean a power opposite to God and, like God, self-existent from all eternity, the answer is No. There is no uncreated being except God. God has no opposite. No being could attain a "perfect badness" opposite to the perfect goodness of God; for when you have every kind of good thing (intelligence, will, memory, energy, and existence itself), there would be none left of him.

The proper question is whether I believe in devils. I do. That is to say, I believe in angels, and I believe that some of these, by the abuse of their free will, have become enemies to God and, as a corollary, to us. These we may call devils. They do not differ in nature from good angels, but their nature is depraved. Devil is the opposite of angel only as Bad Man is the opposite of Good Man. Satan, the leader or dictator or devils, is the opposite, not of God, but of Michael." (Emphasis mine)

I love the reminder that Satan is not the opposite of God, but of Michael, the arch angel. God created both and has full power and authority over both. Satan is just really ticked off about his final end and is taking as many as he can with him- both angel and human.


What is our role in this already won war? To win some battles through the power of Jesus Christ. There is a war going on. Ephesians 6:10-20 gives us a great synopsis of this. However, there is one other seldom used passage I love on this topic.


   When the servant of the man of God got up early and went out, he discovered an army with horses and chariots surrounding the city. So he asked Elisha, "Oh, my master, what are we to do?"
   Elisha said, "Don't be afraid, for those who are with us outnumber those who are with them."
   Then Elisha prayed, "LORD, please open his eyes and let him see." So the LORD opened the servant's eyes. He looked and saw that the mountain was covered with horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.
2 Kings 6:15-17


There is a constant battle around us, and the way in which Elisha handled is a great example. He knew it was there, he gave it thought and credit, but he did not dwell on it. You didn't hear him always talking about the unseen realm. He focused on doing God's will.


As for Christians being tempted by demons/ the Devil we must remember that Satan- the accuser - is not omnipresent. He can not be everywhere at once like God. Thus most people have to deal with his demons. Honestly though, what difference does it make? Temptation is temptation, and the blood of Christ covers them all no matter who incited it.


As for the "strength" of the temptation, we need only to remember His Word to us in 1 Corinthians 10:13. "No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to humanity. God is faithful and He will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation He will also provide a way of escape, so that you are able to bear it."
He will always prove a way of escape- if we are willing to look to Him for it.


There really is nothing else to this. Yes, it is here. Yes, we need to know about it. And NO, we shouldn't let it consume our thoughts. We should let only Christ and Him crucified have that honor.

The Tools of Satan- Part 2 of 3: Temptation

The Present: Temptation

There is always something we are being tempted to do. Whether it be a snide remark, a slap of the face, an extended “look” at the opposite sex, or putting off your quiet time for some down time, the Devil knows what we seem to fall for the most. Don't give him less credit than he deserves either. One of his toadies has been watching you and knows your weaknesses. He will use what he knows of you to tempt you best. This is one area that we will have to battle till the day we die because the present is always here. It moves with time.

The Cure: Power

Admit it. Temptation is too big for us. If left to our own devises, we would fall for it all the time, but, we have the power of God within us through the Holy Spirit. Why try to lean on our own strength when we can lean on the power of the Creator? Claim it! 1 Corinthians 10:13 says, “No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to humanity. God is faithful and He will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with temptation He will also provide a way of escape, so that you are able to bear it.” The thing about that is we have to make a conscious decision to take that which is offered to us. It's like living in a house with electricity. The power is there and available, but you first have to plug something in, and then you have to turn it on. When your night comes, don't keep running into the walls and furniture, turn on the light!

What are some of the areas in which you are most frequently tempted? Do you know and recognize them? If not, ask the Lord to show them to you so you can be ready the next time to fight back.
What Scriptures do you have to help combat them when you are weak? If you don't know any, find some today.

Daily Chaos 2

I wrote yesterday's blog last Wednesday when a few things had gone a bit wrong, and I was so happy about how I was able to respond.
Then the Lord allowed me to be sifted! (Luke 22:31-32)
I honestly would have to say that it was the worst day I have had in many years. I was hit in five different areas in my life, and all of them seemed major: Finances, health, emotions, my children, even my pets! I may have been sliding along on that lubricant of faith I spoke of, but I looked like a grown woman on roller blades for the first time! I kept thinking of 1 Corinthians 10:12 “Therefore, whoever thinks he stands must be careful not to fall!” My comfort, however, came from verse 13,”...He will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation, He will also provide a way of escape, so that you are able to bear it.”
After Wednesday, I'm humbled by what God thinks I can handle! I did notice that He says He will provide a way for us to bear it. Not skip happily through it. Just bear it.
A study I am going through on Wednesday mornings with a group of ladies has been talking about how King David was angry and afraid of God when Uzzah died as they were trying to bring the ark to Jerusalem for the first time. (2 Samuel 6:1-11) It took him three months to get past the hurt and for the ark to finally come to the city. Remember, God said of David that he was a man after His own heart! (Acts 13:22) There are many times throughout the Psalms that David tells the Lord he is angry, confused, or upset with Him. The point is that He got beyond it quickly, loved the Lord with every once of his being, and followed Him as best as he could in his humanity till the day he died.
Wednesday, I was very hurt and sad. Honestly, I'm still hurt. I'm still sad. But I have a trustworthy God who I KNOW can work everything for His good, and I am excited to see how He'll do it. Most of all, I know He loves me and wants the best for me. I'm just keeping my eyes focused on Him.
I encourage you to do the same.