The Devil as Your Wingman?

The Devil as Your Wing Man?

                When we start feeling sorry for ourselves, the Devil will quickly take our side. You won’t get any argument from him when you think that you’ve been used or mistreated. You start telling yourself how unfair things are and you’re getting the short end of the stick, he will assure you how correct you are. You tell yourself how you are the one who was being reasonable and the other person was at fault, he will give you five examples proving your point. When negativism is dominating your thoughts, or you have strayed off the right path, Satan will be your best friend, backing you up in everything you think, do, or say. It’s fair to say, that anytime you are on the wrong side of something, the Devil will have your back.

            However, the minute you try to calm down or pray about it, check yourself to see if you might have handled things differently, or lean on God’s wisdom, he suddenly changes tactics and uses something or someone to rekindle the fire. A misunderstood look, a misinterpreted tone in someone’s voice, or even unintended body language is enough to reanimate a dying ember into a raging furnace once again. Temper is as easy to turn on as a light switch and harder to put back in its cage than a thousand wild cats. No sooner than you get some of them caged and try to gather the rest, a few will slip back out.

            Your life will be smooth as butter anytime you walk in lockstep with the Devil. It will seem like everything is going your way for a change. Life’s normal problems and aggravations step out of your way as they see you approaching. You almost feel like you have achieved V.I.P. status and walking the red carpet, as people cheer your name and throw roses in your direction. Ok, I’m exaggerating, but you get my point. Why would he want to slow you down or throw a wrench into the works, if you are doing what he wants you to do already? The only thing you may have to contend with, is that quiet voice telling you something is wrong. And that is a lot easier to ignore than fighting with Satan.

            So, why bother yourself with fighting off the Devil at all? If it’s so much easier and your life runs that much smoother, why not just give in to him and give him what he wants? Hence, the birth of the old saying, ”Anything worth having, is worth fighting for.” Or how about the one that says, “If it seems too good to be true, it probably isn’t.” Those sayings didn’t just pop out of the air, they are tried and true and proven over time. Satan is the premier Master Illusionist, he can make a dunghill smell and look as pretty as roses, make a pit of poisonous vipers as appealing as Edon’s Garden, and confound the wisest of the wise. He has volumes upon volumes of tricks up his sleeves. And one of his go-to, old faithful tactics is to make you think by following him, your life will become simpler and easier. This trick and many others have worked like charms for him since the beginning. What do you think he used against Eve? And do you think that he will quit using them as long as they continue to work, or they won’t work against you? Another of his very best tricks is to convince people that he doesn’t even exist, or if he does, he is not the monster he is portrayed as. You will not resist or fight something you don’t believe to be real, and maybe the world has misled you about who the real bad guy is.

            So, let’s take belief off the table for a few moments and try to discern, who is telling you the truth, by using reason and logic. I am sure you have seen people who have chosen to either deny God completely or at least separate themselves from him. How has that worked out for them? And before you answer, don’t judge by what they let everyone see. Often, after making a bad choice and not wanting to appear stupid, people will defend their choice by trying to convince everyone they chose wisely. I ask that you read between the lines and look for evidence of whether or not they are truly happy and fulfilled. Do they have a peace about them that seems to come from nowhere, or when they find themselves in a bad situation, do they just fall apart and don’t know where to turn? Do the things they turn to help them or complicate matters making them even worse?

            Now let’s take an honest look at a Christian. Now mind you, no two Christians are the same. Each of us is at a different stage of our walk with God. And we each have our strengths and weaknesses. But what we all share is our sanctuary. God is our safe place. He is our strength when we are weak or confused and have begun to lose our way, he is our Lighthouse and his light directs us and shows us the way home. We are not immune to life’s problems, nor are we impervious to Satan’s attacks. We are not perfect by any stretch of the imagination. Christians are flawed and just as imperfect as you or anybody else. What separates us from the rest of the world is our savior Jesus Christ. Through him, we have been granted forgiveness for our sins. Through Him and because of him, we have a promise of eternal life. Because of him, we have hope for tomorrow and we know there is nothing we will ever have to face alone. We share his promise that He will never forsake us and that he will see us through every trial, and every hurt, and we can rest assured that he has us in his hands. Read Philippians 4:7. Because of that, we have a sweet peace that can be found nowhere else. You can’t buy it. You can’t earn it, or find it in a pill. It is a unique gift from God given to us along with his many other blessings. So, I ask, “What’s the Devil done for you Lately besides making big promises he can’t keep?

            Going back to our question earlier, is it worth having to fight with the Devil every day of my life, in order to serve God? YES! YES! YES! I look at what God has done for me, and what he continues to do for me, and it’s not hard to see his love. He shows me every day of my life in a thousand different ways. When I consider the sacrifices he made for me, I feel that anything I must suffer for his namesake is minor and I will gladly accept it and wear it proudly as a badge of honor! I hope this doesn’t make me come off like I’m fearless because I’m not. My courage and any other good thing within me come from the same place. It is from my Father who is in Heaven, but his Holy Spirit dwells within me.  In Mathew 5:10 it tells me that I will be greatly rewarded for any suffering I incur for loving him. And I know that this life is like a vapor, here today and gone tomorrow, along with all the pain and suffering. And I know who holds tomorrow in his hand. And I know beyond any shadow of a doubt, it will all be worth it! I feel completely secure with the man who has my back, can you say the same thing?