SOMEONE’S BEEN MISBEHAVING

So, I've been taking a straw poll – in Blog Land and in Real Life.

Seems like there's a LOT going on!

And a lot of it isn't so good…

I got to thinking about this. I meet with a group of women on Thursday mornings, and we talked a lot last week – I got my hair cut last Friday (OK, yes – I got my roots done, too – thanks for noticing that) and was talking to my stylist – I talk to random people I meet throughout the errands of my day – I've talked to my sister and brother and my sons – and of course, I'm talking to you guys…

And everyone has a story to tell lately – a story of struggle, suffering, trial, and hardship.

I view this activity as attacks – nefarious attacks. (Don't you love that word? Evil, wicked, sinful, unlawful...)

The enemy is on the loose.

I was talking about this with my mom on Friday. There's been a lot going on in our family lately – both my immediate family, and my extended family. I was sharing with her how overwhelmed I was feeling. She's feeling overwhelmed, too.

But then she said this to me…

"Remember when you were a little girl – how you pictured Jesus and Satan in a boxing ring?"

Yeah, I do remember that.

"And how you used to say that Jesus was bigger than Satan and He could just 'POW' Satan and win?"

I remember that, too.

However, right at that moment, I wasn't feeling too victorious. Nor was I feeling much like that confident young girl who was so sure of her Jesus' mighty power.

I looked at her in dismay…

And she said, in her adorable, 79-year-old, "Trust me I'm a mother" voice, "I know, he's gotten out of hand."

I paused – and then I started laughing. Downright guffawing…

"What?" she said.

I told her how her response had made the enemy sound like an errant child. How she made him sound like a scoundrel, a cad, a ne'er-do-well. She might as well have said, "Tsk, tsk. Bad boy…"

She started laughing too.

Now I'm not one to spit in the devil's face, so to speak. I'm not taunting or challenging him.

But my mother helped me do something very important – she helped me cut him down to size.

You see, I think there are two crucial mistakes that believers can make when thinking about Satan. One, we can ignore him, and open ourselves up to unexpected and unrecognized attacks from him. We can make him something less than he is. Or we can empower him, and open ourselves up to being constantly afraid and intimidated by him. We can make him something more than he is.

We need to have a sober, but correct, view of him and his power.

He is not a god.

He is not good.

He is not omniscient or omnipotent.

He does not have control over our lives – he is only allowed to do what he does by our Sovereign God alone.

He can influence us, but he can never own us.

He can tempt us, but he cannot overcome us.

He can threaten us, but he can never have our souls.

All he can do is take his anger out on us –

And a lot of that anger is really directed at God. It comes at us because we are so very dearly loved by God – and we are saved…

Satan might stomp his feet, and throw his arrows, and do his best to steal and kill and destroy. But he will NEVER own our souls! We are securely wrapped in salvation, with confident hope in our future – we belong to God.

He can rant and rave – and he can be a scary guy – but, he isn’t going to win.

And I think he knows that deep down inside. He's running scared right now…

He knows that Christians are being awakened in their hearts to pursue God in a new way. He knows that we are being called to become warriors. He knows that the Holy Spirit is moving…and we're listening, and responding, and arming ourselves for battle.

So, I am so thankful for my mom – and for how she helped me regain my perspective on things. Yes, with all that's been going on, Satan "took" me for a while – but he will never take me forever.

I think I really had it right when I was a little girl.

Jesus is bigger than Satan, and I think He just scored another knock-out in my heart…

POW!

How is God giving you victory in your life?

"But you belong to God, my dear children. You have already won a victory...because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world." (1 John 4:4)

BLOG = "Blessedly Leaning On God!"