Do you see the enemy correctly?

Do you see him correctly, and are you ready to fight? Even among the things we see today, when you mention satan or the devil you can quickly get some knee-jerk responses. For many, satan is in the same category as the tooth fairy and the Easter Bunny. He’s a cute little caricature of a guy in a red suit with a spiky tail and red pitchfork. He’s a little myth believed by people who are afraid of the boogeyman. Others are at the other extreme. They are so under the pile, that oppression from satan blocks out God’s voice, and they have no hope because satan seems to be in total control. He seems stronger than the impact of God in their lives. All is lost. Both extremes are very dangerous. Satan would love for us to see him as a simple, benign caricature. Someone who has no intentions of hurting us, because, after all, what did we do to him? Or he wants you to see him as being everywhere and in control of everything. It’s just not so.

There are others who see this battle as a prize fight. Two fighters, nose-to-nose in an equally matched fight. That also couldn’t be farther from the truth. God is far superior to satan, far more than can be imagined. This enemy is a being, created by God, who fell because he wanted to be like God and to be God. To this day he hasn’t given up on that vision. As the verse above says, he is like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. 

He hates you and your soul and will do literally anything to make sure you fail and feel defeated. He would love for you to be like those who feel so overwhelmed they can’t hear God’s voice. In the 1960s, a comedian named Flip Wilson had a recurring skit where he ended the story by saying, “The devil made me do it.” It was funny, but not good theology. Satan can’t make you do anything. But he can tempt you and try to pile on when life is not going well.

His strategies are myriad. But you get to choose your response.

Tiny Armor p. 48