Know The Devil For Who He Really Is!

I was not surprised, rather shocked at the realness of God as she walked fast towards me after class! The Holy Spirit had already laid the desire to pray for her weeks before she even approached me! As we walked to the student center, she began telling me about her severe depression! After hearing her whole victim story, I asked, “Are you praying serious prayers or are you just playing?” She started crying telling me that she doesn’t like it when people insinuate that she’s not a strong Christian! That she prays, she goes to church, she reads her bible and all that! “That’s good,” I exclaimed! “But what kind of prayers are you saying?” “I know God will take away my depression at His own time! But I don’t understand why He doesn’t heal my depression because I’ve been praying for years!” I told her that God doesn’t want her to live her life depressed, that she should start believing and receiving her healing! Despite sharing my own testimony of how God healed me from depression, she continued crying, naming all her problems one by one, challenging and questioning what I was telling her! After almost an hour repeating the same thing and hearing her complain about her problems even after I told her that Jesus heals, she continued crying and sounding like a victim! My parents this, my aunt this…she even asked if her aunt will get revenge for her cruelty? I knew that this was not her; I was dealing with somebody different! Somebody who hardens his heart to God’s promise, somebody who likes being felt sorry for, somebody who loves being a victim, somebody who loves revenge and enjoys seeing people getting hurt, somebody who scares people with his ever changing temperament-the devil himself! 

One day I was in a car with my mum! The previous day she had said all hurtful words to me but on that day she wanted us to go eat out! I wasn’t happy about that so I asked, “mama you are telling me about food right now, but yesterday you were calling me a devil?” I told her that I don’t need her food, her money, her valuables; all I need is her love! She started crying but her tears never moved me! I told her how painful my life had been and how I pray that all things would change! She cried even more calling me a devil once again, judging me about the mistakes I had committed in the past! Telling me that I need strong prayers, I need psychologists! I said, “Mama, I don’t need a psychologist, I just need you to start seeing the devil for who he is, somebody who breaks families!” Her response was alarming! “Leave poor Satan alone, this has nothing to do with him!” She threatened me that I will never hear a word from her mouth again; I will never see a single cent from her! I just remained silent, asking God to calm me within! After a long pause of silence, she started laughing! She laughed at me telling me that I have lost it; somebody must have placed a strong demon in me, telling me that I should see a psychologist! In my heart I knew, if this woman understood the pain I went through, she wouldn’t be laughing at me like this! Clearly she doesn’t know so it could only be the devil! I just looked her right in her eyes, something I seldom do, and said, “I wish you could see the devil for who he really is!”

The other day after my morning jog I went to the kitchen to make myself some coffee! Reminiscing on last night’s church service at CRC, I joyfully sang softly: “Satan is under my feet!” My sister opened her door and asked me, “Are you singing that song for us?”  I assume “us” meant her and the boyfriend but I was bewildered, wondering why in the world would I sing that song to them! I analyzed the words, “SATAN IS UNDER MY FEET” and oh well, it was not my sister who asked me that question, but Satan himself!

As much as God is real, Satan also is real and as you walk in God’s plan, you get to see him for who he really is! He works in the lives of our loved ones and speaks through their lips, creating havoc, confusion and hatred!  I am constantly being hurt and ridiculed and if I didn’t have the wisdom of God, I would be hovering in bitterness and anger! See, I have problems as well but I don’t go around blabbering about them! I don’t go around looking for self-pity from the world! When somebody deeply hurts me, I don’t go around telling everybody for them to feel sorry for me! The only time I cry is when I’m on my knees talking to God!  Nothing annoys me like a victim mentality!!!  We all go through tough times, we all experience unfair treatment! We all experience pain and diseases; you would be shocked what some people had to go through in their lives but still manage to have a positive outlook in life! They know that Jesus was not playing when He hung on the cross and said, “It is finished!”  He became a curse that you may be blessed! God is bigger than your problems; God is bigger than your enemy! Wash away that victim mentality and live like a conqueror!  Speak like a conqueror! Pray like a conqueror! God is fully aware of the events in your life! David says in Psalm 18:6-7, “In my distress I called to the Lord; I cried to my God for help. From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came before him, into his ears. The earth trembled and quaked, and the foundations of the mountains shook, they trembled because he was angry.” See what happens when you cry out to God? He does something about it! Can the world do anything about the problems you tell it? They would rather join in your pity party! Stop wasting time living a powerless, negative life, a life driven by Satan and his demons! You have a God who knows you, a God who can and will do something about the situations you face! 

As Christians we feel used and undermined for our goodness and in turn want to react in the same way the world does! But understand this; the devil uses the people we love to hurt us! We do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers of this Dark Age! But we are not hopeless! David continues to say in psalm 18:37-38, “I have pursued my enemies and overtaken them; neither did I turn back again till they were destroyed. I have wounded them, So that they could not rise; they have fallen under my feet.” Your enemy is Satan it is not your mother or your brother or your neighbours, but Satan himself! If only my mum understood how Satan really hates her she wouldn’t say, “You will leave poor Satan out of this!” Satan has a way to disguise himself as the “good man”! And he uses tears for people to feel sorry for him! Do not be moved by tears but  by faith! Satan hates faith!  When everybody is against you and trying to make your life difficult, just like David, you have the favour of God! In verse 39-40 he says,” for You have armed me with strength for the battle; You have subdued under me those who rose up against me. You have also given me the necks of my enemies, So that I destroyed those who hated me.” Those who mistreat you may not see it but Satan knows that any born again Christian who does the will of God is dangerous to his territory! 

So, are there any benefits for enduring hardships, scorns and unfair treatment as a child of God? Yes!  Psalm 18:43-44 David continues saying, “You have delivered me from the strivings of the people; You have made me the head of the nations; A people I have not known shall serve me, As soon as they hear of me they obey me; The foreigners submit to me.” Because you carry the Word of God as your compass, every demon, spirit, powerful thing that exalts itself, will BOW down before you some day! This is a promise from God Himself! Continue loving, continue doing good, your labour is not in vain! Satan is scared of you and he uses the lips of unbelievers to fight you! But just see him for who he is and your life will be victorious!

"From victory unto victory

His army shall He lead

Till every foe is vanquished

And Christ is Lord indeed!"