The Devil is the ring leader and instigator of personal rebellion and disorder. He is behind all the self-promotion, blame, lack of boundaries and moral decay that are prevalent in our society today.
Most people think of the Devil as a fictitious character. If you are Christian, you’re taught that the Devil is a fallen angel and the personification of evil and author of sin. He was expelled from Heaven before the material world was created and is in constant opposition to God. He rebelled against God in order to become His equal.
The Devil is an expert manipulator. He’s mastered the art of getting the folks that are ruled by emotion to indulge in pity parties and self-destructive behavior. That’s because they are putty in his hand. He particularly likes to take aim at the younger generation who fall into this category. He likes to inebriate them with the seeds of comparison which provokes jealousy and anger. He masks this by instilling in them a sense of injustice.
The Devil actually likes it when he sees people suffer by reminding them how many times they failed to lose weight, get the promotion, find true love, break the addiction or get out of debt. When in this compromised state of mind, he will try and convince you that someone has done you wrong and that none of this is your fault — the way you are feeling. Because if you believe someone outside of you is to blame for how your life is turning out, you will stay stuck and be unable to create real change. The Devil would be out of a job if people stopped seeing themselves as victims. A victim is like a coal burning fireplace. To keep the fire burning you have to keep feeding it with hot coals, aka find fresh enemies or people to blame for your lot in life. This, my friends, is you turning your power to everything outside of you and not taking personal responsibility. It is HELL on earth.
If you’ve been mired in self-pity and self-loathing behavior or have a personal injustice program running rampant in your brain, be on your guard. The Devil has taken aim at you. He is lurking like a crouching monster strobing you with poison arrows. People who are experiencing a whole host of issues: temptation, anger, addictions, depression, anxiety, fear-based, self-limiting, self-sabotaging thought programs, and indecision, stay stuck because they are in the Devil’s playground. A lot of these people have what they call, enemies – someone to blame for their problems. If you are a Christian, you must recognize that you too have a target on your back. The Devil is determined to rule and ruin as many people’s lives as he can. Spiritual warfare is the name of His game. There is only one way to defend yourself and protect yourself against the Devil. And that is with the Holy Spirit being present and active in your life. Pray to God and ask for His covering and stay bathed in the word. A study Bible is a great resource in that it has notes and practical applications. If you are not a Christian, and are ready to ask the Holy Spirit into your life, visit the altar call.
Being diligent in protecting yourself against the Devil’s persistent intrusions into your life involves participation on your part. One mantra I use regularly if I feel anxious or worried about things to come is, “Satan, I command you in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit to flee! You have no power over me! I have victory over my fears! Victory over sin!”
Don’t allow the Devil to convince you that you are powerless to control your emotions and the outcome of your life. You must stand him down each and every time you feel the urge to feel sorry for yourself or be angry with things that are beyond your control.
Together we can reverse the tide of apathy, complacency, blame, and the lack of self discipline by standing down the enemy. We can do this by praying continually for the Holy Spirit to intervene on our behalf.
“No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you.” Joshua 1:5
