HOW THE DEVIL WORKS, PART ONE

A Bully Tailored Just for You

• Romans 8:1-2: "There is therefore now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and of death."

• Ephesians 6:11 :  "Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil."

  That fallen angel, Lucifer, also called Satan,  is the craftiest bully ever.  Even being  thrown out of Heaven for his rebellion, he unfortunately still holds some influence in our earthly realm. Being the "prince of the air", he holds sway over the  communication realm, and hence the extreme danger he wields.  He knows enough about the vulnerabilities of each of us and too-skillfully aims his bullying at our weakest points.  Shaming and condemnation mixed with outright lies are his favorite tactics. He is a master of twisting and making good, evil and evil, good.

• Condemnation comes from outside and inside.  Satan hurls lies and condemnation both from the scolds of the world and through our own psyche.  He is an expert liar and hides in plain sight as well as in the weeds of our own thoughts.

•  Because he is so skilled at lying, we need help in both defining his lies and in defending against them.  The inner self lies are the most difficult to unsnap fully.

  I have made myself vulnerable to the attacks of this thief by too-often trying to "tough it out" in my need to be more self-sufficient. Feeling less worthy than others, this attitude has become defensively hard-wired within me. I have long been so vulnerable and so deeply felled by stress and I am certain this has been a contributing factor to my financial lack, the spirit of “overwhelm.” I know there are other empathic and sensitive types out there like me, I know your sorrow! HELP ME, OH GOD! (He did and He does!!)

• Self-condemnation...this is doing the devil's work FOR him!  How convenient for him...and yet it is his lies that have taken root for too long in so many of us, that we do not fully recognize they are from him.  Yes, our own fallen nature confronts us...and walks us off into unpleasant places that...create yet more unpleasant places. This is the vicious cycle so many of us make for ourselves, heavily mixed in with the lies of the devil. It is truly the perfect demonic system.

• This is where Satan weaves his spell of lies, as he has enough smarts to recognize the weak places in each of us.  He digs and weaves and lies and cajoles each of us in just the place we are the most vulnerable. For some, it is emotional chaos (like me, with discouragement and depression…) For some, it is drink, drugs, sex or money exploits, including both poverty and wealth. For some, it is power and influence.  We are lulled into a false sense of  "wellness" and let down our guard to the one who cares LEAST for us!  The devil is not your friend.

• Suffering terrible grief in my early teens (sudden deaths of both my Mom and brother within two years of each other), I broke my deep contact with God and His Son. Instead of bringing ALL my grief and sorrow and anger directly to God as my Heavenly Father, I made a terrible decision to go off on my own. I am indeed BLESSED that God did NOT give up on one of His wandering Prodigal daughters and sent the Good Shepherd, His Son, out after me for 35 years, relentlessly calling me back Home to the Household of God.  I finally came back in 2002. God has helped me to rebuild my life since then, step by step, until He calls me Home.

• I tell you, the devil would not make that effort. He lives only to destroy and he nearly succeeded with me.  It is only the immense MERCY of God that prevented me from being lost forever and separated from God for Eternity. 

• God works in us so mysteriously, to craft a life out of the difficulties we all go through. Instead of giving up on us because we are flawed and we struggle over and over again, He just keeps loving on us, so much so that even a stubborn girl like myself, finally softens and sets down my sword of tears long enough to allow the healing love of God to come through. It is a gradual process. This is not at all easy but worth the effort. BRING YOUR STUFF TO GOD DAILY! Don’t accumulate garbage!

• I will take a tidbit or a smidgen or a little-teeny-tiny inch, instead of NOTHING, which is what the devil  offers. Do you know how tiny a seed is??  A seed can still  be planted, no matter how small...and grow into a wonderful thing, if allowed and nurtured to growth. Plant the good seeds of the love and fellowship of God and His Son Jesus Christ! They know what you go through, they help you up and out day by day. Just ASK Them!

• Help me, Papa God, to keep writing my heart and to be a conduit for Your love to the brokenhearted and to encourage the discouraged, as You have asked me to do.  

• Wendy Elizabeth Williams    September 20, 2024

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