rMag

An Attack of the Devil

Moriah Davis

“Your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8, KJV*).

We’ve all felt it at times: Nothing good is going to happen to you this week.

You’re a failure; you let someone down again.

No one wants your help; you’re getting in the way.

How could you mess that up? You just blew the entire project. Way to go.

Do you really think God will forgive you for that? You’re too far gone.

Why do these thoughts haunt us time and time again? Why do we berate ourselves even when the situation is past, when the person we’ve offended or let down has forgiven us, or when a problem wasn’t even our fault? Because it is at times like these that Satan attacks us.

The devil will creep in when we’re lonely. Late at night when we overanalyze our lives and convince ourselves that we haven’t a friend in the world, that no one truly loves us, that no one could. He attacks when we fail, when we make a thoughtless mistake, when we don’t try hard enough, or when we fail to live up to certain standards. Satan also plays on our weakness when life disappoints us: we didn’t get the job we were hoping for, our friends have turned out to be less than loyal, our lives aren’t going as planned, and it seems that everything is falling apart.

Granted, these are all real-life possibilities, and they can hurt – a lot. But one of two things can happen: Satan can cause us to despair, or we can recover with God’s help and healing.

When your friends change in a way that strains your relationship, or circumstances cause you to be separated from those you are close to, or maybe when you’re having trouble making friends in a new setting, Satan attacks. He can make you feel as if you have no friends, that you’ll never make any friends, or that you couldn’t trust anyone to be a good friend anyways. It’s a very lonely and painful position to be in.

Satan loves to creep in when we slip up in our Christian walk, or even before we accept God’s salvation. He plants thoughts in our minds that what we’ve done is unforgivable; or at the very least, we’re not good enough to earn God’s love or salvation. Satan causes panic attacks when life doesn’t go as we planned. He is the master of the opinion that we need to be in control, to make sure everything turns out just so.

Perhaps the most dangerous of Satan’s attacks is depression when everything seems to be going wrong. Our relationships are strained at best, fading into nonexistence at worst. We didn’t get the promotion we wanted at work, or the grade we hoped for at school. There are more and more demands on our time every day, and we are so overwhelmed that we want to simply give up. 

Why does the devil do these things to us? 1 Peter 5:8 answers this question: He – our enemy – is like a roaring lion, constantly seeking whom he may devour. Satan delights in making us feel insecure in our salvation, insecure in our God. He wants us to be convinced we’re alone in the world, that nothing – certainly not faith in the Lord – can give our lives lasting meaning.

When you battle Satan’s lies, what can you do? You can confront those lies with truth. The Bible contains promises the Savior has made to all of us, promises that will never fail: “Your word, oh Lord, is eternal; it stands firm in the heavens. Your faithfulness continues through all generations” (Psalm 119:89,90, NIV).

“You have no friends, you’re on your own.”

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble” (Psalm 46:1).

“. . . Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world” (Matthew 28:20). 

When we are lonely – at a single point in time or perhaps during a long-term time period – we should remember that God is with us all the time and is our friend, even if the whole world truly turns against us. We can always trust Him to be there for us; He will never abandon or betray us.

“Why would God care about you? You’re worthless, you’ve broken his rules one too many times, and you don’t deserve His Salvation.”

“How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!” (1 John 3:1, NIV).

“For the Lord shall be thy confidence . . .” (Proverbs 3:26).

“Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13).

God loves you! He sent his only Son, Jesus Christ, to take the punishment for your sins. Not just the general sins of the world, but your sins. He died for you; even if you were the only person on earth, He would have died for you. He wants to take the punishment for your sins and save you from the life of this world.  

Jesus’ willing death was the ultimate sacrifice for Him to give; it was the ultimate demonstration of His love and compassion. No, you can’t earn His love. But for God, no one is unlovable, and nothing is unforgivable.

“God’s plan isn’t working! You have to stay in control.”

“Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths” (Proverbs 3:5,6).

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” (Jeremiah 29:11, NIV).

It’s very easy to think we have it all under control, to make plans as if it is our opinion alone that matters. However, God sees the big picture, and chances are He has a much better plan for your life than you could have ever laid out yourself. When struggling with “Let go and let God,” remember that He knows what He’s doing. When you trust Him, He will direct your paths. 

“Face it: your life is falling apart. You’ve lost your job, your marriage is suffering, and your dog just got hit by a car. What is there to be joyful about?”

“Surely He hath born our griefs, and carried our sorrows… He was bruised for our iniquities… and with His stripes, we are healed” (Isaiah 53:4,5).

“Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” (John 14:27).

Yes, life is hard sometimes. It may seem like the hardships will never end. But Scripture holds a message far more meaningful than the cliché “light at the end of the tunnel.” Jesus has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows. He knows where we are, He fully understands what we’re going through, and He offers to carries that burden for us, leaving in its place His perfect peace. Joy is not a constant happiness; rather, it is a God-given grateful attitude. It remains inside even when circumstances are less than pleasant. God’s peace is the difference between joy and despair. 

Finally, perhaps you know someone who is going through a hard time, and you can see that they are being overtaken by the lies of the enemy. What can you do for them? If they don’t know Jesus Christ as their Savior, you can share with them the hope and comfort that He offers. If they already have a relationship with God, you can remind them of the truths they may have forgotten. In either case, be an example of Christ’s love to them and pray.

*Unless otherwise noted, all verses are quoted from the King James Version of the Bible.