Into the Fire

It is quite easy to assign human characteristics to the devil. To illustrate him with horns and a scorpion-like tail. To call him odd names which make him seem less than threatening. To assume he is not the evil one, after all.

He was once beautiful, an example of God’s magnificence in his creation. Which only goes to show that looks aren’t everything, huh? As wicked as we are, we may still be redeemed before our life’s breath is taken. There is no redemption for the evil one. He has chosen his destination, and it will be spent in a dark and horrific place separated eternally from the One who made him.

Some of us think we’re shrewd enough to dicker with the enemy. Perhaps fool with him and deceive ourselves into thinking we won’t get singed by the fires of sin. The truth is we are limited and finite in our physical forms, and for all of our brilliance, we can’t stand up to this wily opponent in our natural selves. We’re simple fodder for his hateful antics, easily manipulated by his perceptions of our blatant weaknesses.

Since his appeals are to our flesh and waged against our thoughts, he is able to gain a fair amount of victories. Sometimes we are dumber than we are weak. We choose not to address our foe, to merely entertain the thought of him being real and right here to tempt us gives us the creeps, and we’d just as soon forget about him and strive to do the right things even when they border on impossible for us to do.

Until we understand that any of our achievements come via the Lord, and all victories against sin are because of His grace working through us, we will continue to ignore that we are in an ongoing spiritual battle. Complacency is one of the demonic forces’ best and easiest tools to use against us. We lounge through our daily walk paying little attention to the jabs from our incessant bad habits resurrecting their nasty little demands, assuring ourselves that they’re not news to anyone. After all, everybody has their struggles. Right?

Well, yes, we all have our struggles, but I seriously wonder if we need to have quite so many. Why can’t we defeat some of those things which when observed by other people of faith are blaring reminders of how we have become accustomed to condoning sin, not only in our lives but in everyone’s lives? We’re falling asleep into the lethargic zone when it comes to taking a heroic stand against the enemy of our souls. Our prayers are limited and only go so far—and certainly they don’t mention to the enemy to stay away from us: too embarrassing.

And sooner or later nothing changes for the better. We find ourselves in this stagnant, status quo, dry-cough place, knowing it’s dangerous but lost in the center of another trap expertly laid by the enemy of our souls. If we choose to ignore it and hope for its demise, we are being less than conquerors instead of more. We acknowledge that we have no idea how spiritual battles are fought and can’t we just move on?

God expects more from us. “Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world.” That’s a reminder not only to us but for us. We have unlimited power and authority over the enemy of our souls, but we rarely tap into it. Those who are active in spiritual warfare are often shunned in the faith or at least wondered about, when in actuality, it is just another leg of the full gospel. We must fight this war along with our professions of faith, our prayers, our walking our talk.

We ignore so much of what Jesus provided for us to live spiritually abundant in this world of sin. The weapons of warfare are to be worn. We are to be clothed in Jesus, covered by His blood, hiding the word in our hearts, and living the Life in the Spirit.

Easy? No way. He never said it would be, but He gave us the greatest Authority of all Creation to use. His Name above all names. The Power in the Blood of the Lamb. It’s ours. But if we don’t use it? Then what?

Weak-willed, namby pamby Christians who are chameleons—interchangeable with the world and unrecognizable as the set apart.

Amp it up, Christian. This isn’t a movie. It’s the real thing. And it’s wicked. We’re supposed to win this thing. Act like it.

In the Name of Jesus, act like it.

Fill me up, Holy Spirit. Help me to do all that I need to do in the Name of Jesus, Amen.