The Devil on my Shoulder

It's a familiar image: an angel on one shoulder and the devil on the other, each trying to influence a person toward good or evil. And it's a familiar feeling, too, that of being pulled in two different directions at the same time. Sometimes it's just plain hard to know what to do.



Obviously, we don't really have angels and demons sitting on our shoulders, vying for our attention. Yet, God's Holy Spirit lives within each of the people who have accepted his gracious gift of a Savior. And, we can't deny that the Evil One tries constantly to derail our attempts to do God's bidding.

Sometimes, that sneaky devil does his best to deceive me, just as he tempted Adam and Eve in the garden, saying "Did God really say that?" (Genesis 3:1)

 Recently, I've been hearing a lot of the devil's taunts:

  • "You're wasting your time writing that book! No one will want to read it. You'll never be able to find a publisher. Writers are a dime a dozen."
  • "Your adopted kids are too damaged. They will never amount to anything."
  • "No one wants to hear you sing the songs you've written."
  • "You have no way of knowing what God wants you to do. Besides, why would God want to use you? You're imagining things!"
  • "You're too old! Your health isn't good enough! You're delusional! You don't have time for this!"

In times like these, I'm so glad when the Holy Spirit reminds me of the Bible verse that says "the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world." (1 John 4:4b)  Because, the Holy Spirit truly is much greater than that old devil. And he responds, silently but surely, to the devil's jibes, reminding me that he is not finished with me yet. He makes sure that I understand these things:

  • Because God has been leading me to write a book, he will also provide readers and a publisher.
  • God is the one who has given us our children. He loves them more than I ever can. He knows exactly what they need, and he is able to do more for them than I can ever imagine.
  • Since God is the one who has inspired me to write Christian songs, he will use them for his purpose, at the right time, and in the best possible way.
  • God speaks to his people through his Word, the Bible, and through the people around us. He has been leading his people for thousands of years. He hears my prayers. I can trust him to lead me where he wants me to go.
  • When I'm too old or sick to serve God, he'll take me to be with him in heaven. In the meantime, he has things for me to do. And, whatever he wants me to do, I can be sure that the Evil One will do everything he can to prevent me from doing it.  

I know I'm not alone in this fight against the devil. I know far too many people who seem to be under attack right now. So let's pray together and encourage one another. 

And, remember: We don't need to be too concerned about the devil's schemes. God wins!





Comments

  1. KateDecember 8, 2016 at 10:19 PM

    Bless your heart, you and your husband are an inspiration to me.

    ReplyDelete

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