i’m talking to the devil
I had lunch with a friend a few weeks ago, and with tears in my eyes I told her I didn’t know why I was having such a rough time. As we talked, she quoted this passage from Psalms:
“He rescued me from my powerful enemy, from my foes who were too strong for me. They confronted me in the day of my disaster, but the Lord was my support.”
She reminded me that the enemy of my soul is ruthless.
He confronts me in the day of my disaster. He kicks me when I’m down. He comes at me from all sides when I’m feeling like I’m at my lowest.
I know she’s right. I’ve seen it. I’ve lived it.
While there are many Christians who blame the devil for far too much, I know I don’t blame him nearly enough.
I need to get better at recognizing his schemes.
I’ve got to realize sooner when he’s attempting to steal, kill, and destroy in my life.
I need to catch on quicker when he sends my heart spiraling with false accusations.
Because I can’t fight an enemy I don’t acknowledge.
And though I’ve been fighting, I haven’t actually been fighting against the enemy as much as I need to be.
So I’m gonna be talking to the devil more than usual today.
I’m gonna call him out for the thief and liar that he is. I’m gonna remind him of the truth God says about me. I’m gonna look him in the eye and declare, “Do not gloat over me, my enemy! Though I have fallen, I will rise.”
This battle’s not over yet.
And I’m staying in the ring.
amen, friend.
I needed that verse from Micah SO much more than I could ever explain!!! Ohhh, how I needed it! Just found my memory verse for the week!!!
I’m fighting along beside you, Alece. For myself and for you.
I’ve never met you, but your story is one that speaks to my heart in so many ways…
And maybe one day I’ll have the courage to share with a similar transparency and authenticity as you all the things that God has brought me through.
This is so true. He’s all about the lying and scheming. I think if we’re already in a difficult or painful place, it’s so easy for us to believe those lies. And I think that there’s often just enough truth in the schemes that when our vision is clouded by circumstances or pain, we miss all of the rest that’s just trash and buy into it before realizing.
“just enough truth in the schemes” — you are so right. his lies are blatant, or we’d see them for the falsehoods they are. he is a master of deception, offering us slightly altered versions of truth. i need to “be alert”!
Sounds like you got hold of some 1 John 4:4 as well – good for you :) One of his traps that is so easy to get tangled in is seeing other people as our enemy. When someone wrongs us its so easy to see them as our enemy rather than seeing that person as being under the deception of the enemy. He doesn’t want the focus to be on him. He knows we’ve been given spiritual weapons for the battle. He divides and then seeks to devour.
I like it!
oooodang, girl!
lets have church at the grit!
inspiring, alece. this is a great message for everyone. the battle isnt over. and we can stay in the ring cuz HE’s in it with us. and we’re all in it together.
this is one fight i dont mind fighting.
love you.
love me some Gritty church!
thank you for fighting with me…
You go, girl!!! Rooting for you!! :o) Praying too!
I’m feeling it, Alece. Thanks for that …
“Because I can’t fight an enemy I don’t acknowledge.”
“This battle’s not over yet….And I’m staying in the ring.”
I can feel the determination in your voice. And I’m taking it for myself as well.
Let’s get ‘im!
That’s my UFC champion!
ha! i love it!
as a follow up verse to affirm your affirmative action plan, Alece…
After all, we don’t want to unwittingly give Satan an opening for yet more mischief—we’re not oblivious to his sly ways!
MSG 2 cor 2.11
Cups up to the obliteration of oblivion!
such a great translation of that verse!
words someone gave me once:
“you don’t have to keep fighting a battle in your mind with an enemy that’s already been defeated.”
that doesn’t mean to sit back and do nothing. it means we’ve already won, and there’s no reason for us to take any crap from a whining, defeated enemy. his goal is to make us believe we haven’t won, and he’s darn convincing at it sometimes too.
it means when we fight, we’re fighting with a force that’s already defeated death, hell, and the grave. and THAT is empowering in my book!
As long as you also realize that the “ring” is more than just sport. I know it’s an analogy, but sometimes we use the wrong “fight” to visualize the battle. Where we might be thinking of a nice, clean, ref’d boxing match, I guarantee the enemy is not. He wants to devour you. To kill you. To finish you.
Many times in the NT we’re encouraged to wage warfare, to be sober, to put on armor, to fight the good fight. The picture seems more like a call to the battlefront, than an invitation to step into the ring.
All of that crazy, rambling comment-age just to say, “I’m with you!” And Jesus is with you all the more! The thing I like about visualizing it as a call to battle (and a war even, as opposed to a boxing match) is that in a boxing match it’s 1 on 1. You versus the enemy. Even if God is “in your corner” it seems like a pretty lonely fight.
But spiritual warfare (and Biblical NT warfare) is presented as (at the very least) God through us (individual) vs. the enemy and/or God through us (the Body) vs. the enemy. God is the fighter. He is the weapon, the power, the force that works through us. It’s a body thing! We pull down strongholds TOGETHER! We wage warfare TOGETHER! We fight the good fight TOGETHER!
We’re all standing shoulder to shoulder with you…not just cheering you on from the crowd outside the ring!
And like any good unit of soldiers, there is a commanding officer that leads fiercely and boldly into battle. And we know that He is Jesus!
Makes me want to sing that old cheesy song Mighty Warrior! I poke fun too much at that song, but it’s actually a great song.
I like your distinction between 1 on 1 vs. all of us and God vs. the enemy. Thanks for that!
this whole comment was SO good for me to hear, russ. you’re right – it’s warfare, not an organized boxing match. and it’s God through me, which is why i can be assured i have the victory. and i’m not alone – there is an army of Believers standing with me! dang – i needed all of that. thank you!
I don’t think about the devil or spiritual warfare much. I probably need to reread Screwtape Letters so I can be a little more present to the devil’s actions and how they effect me.
i’ve never read that (or anything by CS Lewis in fact!)
“While there are many Christians who blame the devil for far too much, I know I don’t blame him nearly enough.” I grew up in a pentecostal church where everything was blamed on the devil and I like you, don’t blame him for enough… something I work on daily!
the devil was blamed for everything in the churches i grew up in. i think it made me go too far to the other extreme of not acknowledging his activity enough. gotta bring it back into balance.
That’s my Micah verse. I mean, literally, my son Micah is named after that verse.
Love you, sweet Alece. Love you a lot.
i love knowing that is the verse your son is named after!
Love you! And, no, not feeling at all un-important to you. I’ve been there where all your energy is being used up to just be.
I had to learn that, too. I think we expect the devil to be a gentleman about when he kicks us. He isn’t. But God has him on a leash, and does know how to protect us. It still puzzles me about the times when God doesn’t step in and make it stop, but… I’ve determined to trust Him anyway.
I absolutely love this. In the day of my distress…I’ve read those words, but never processed them. That is SO what he does, isn’t it? He kicks us when we’re down. And he can be so darn sneaky that we don’t even realize he’s doing it.
Thank you for this reminder to keep my evil-radar up and active. Because, you’re right…we can’t “resist him and make him flee” if we don’t acknowledge his presence.
Blessings to you today as you fight the good fight.
Atta girl! Keep standing firm! The battle belongs to the Lord and He is NOT in the habit of losing! This is something I am learning, let the redeemed of the Lord “say so”! I am learning to speak Truth into my circumstances. The truth is, that yea the enemy came in like a flood but we Will rise above because of who we are, children of the Most High God! Just keep clinging to the Truth and speaking the promises of God and it Will set you free! I love you!
Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 1 Peter 5:8
I agree with you completely (I found you from the fabulous gypsymama!). It is so empowering to know that He has already conquered, and if we keep His victory in sight, we can do battle with the enemy in His name. I appreciate this post, because it is not easy, I agree, but you’ve called the enemy out on his lies and confronted him with the truth and light – what he hates the most.
Thanks, Alece! That was just what I needed today. I’ve been feeling weary and had just the inkling that I need to not give in to the battle in my head…that’s it’s all a pack o’ lies. This was confirmation of that. Fight on!
so glad this was for you as much as it was for me!
Oh I love this post. Truly. Right now I’m reading “When The Enemy Strikes” and it is 100% along these lines…. it teaches you about our enemy, so you know his plots, his skill, which angles he is coming from. You have to know your enemy in order to do battle against him. But you also have to live in the trust the he IS defeated….. don’t live in fear that he will take you down. We have the ultimate Help in defeating him, we just have to remember that and claim it.
i love you
http://www.amazon.com/When-Enemy-Strikes-Winning-Spiritual/dp/0785287884/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1268161111&sr=8-1
AMEN, girl! We are in a battle..BUT the enemy has NO HOLD over you! Thankful for the BLOOD of JESUS!!
This is a wonderful post, and so RIGHT ON! I’m sure many, many, many of us see ourselves in the words you wrote. And we all need to be better about standing up to him, rather than looking down at ourselves and blaming ourselves for the havoc he tries to wreak in our lives.
I was listening to a radio program a few months ago, and they were talking about how we have every right to put the devil in his place. So now, when he’s sneaking into my thoughts and making me feel doubtful, I often will stop and shout, “Get out of my head! You’re not welcome here!” And it feels so good!
Now, what to do about all the stares from folks in the grocery store when that happens! :p
i need to be quicker (and bolder) about doing that!
Go Alece! Stay in the ring girl… you can win!
Amen sista… that was perfect.
Praying!
Soli Deo Gloria,
Chare
cheering in the sidelines for ya.
“Though I have fallen, I will rise.”
I love that! Amen! You will rise, you are rising, and what the enemy meant for harm He will use to make you stronger!
You overcoming this season of your life, is someone else’s HOPE in the future. Praying for you honeybun. Each day that you don’t give up, is a day of victory.
wow. “You overcoming this season of your life, is someone else’s HOPE in the future.” that was so strengthening to read.
cheering for you loud from the sidelines!
Oh yeah! Standing with you sister and fighting with you for you and for me. Satan is a liar and I say it outloud often along with God’s promises … to remind Him, but mostly to remind me. I love you. You are a warrior princess! How awesome is that?!
It was like I heard a Rocky bell go off in my mind when I read this.
I also heard recently that we can also just say out loud and with all the authority we DO have in Christ when he tries to move in: “Satan, GET. BEHIND. ME.”
And boy, if there’s one thing I’ve learn up close and personally in the past few years, it’s how perfectly he seems to know what will wound us and make us nuts. There is no question how very carefully calculated and strategically-directed those fiery darts and arrows can be. It is unnerving. But I’m finding that when I step back and get perspective, I can better recognize how pathetic these attacks are in comparison to the might of our all-powerful God Who fights for us.
Just wanted to second something here……
I’ve heard over and over again in my life to say that phrase OUT LOUD when you feel a spiritual attack. “Satan, get behind me.” Girl…. it works. Speaking out verbally against him is like a one two punch. ;o)
love this!
I love it when I am calling out to God against Satan then all of the sudden I have a confidence and strength to fight back just when I though I had lost God came in and surrounded me with his love giving me support and strenth to get back in there
i’m with ya. i have been known to pray against him. out loud. in my bed at night when the darkness creeps in.
he gets at us when we are down. at our lowest. kicks us where it hurts the most.
AND we are more than conquerors through Christ. i love that.
great post.
Amen indeed….
Have you heard “Embracing Accusations” by Shane and Shane? Powerful song about the devil (that won’t get on the radio, now will it?) and Galations 3. It’s on their album, “Pages.”
I highly recommend listening to it on repeat for a while. :)
here is the link to it… I looked it up. Pretty powerful words.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ncZI5thqCmY
“Oh the devil’s singing over me
An age old song
That I am cursed and gone astray
Singing the first verse so conveniently
He’s forgotten the refrain
Jesus saves!”
Wow. That’s just awesome. Thank you so much for sharing about that song. I hadn’t heard it before.
You’re welcome. It’s always nice to share their stuff with someone who hasn’t heard it. Powerful lyrics, indeed.
seriously awesome lyrics in that song! so, so powerful!
FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT!!
the devil sneaks under the radar way too often for me. and he ain’t up to anything good.
Girl, you’ve hit the nail on the head with this one. We DO forget that the devil is literally the enemy of our soul. There’s nothing he won’t go after in our lives. And you are totally right. We can’t fight something when we don’t know what or who we’re really fighting. God’s given you some amazing insight here. Praying for you. :)
I read the last part, “I will rise.” I think you need to rethink that. You are already rising! It is present tense, not something you are still waiting for!
I don’t like to walk aroung seeing a demon under every rock and around every corner, but like you, I don’t think we as believers acknowledge the power and activity of Satan in the world. And he uses it to his full advantage. We know from Scripture that he is given power and authority in the earth for this time, until Christ’s return. He is in a war. We are in a war with him, whether we choose to acknowledge it or engage in it or not. A lot of times, I think he uses our comfort and convenience more than our overt sin.
And I love that someone mentioned speaking to the devil OUT LOUD. I really think that is an important point. We can pray to our Father in our hearts, in our minds, because He is omniscient, able to see into our hearts and our thinking. Satan, on the other hand, is NOT OMNISCIENT! He can observe our behavior, but he can NOT read our minds. Rebuking him in our thoughts doesn’t work! He can’t hear it! If we want to make sure he hears what we want him to hear, we must say it out loud. And he recoils in fear and trembling at the sound of the name of Jesus. He cannot stand (maintain power) in God’s presence. His power and authority are granted only at God’s discretion! Problem is, he doesn’t know yet that he has already been defeated. He thinks he can still overcome. Kinda goes back to one of your recent posts about the “word of God and the word of their testimony, which they maintained.” So much power there!
All that to say, I’m praying against the power of Satan and his lies and attacks against you, with you. I’m praying for your strength and encouragement, your recognition of the lies when they begin. And I’m praying that you will experience the power of the spoken rebuke of Satan in the name of Jesus.
You are rising. Now. Not some time in the future. It is already happening. And when you grow weary, there are those whom you can trust to fight on your behalf, to encourage, and to lift up your arms in the midst of the battle (a la Jethro and Joshua for Moses).
Love and hugs from VA!
“A lot of times, I think he uses our comfort and convenience more than our overt sin. ” – yes! i agree!
i am rising…
YAY! I’m right there with ya! Dukes up!
Write a message to the devil on the bottom of your shoe.
you are SO bizarre!
hahaha!
Nah, not really. It’s a song. I remember it from when I was a kid :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u75oFzDw78w
oh my gosh, this song and video are ridiculous!
but i love the thought of writing him a message on the bottom of my shoe. a tangible, visible reminder that he’s under my feet.
Someone once told me that if we are not making trouble for Satan then he is not going to make trouble for us.
I sometimes wonder if the trouble we have endured is proportionate to the the trouble we have caused for the devil.
(And I was never one to put much stock in, or blame on, the devil…until last year, that is.)