Under Attack By Satan?

If not, you will be!  Isn't that a cheery thought.  Aren't you glad you stopped by to read today's post?  Got any other good news?

Well actually I do.  I have some very good news and hopefully a paradigm shift. 

Let's walk through this together.  First off, I believe that the more active we are in our faith the more we are a direct threat to Satan and the more we will be attacked. 

Picture Satan sitting there playing Whack A Mole.  If all you do is go to church on Sunday you're really not much of a threat to Satan so he can pretty much ignore you.  You may have accepted Jesus and are saved but other than that you don't really require much of Satan's attention. 

However if you start reading the Bible everyday, start getting involved in your church, start volunteering at the Gospel Mission, whatever; now you've struck your head up and given Satan a target.  Whack! 

Here is where I'd like to introduce the paradigm shift.  Instead of making it this big old scary thing in our minds, treat it as what it is, a minor inconvenience in our service to God.  Don't get me wrong, sometimes what we have to go through will be very painful, maybe physically, maybe mentally, maybe emotionally, maybe all of the above, but when all is said and done, compared to what Jesus sacrificed for us, not even on the same scale.

The mind is a funny thing.  You have to master it and train it.  If you think of the big old scary Satan getting ready to attack you and your overwhelmed and quaking with fear….what message does all of that intense emotion send to your brain?  But if you keep it in perspective, that Satan is really a bit of a punk and we don't need to fear him, our brain interprets that way differently.

But wait a minute.  Isn't Satan really something to be feared?  I mean come on, God vs. Satan, battle between good and evil and all that? 

Nope.  No need to fear him at all.  In fact I think it is of some importance how we deal with the attacks from Satan.  Let me give you a couple of scriptures and I'll wrap this up. 

Micah 7:8-9(NKJV)

8    Do not rejoice over me, my enemy;      When I fall, I will arise;     When I sit in darkness,     The Lord will be a light to me.

9    I will bear the indignation of the Lord,     Because I have sinned against Him,     Until He pleads my case     And executes justice for me.     He will bring me forth to the light;     I will see His righteousness.

In Micah we get this verse of hope.  We can look Satan right in the eye with confidence, not quacking in fear, and say "that all you got?  You may knock me down but you can't keep me down because my Daddy is tougher than you and He's gonna kick your tail!"  In the mean time we are going to have to put up with some crap but when all is said and done, God will deliver us.

Romans 5:3-5(NKJV)

3And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; 

4and perseverance, character; and character, hope. 

5Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

Now this is one of my favorite passages of Scripture.  One of the things I like about this is that it gives us instruction on how we are to bear the attacks by Satan.  We are to glory in them.  Why?  Because as this passage lays out, there is a vital growth process here.  "Tribulation produces perseverance;  and perseverance, character; and character, hope.  Now hope does not disappoint"

So folks, instead of fearing attacks from Satan recognize them for what they are, a necessary part of the process.  Bear those attacks with dignity and hope as part of your witness because you know that our God does not disappoint!