The Vineyard
Dear Friends,
One of my favorite books is The Screwtape Letters, by C.S. Lewis. As you probably know, it’s a fanciful collection of letters sent by an “arch-demon” to an “apprentice demon”. The whole book deals with how Satan’s demons tempt us to doubt…or put aside our prayer time…or question the truth of the Bible, and so forth. It’s a must read for any believer, in my opinion, because it gives real insight into how real the battle within us for the opinions we form in our minds.
Last night I had one of those moments when the demons seemed to be trying to “reason” with me and to create panic within me. They suggested to me how hopeless my situation was, how undeserving my petitions to God were, how unlikely it was that God would respond, and how insane it was to expect my life to improve. And as I considered all those thoughts from 2:00 am forward, I realized that if I kept thinking about my life from this perspective, I would “curse God and die”.
But then I began to think the opposite. I began to wonder, what has the enemy suggested to me and countless other believers to keep us mediocre in our work, walk and spiritual assignments? What has he tried to do, countless times, to keep us away from the foot of the cross and to ham-string us in our pilgrimage? And it occurred to me that the enemy is far more predictable than you might realize. His common tactic is to remind me of my flaws, my failures, and all the areas where I am not what and where I want to be, and then suggest that surely I am going to fail and crash soon!
The last thing the enemy wants is for me to cry out to God, “Abba father, please help me”! He is most concerned that I do not admit to God my need for divine intervention or that I surrender my fears, concerns and apprehension onto Him! But of course that’s what I did and that’s when I was reminded that “Satan wants to devour us” by suggesting that God has abandoned us, could not possibly love us, is tired of us, has given up on us or us no longer able to help us. THESE are the sentiments that the enemy desperately wants me to believe—-these are the very things I must fight the most.
And so I listed in my mind what I know to be true about God—-firsthand knowledge:
-He loves me
-He has lead me to be where I am and has opened the way for me to do what I do
-He has never abandoned me
-Each and every time I have been in a crisis, God has eventually sent a miracle
Then I listed what I know to be true about the enemy (Satan)
-He is a liar
-He twists and perverts truth
-He desires to handicap or paralyze me with fear
-He hopes for my destruction
How foolish to listen to him at 2:00 am each morning rather than resist his lies about God…and me! So I am learning to shut him down and to listen to the other voice more. And I and those that live with me, are far better because of it.
Warmly
Dean Barley
The Vineyard
Dean@VineyardCamp.com
336 351 2070
919 360 8493 (Mobile)
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