Satan Hates My Guts

I struggle. 

All the time and over such stupid stuff!  

Now, I know the secret of why the simplest of simple leads to a meltdown. “What just happened?” and “Why does it keep happening?” to “When will it ever stop?".  

Today, I figured it out.

Satan. Hates. My. Guts.

Before fixing my sights on the Nobel Peace Prize, with this revolutionary idea, I want to be certain, so I casually mention to a friend, “Satan hates my guts.”  Without missing a beat, she uncharacteristically did not have a question.  “Pretty much.”  Flat out.  ‘O-kay…  Am I actually on to something and if I am, what do I do with it?’  I laugh, she chuckles and I’m sure the devil, ‘Bwah-hahahaed’ himself to death. 

(If only.)  

I guess I sound resolved to nothing ever changing.  I am, but not for that reason.  I resolve to the fact that everything is going to be all right.  If Satan spends that much time wreaking havoc on my emotions, I’m getting at least one thing right.

Satan cannot be everywhere at the same time. He’s not omnipresent nor is he a mind reader, but he has eyes and ears.  He also has one-third of fallen angels lurking about doing a great deal of hearing and seeing for him.  Not only that, but they also enlist others, enticing people, using them as snares.  I see the traps, I hear “danger Will Rogers, danger”, yet somehow, I manage to fall despite the warnings.  Time and time again.  It is inevitable.

‘Why am I snapping at this young girl? She’s just doing her job.  Yes, yes she is… rudely.’

‘Seriously?  Why does this keep changing? Ugh. It was fine just a second ago!  Everything is selected exactly the same, but now this one part is a different size?’

‘ENOUGH already!  Turn it down!  I can’t be inside; I can’t be outside.  I’m sick wearing a headset as an accessory; even then it doesn’t work, it’s too loud and does nothing about the vibration shaking the house. I have the right to live like I what, too!’

'I do my best to not respond in kind, but better.  Why am I treated this way? Condoning endless bullying is bad enough, but she hit me! It isn’t about my way or having a certain way, but my students.  My protocols are best practices! Communication? This isn’t a communication problem, this is insubordination!’

Irritation. Tears of frustration. Anguishing meltdowns.  There is one detail I neglect to consider.  One-third is a portion of one whole.  Where in the world are the other two-thirds?  “Ding-ding-ding”. The other two thirds are angels who remain faithful to the One True God , and they are outnumbering all those demons, fighting against wickedness.  It’s those little inconspicuous annoyances that start me down the path where I slip and fall.  Where I sin...

Here's the key:  Satan can hear, right?  Well, I need to stop giving him ammunition.

His following, whether worldly or otherworldly, use what comes out of my mouth to lay snares!  Upset, angry or whatever, I'm learning to keep it in my thought bubble between me and the Lord.  Satan can’t hear that!  I make sure Satan hears what he dreads the most… praise.  Pure, unadulterated praise of who God is. 

He can also see. I love probability.  I think he does, too; but he doesn’t get it.  He's one hundred percent certain, with a two-sided coin, I’ll act impulsively or worse, irrationally.  Ah, that's 50 percent, but he's going to do what he does best.  Cheat.  He orchestrates.  He’s the Master of Deception and can distract like nobody’s business and despite best intentions, I may hand him a double barrel gun for all that ammo.  

Hearing and seeing go hand in hand.

‘She’ll slip with the tongue, she’s always calling people what they are, idiots… If she’d just kick that ridiculous habit of asking Him to forgive.  Another day, I need to focus, make sure all my minions are in a row.  All my “minions” in a row, heh-heh-heh, I crack myself up. Where’s that coin?  She’s going to screw up.  I know this one, been messing with her most her pathetic life.  As a matter of fact, she's so messed up she can't tell the difference between reality and imaginary!  She cannot keep living this way, I’ve heard her say it myself.  You guys just stick to the plan, she’s bound to flip out.’ 

I forget Satan isn't in control, there is nothing he can do without God’s permission. Nothing.  People say, "The Lord doesn't give us anything we can't handle".  If that is true, then okay, I'll get through this.   He may know my weaknesses, but he doesn't know my heart.  I need to remember, I know all about him, too. 

1 Peter 5:8 both warns and encourages me to ... "be watchful" because my "adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour" and to "resist him".

I run to God, in tearful uncontrollable venting, to the point of being inconsolable. I don't see past the moment, but He's been beyond it. He gets I believe I fail serving Him well because I'm in a meltdown.  Jesus is omnipresent, hearing and seeing it all. He hears me crying out to Him; he sees me running towards Him. Satan is a liar. Jesus knows my heart. That fact thrusts everything that tears me away from biblical truths, back onto Satan, right where it belongs. 

When we fail to fall, demons coil and Satan blows a casket. 

And there we h...

Ow!  For all that's good and holy, did he just pinch me?

See.

I told you.

Satan hates my guts.

An Unfit Christian?

While checking my email I recently came across an article that led me to the website, "The Unfit Christian". You know how these things happen, an attention grabbing, hyped title on the page where you login... my page rhymes with snail mail. What I read was a prime example of what spiritual deception has evolved to in the 21st century. At second glance, I did read the entire article because I wanted a clear understanding, as reading it partially or skimming can leave you with an inaccurate impression and opinion that differs from the author's intention.

I am beyond appalled at how "in the name of Jesus" complaints (call it what you may, but it's complaining about true biblical faith and relationship with God) are being sinfully altered! People hear "faith-based", which may no longer imply belief in Christ and assume it is Christian. I myself had to learn to be leery because something is labeled "faith-based".  Case in point to why I avoid using the term "Christian".

My response is the gospel, so there is no confusion:

I believe the Word of God to be Truth and am a follower of Jesus, once separated from the One True God. Through the sacrificial death and resurrection of His only Son Jesus I walk in fellowship, a personal and corporate relationship between Him and I and I with other believers in Christ. I recognize, as a sinner, my need for a Savior and believe through my confession of faith, receive God's gift of grace and mercy. In the name of Jesus Christ, my Savior, I am forgiven and reconciled to God.

Now, there are various kinds of faith. Faith in others, country, conspiracy theory, self, doctrine; the list is endless and we all, in Christ or not, may find ourselves in any given category at one time or another. No one is infallible! However, there is only one saving faith that is received through Christ.  My salvation has nothing to do with my physical appearance, culture or behavior. Salvation is based on Christ and Christ alone... and by the power of the Holy Spirit, I believe all that God says is true.

 Thwarting the Word of God, deceiving millions on the premise of not having things their way, not being able to live as they deem right, is sin. Ultimate biblical rebellion against God's authority rejects Jesus as Lord and the only way to God. Those who detour others and believe such a lie will be held accountable. The ideology of an "unfit Christian", in this context, is counterfeit as are all vain imaginations found on Satan's playground of blasphemy. This is an example of the type of deception that has a distracting grip on society. The gospel of Jesus Christ is inclusive.  It is freely given to all who receive.  Belief in Christ excludes secular lifestyles. I implore anyone justifying living secular lifestyles, as a Christian, to count the cost of reinventing Christianity.  Unfit Christian implies the lifestyle goes against the word of God.  You cannot be an unfit Christian and Christian.  Nor can anyone accuse God of being exclusive! 

The decision to follow Him is inclusive to all seeking Jesus as Lord and Savior, but it is not freely given in order to justify an ungodly life to a "form of faith" that keeps you "spiritually" comfortable! Receiving Jesus into your life, changes you. Your will becomes His and most importantly a desire to live as He says matters more than anything else the world has to offer. You either believe only faith in God through the sacrifice and resurrection of His Son Jesus or you believe the devil, following his worldly view.

To say, for instance, God hates LGBTQ, etc. is not what scripture states.  God loves His creation of people, He called it "Good".   He does not send anyone to hell.  It is ludicrous to reason that God creates and then condemns His creation!  We are given free will, the ability to determine the direction of our lives.  God abhors sin, not the person. It is not His desire for anyone to be separated from Him.  Faith in Christ is based on sacrificial love, not fear.  I challenge that if someone is "tired" of fear-based faith, they should evaluate their understanding of the gospel.  The message is about reconciliation, not damnation.

Worship Leader, songwriter Ron Kenoly states, "There is no militarized zone. You're either on the Lord's side or the devil's.

                                                                    

Let us consider what we hear, what we read, what we see and measure it biblically, according to the word of God. People will give everything a chance. Almost. I challenge... try Jesus. Look for truth in His word, correlate it to history. We believe historical events, right? We research an abundance of topics. Why leave the bible, God's true word, closed and unexplored? Exhausted by a constant unsolicited comment of having problems with the bible, I told an acquaintance, "When I have a problem with something, I do something about it, and I recognize I cannot have a problem with anything I've never taken the time to learn of!"

Believing God is a heart problem, for all of us.

Do we wrestle under conviction? Perhaps. I suggest... probably.

 Biblical events are real, it all happened and continually coincides along history. Seek, find and make a well researched choice. Deuteronomy, 30: 11-20 shares with us the way of choosing... believe God's ways, speak of God's ways, live according to God's ways.

Chose Life.