Stay on Guard

" It does not matter how small the sins are provided that their cumulative effect is to edge the man away from the Light and out into the Nothing. Murder is no better than cards if cards can do the trick. Indeed the safest road to Hell is the gradual one-the gentle slope, soft underfoot, without sudden turnings, without milestones, without signposts.”
-C.S. Lewis "The Screwtape Letters"

A coworker of mine was telling me the other day about a movie he recently saw. It is entitled "Devil". Now, I've seen the movie in the video store, but obviously never rented it. He went on to tell me about the movie: basically seven people trapped in an elevator, one of whom which is Satan himself. Throughout the movie, random things happen, lights go off, people die, etc... The movie seems to portray Satan as this gruesome, violent, and murderous monster. No one knows who's doing the killing in the movie, and I guess it has a twist at the end. My coworker explained to me that movies like this really get him thinking, that maybe Satan really IS for real. Well, he's half right: Satan definitely is for real, but hardly ever does he show up like that. Rather, he often will show up in ways that we never even know we are being deceived. For example, our enemy can use something such as a relationship, our jobs, even our kids to knock us-and keep us-off track. Basically, whatever keeps our eyes off of the Cross is to his advantage.

Peter tells us to "be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour." (1Pet 5:8 NIV) He's looking for chinks in our armor, for vulnerability and weaknesses, such as a lion looks for his prey. However, sometimes it's even more difficult to discern than that. As C.S. Lewis stated in the quote above, sin can be extremely gradual and with nothing flashy. Thus, the whole "angel of light" disguise. Even the strongest of Christians and believers can be fooled from time to time, but it becomes more difficult for the enemy as we grow in our walk with Christ. If you have not read The Screwtape Letters, it is basically about a veteran demon training his nephew in the damnation of a human. Lewis uses the analogy of believers who are completely walking in the Spirit being immune to demonic attack in the following conversation between the demons: "As you ought to have known, the asphyxiating cloud which prevented your attacking the patient on his walk back from the old mill, is a well-known phenomenon. It is the Enemy's most barbarous weapon, and generally appears when He is directly present to the patient under certain modes not yet fully classified. Some humans are permanently surrounded by it and therefore inaccessible to us."

I often write or discuss about the importance of staying committed to our personal relationship with Jesus through prayer, Scripture, and quiet time. Whether you choose to use the metaphor of the two foundations, the armor of God, or anything else, the fact of the matter is that anyone who is walking solid and in complete obedience with our Lord really has nothing to fear from Satan. Yes, he will attack us. Yes, bad things may happen and we will go through all sorts of seasons in life. However, when we stay strong in the Spirit, "test all things" (1Thess 5:21-22), and remain sold out to the Lordship of Christ, we've already won the battle in a war that was won 2000 years ago. And, if you are young in your walk with Jesus or not a believer, I would encourage you to seek answers through God's Word. There is a very real battle for our souls, with either eternal rewards or eternal consequences. Be encouraged though. Salvation is for everyone. Instead, rejoice that you have a Savior who died, rose from the grave, and has reserved a seat- just for you in His Kingdom!