Here Comes the Devil

Spiritual warfare, right?

So, this is where the devil, who is a spirit, but nonetheless like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour, comes against the Christian with all kinds of temptations consisting, many times, evil thoughts or unpleasant people.

Sometimes, though, the spiritual realm spills over into the physical, and things start to get really nasty.

The good news, before I go any further and the reader sinks into a deep depression, is that the Bible says rejoice when these things happen. What things? Well, that's the bad news.

Sometimes, instead of the temptation to ogle a pretty girl or the sinful desire to get snotty with an obnoxious stranger, Satan makes it personal. The name means "accuser," after all, so what did you expect?

In addition to trying to get us to sin, our adversary would like to disrupt our relationships. His favorite trick is to influence someone close to us (a friend or, his all-time favorite, a dear family member) to come at us in an especially ugly and hurtful way.

This is hard stuff to deal with, even for the more saintly among us, and I must admit: the strong urge is to launch full-throttle nuclear retaliation. You know, the scorched earth, take no prisoners type of retaliation.

Pray, brother or sister, that you never give in. The guilt alone from such a performance (not to mention the hurt you've inflicted on the other person) is HARD to overcome. You will have damaged your relationship AND your witness (especially if this blowup occurs in front of others). I speak with the sad voice of experience.

Next: What about that rejoicing part?