A week ago a friend in her 60’s caring for her elderly mum along with her sister, told me how the mums behaviour was changing and making life for all very difficult, but that something that had come to the surface was that the sisters were being set up against each other and how this current behaviour revealed that the mum had done this from their enitre lives… a whole range of situations had now been brought into the light of new information and understanding.
I have wrangled many times with the verse “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world“… and in case there’s any doubt, I do absolutely believe in the actual existence of a being known as many names, including Satan, and that he’s had thousands of years to hone and implement a zillion strategies against humans. Why against humans? Well for one thing, when evil doesn’t get what it wants, it sets about the poisoning and ruin of anything good or pure – for hates own sake and for the purpose of revenge against the One in Whose throne he desires to sit.
Don’t panic – I’m not comparing that elderly mum to Satan – what I am saying though is that through many difficult situations in life I have not been able to see past a current conflict and apply how that verse makes sense. I remember discussing a situation with my sister about 20 years back “but we DO! We DO wrestle with each other!!” And it’s true… we do… but since thinking about that friend from last week I see a slightly wider view… there is a someone who is good at remaining hidden, when he finds he cannot have he can’t have our adulation, adoration or worship – is very strategic and utterly unfair, striking at our most vulnerable moments – and will actively set out to steal, kill, rob, destroy, devour and decimate.
If we will not worship him – he will set about souring our worship of the Saviour in malicious ways using relationships and circumstances in myriad ways. And because we’re often not wise to his strategies – he can make ground.
We can attribute too much to the devil.
We can also attribute too little.
So soft that only the heart can hear he whispers fear and lies, mistrust and misunderstanding, deceit and power in many shades from his place in the shadows. Perhaps remembering he is about the destruction of lives, families and worship – and will pit people against each other by whatever means – is a place to start getting wiser.
Has he been stirring your pot?
