A while back, I posted some of my thoughts about Twilight. One train of thought that has hung around in the corners of mind began with these thoughts, from one of those posts...
I was touched by all the people who came to the Cullen's aid. I was equally drawn to the dark image of the Volturi and I wonder, if we could see Satan's minions, if their presence would be similar. Are Satan and his followers sure of victory when they face me? Are they arrogant in their attack? Are they calm and confident while I struggle to gather myself and brace for their attack? Those are thoughts for another post.
It's time for that other post.
I watched a movie over the weekend that reminded me of this again. I was flipping through the channels and stopped on something that looked like it might not be too terrible. Ya know how that goes. ANYWAY, the movie was about demons and angels and their workings in this world, and again, the demons were very self-assured, to the point of arrogance, in their attacks against "mortals".
So, I am wondering...why? Why do we perceive evil to be so confident? It seems to be a common thought, whether in movies, books, or TV shows. Those who are cloaked in darkness are calm in their attack, confident of their victory. In horror films, crime dramas, and the like we see images of the attacker calmly pursuing his victim with even, calculated, patient steps while the victim runs tripping and falling and flailing as if totally blind and at least partially crippled. Why is this? Why is the victim portrayed as so utterly helpless compared to the attacker...and do we believe this to be true on a spiritual level? While there is no Jason Voorhees or Michael Myers or Freddie Kruger coming after us, we do have a very real enemy in Satan and he does have demons to do his bidding...and they do attack. If literature, movies and television are any indication, we see "evil" as immeasurably powerful and ourselves as utterly helpless to defend against it.
And this makes me very angry.
This makes me angry because this "helplessness" is a lie from the Pit of Hell. Satan himself has deceived us into believing that we are powerless against him. While we have no hope of resisting him in our own power, we MUST know and remember and claim that HE WHO IS IN ME IS GREATER THAN HE WHO IS IN THE WORLD. Yes, Satan has unimaginable power here in this time, but his time is indeed limited and, while Satan is powerful, he is not as powerful as Christ...and Christ lives in me. I am NOT a victim, and neither are you! If I am a victim, it is only because I have believed Satan's lies about me. If I am defeated, it is only because I have taken my eyes off of Christ and have focused instead on my immediate circumstances. If I believe myself helpless, I have forgotten Who fights for me.
I know that, historically, Satan has unleashed a terrible attack on me when I take this stand, as if to put me back in my place. This does little more than reiterate my point. As long as Satan can keep me blinded to the truth and believing that I am helpless to resist him or fight against him, I am no threat.
On my own, I have no chance of standing against Satan. When I try to resist him, I fail...every single time. HOWEVER, Christ has never cowered to Satan. Christ has never fallen victim to Satan's attack. Christ has never, not for one single moment in the history of all creation been defeated by Satan.
And Christ fights for me.
Christ, the Lord of all creation, stands with me against my enemy. Christ fights for me and with me and in me and through me, and, through Him, I am a conqueror. In Christ, I am victorious.
So then, my feelings of defeat and my feelings of helplessness really reveal the truth of my faith in Christ and the truth of my belief about the identity of Christ. Do I believe that Christ fights in me and for me and with me and through me? Do I believe that Christ defeats Satan? More to the heart of the matter...
Do I believe that Christ will defeat Satan for ME?
I think that's what it all boils down to. THAT's the lie. Just like in the Garden, Satan twists the truth to make me doubt. Satan knows that, only because of Christ in me, I am victorious. Satan knows that, because of Christ in me, I have the power to fight his attacks. Because of Christ in me, I am no longer sentenced to life in bondage to sin. So, the lie is NOT that Christ CAN'T defeat Satan, but that Christ WON'T fight for me. The lie is that I am alone in my battle. The lie is that there is no one to help me.
The truth is in in
Exodus 14:14
The LORD will fight for you, you need only to be still.
Isaiah 41:10
fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
Joshua 1:9
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go
Romans 8:3
What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
2 Timothy 1:7
For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.
1 John 4:4
You are from God, little children, and you have conquered them, because the One who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.
I am not helpless, I am not defeated, and, if Christ is in you, neither are you. Christ in me means that I do not have to cower in the corner and wait for Satan's attack to pass. Christ in me means that I do not have to hide. Christ in me means that I do not have to run from my attacker. Christ in me means that I can turn and face my attacker and, with all confidence in my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, tell Satan to leave me. Scripture tells me "Resist the Devil and he MUST flee." (James 4:7)
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