A thought by Louie Giglio, from his book, Don't Give the Enemy a Seat at Your Table. (p. 45). Thomas Nelson, Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.)
That is so very true.
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| He quietly sits down. |
Louie says, "You might not recognize him when he first sits down. The Devil doesn’t arrive with a brightly flashing neon pitchfork. He doesn’t sit down with a growl and threaten to gouge out your eyes. No. At first, it’s simply another person seated next to you, helping himself to your brownie, wondering aloud which water glass is his, inadvertently wiping his mouth with your napkin.
"It takes only a second. The unwelcome visitor sits down so swiftly and casually it’s hard to discern his true character. He often appears to be on your side at the start. He promises you relief from your troubles. Second Corinthians 11:14 describes how Satan 'masquerades as an angel of light,' which means that the Devil rarely comes to the table showing his true colors—someone whose sole purpose is to 'steal and kill and destroy' (John 10:10). Instead, the Devil takes the form of someone who’s helpful, someone who appears to have your best interest at heart, someone who offers you respite from whatever pain you’re feeling."
Louie continues, "Hey, how’s it going? he might ask. You doing okay? You don’t look so good. How’s everything at work? I don’t honestly know how you do it! Your boss is such a jerk. I mean really, you’re a real trooper to hang in there and put up with that idiot! So, how are things at home? Still rough? Man, I pity you. I really do. Mind if I have another cupcake? These things are delicious!
"Your Enemy will use whatever devices are available to worm his thoughts inside your brain. Maybe it’s a movie you watch, a series of subtly influential memes that flash by on social media, or a conversation between two people that happens within earshot. You’re not positive how the Devil’s thoughts got in your mind, but they’re certainly in there now. He’ll kick you when you’re down. Maybe you’re lonely. Or angry. Or tired. Whenever you feel burdened or pressured, you become more susceptible to evil’s influence. First John 2:16 describes how three big items in the Devil’s tool kit are 'the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life.' That means the Devil can take anything the body naturally desires and use it to harm us—that’s the lust of the flesh at work. The Devil can use anything we see and wish for as part of his trap to lead us toward destruction—that’s the lust of the eyes. The pride of life, in this case, is a harmful sort of bragging or boasting or showmanship or ambition that causes us to have too much confidence in ourselves. The Devil will use that too."
Louie goes on, "In whatever way the Devil gains access to your table, his goals are always the same. He wants to gain access to your mind so he can destroy you. He wants to get inside your head so harmful thoughts can be planted within you. Those thoughts will grow unchecked and spill out into actions. He wants you to be overtaken by wickedness. He wants to steal everything that is valuable from you. He wants to kill your relationship with God. He wants to cause division between you and the people who care for you. The Devil is not gentle—not in the long run. He was 'a murderer from the beginning' (John 8:44), and he sets snares that capture people so they do his will (2 Timothy 2:26). The Devil is vicious and cruel, and he’s always prowling around 'like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour' (1 Peter 5:8). That someone is you."
Louie then says, "With all his trickery, it can be hard to recognize the Enemy’s voice. He was prowling around Eve in the garden of Eden. He was prowling around the night Jesus was betrayed. It’s not up to us to stop his prowling. But it is up to us to keep him from sitting at our table.
"Rest assured: you have the power as a son or daughter of Jesus Christ to exercise faith that’s defiant of the Devil’s whisper. You can say, 'In Jesus’ name, I won’t entertain your words, your thoughts, your influence.' "
And that is so important for us to know and do, isn't it?
Yes, yes!
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