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MY ENEMY, THE DEVIL

By Gary VanDeWalker 1 Comment

MY ENEMY, THE DEVIL - New Identity Magazine

There are friends I would rather no one know I have. In the past, I’ve introduced you to two of these friends, World and Flesh. One surrounds me; the other is part of me. These should be my enemies. They distance me from God and dampen my love for Christ. However, I find myself drawing them closer than I should. The enemy that should repulse me most is often the one I pretend isn’t there, while walking hand in hand with him. He is the devil.

You might ask how I don’t notice the ugly guy walking alongside me in my spiritual life, but here’s the thing, he doesn’t appear as someone ugly, but as an angel of light. “For no wonder, Satan disguises himself as an angel of light” (2 Corinthians 11:14, NASB). He’s the suggestion in my ear that it is more noble to be honest and sin, then do good with an impure motive. He helps me provide the degrading criticism to my friend, in the name of improving my friend’s character. I hear in his words the encouragement to be honest in my faith at the risk of being perceived as holy and aloof, by compromising and looking like everyone else.

When my vision is clear and I see the road to take, he jumps in front of me and creates a road block. Paul experienced this, “For we wanted to come to you—I, Paul, more than once—and yet Satan hindered us” (1 Thessalonians 2:18, NASB). He creates obstacles to discourage me. I adopt platitudes and convince myself I’m loving my neighbor by not bothering him with my faith. I choose to set my convictions aside, interpreting the devil’s speed bumps as stop signs in the will of God. When there is resistance to my values, Satan persuades me that God is twisting my path. I accept sin, believing grace should abound.

God gave me a foundation of truth from the Bible, illustrated in history. The stories of Scripture reveal God’s character. This foundation shows his love for me in the present, for God has thought of me, sending Christ into my life today. The devil focuses me on the future, making me fear it, wanting me to gain material wealth from what lies ahead and every other pleasure which comes before me. In his fictional work, The Screwtape Letters, C.S. Lewis has a senior devil propose to his younger nephew a way to derail the Christian’s faith. While trying to hinder believers, the young tempter is to remember, “Gratitude looks to the Past and love to the Present; fear, avarice, lust, and ambition look ahead.”

I assume that devil will appear big, loud, and abrupt. But often he is the soft voice, the gentle touch, and path of least resistance.

I listen to Satan’s whispering, taking it often as my own thought. My proper response would be to remember Jesus’ response to Peter. Peter listened as Satan had him oppose Jesus’ notion of going to Jerusalem and dying. Jesus had no intention of letting the devil sway the conversation. “But he turned and said to Peter, ‘Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; for you are not setting your mind on God’s interests, but man’s” (Matthew 16:23, NASB).

There’s the rub. How often I forget to ask the question of what are God’s interests. I ask about my own interests, seeking to love myself. But I ignore the interests of my neighbor and espouse the great virtue of doing what is right in my own eyes to serve God and my neighbor best. Yet, the interest of my neighbor and myself is always found in God’s interest because he is the one who loves me and my neighbor the most.

Again the devil in Lewis’ story, Screwtape, speaks of Satan’s approach. “Indeed the safest road to Hell is the gradual one—the gentle slope, soft underfoot, without sudden turnings, without milestones, without signposts.” I assume that devil will appear big, loud, and abrupt. But often he is the soft voice, the gentle touch, and path of least resistance. Paul warns of Satan’s nature. “But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ” (2 Corinthians 11:3, NASB).

Apart from what Satan puts in my life, I need to also consider what he keeps out of it. Screwtape talks about how easy it is for Satan to tempt believers, “It is funny how mortals always picture us as putting things into their minds: in reality our best work is done by keeping things out.” The simplicity and purity of devoting my life to Christ should be my focus. I need to take God at his Word, recognizing the straightforward commands to love God and my neighbor as myself. To derail my spiritual walk, Satan only needs to make me forget this focus.

Satan convinces me that he has great power. I fear at times what he might do to me. I wonder, within myself, how much of the world represents his strength. I forget the great one who lives within me. I could never measure the height of God’s power or the Lord’s might; and with Satan’s power beside it, there is no comparison. Satan can no more move against God’s power than an ant can move the planet out of the orbit of the sun.

My enemy, who I befriend, has but one power over me. He lies. He changes my perception of the world. He makes me see things backwards and upside down. He convinces me of truths other than God’s.

What I believe and how I think determine how I live. Satan has no power over me. He uses the simple lie, and then relies on me to use my own strength to carry out his wishes. He gives me a faulty prescription, and I think the unfocused, blurred world is reality. When I put on the glasses of God’s truth, the devil’s power fades away. Christ lives in me.

For those choosing to live outside the Kingdom of God, Satan blinds them to truth. “The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God” (2 Corinthians 4:4). The devil renders Christ invisible. He directs the minds of unbelievers to the flawed world and blames God. He promotes self-sufficiency, virtue without foundation, and a form of godliness without God. He attributes the problems in culture to Christians, the intolerant, and the weak. Again, the lie is his strength.

A final word from C.S. Lewis’ Screwtape reminds me of the need to stay fixed on Jesus. “Do not be deceived… Our cause is never more in danger than when a human, no longer desiring, but still intending, to do [God’s] will, looks round upon a universe from which every trace of [God] seems to have vanished, and asks why he has been forsaken, and still obeys.” No matter what Satan hides from my view, I must obey the truth of God. When God tells me to love him, to love my neighbor, to put his Kingdom first, I must see beyond the barriers Satan puts onto the landscape.

There are weapons that I can use in the battle against this false friend. (Ephesians 6:10-18) My faith is my shield. God’s Word is my sword. His righteousness protects my heart. My feet are surrounded by his truth and move me through the world. Trust, truth, and righteousness are my pursuits. When I trust God, I don’t trust the devil. When I know the truth, I see the world through God’s eyes. When I cling to the righteousness that Christ gives me, apart from my own works, I can’t be shaken into a false sense of guilt. My sins can’t be used against me, because Christ has forgiven them and made right living possible.

It’s a struggle. These three friends, the world, the flesh, and the devil are really my enemies, I work at leaving them behind. I need to remember when I stumble, Christ picks me up. I must hold to the hope before me and the real future Christ has promised me—a new world and a new body which will no longer be plagued by sin. But for now I take responsibility and endeavor to follow God, God’s Spirit, and pursue the Kingdom.

When I walk with Christ as my friend, I am dead to the world, the flesh, and the devil. I am transformed to God’s character in my thoughts, my actions, and these enemies have no power over me.

And of the devil?

“Then I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, ‘Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down, he who accuses them before our God day and night’” (Revelation 12:10)
My false friend, the devil, he will lose his place. Before Jesus returns, he will cast out Satan. Satan will begin the road to his final judgment. Humanity will see him for his true character. My flesh will be exchanged for a new body, the world will be made new and perfect, and Satan will be thrown into a lake of fire.

When Christ returns, my enemies will be brought to Jesus’ feet. They will no longer be able to pull me from him. I will see God face to face and find my true friend.

MY ENEMY, THE DEVIL - New Identity Magazine

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Comments

  1. Dez says

    April 5, 2017 at 11:43 am

    Very well written. Very inspiring. God bless you Gary. I’m going to write something similar, using a lot of your points to help me in coming up with a post about “My Enemy” that will help those who follow me on social media. We’re all in this together and God gets the glory! You passed the idea on to me, and I’m going to keep it going.

    By the way, my Instagram is GetDizzy23. Be blessed.

    Reply

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There’s a very popular book called "The 7 Mounta There’s a very popular book called "The 7 Mountains of Influence" by Bronwyn O’Brien. The message of the book is that in order to change the world, there are seven mountains of influence that God wants to permeate: Arts & Entertainment, Business, Education, Family, Government, Media, and Religion. The main idea here is that each one of us is called to a specific mountain, or several of these specific mountains, to bring influence. The idea I believe God wants us to get is that the passions we carry, even the one’s we’ve thought are worldly or not Godly, often times are Godly. If you have a passion to be a professional basketball player, a stay at home mom, or the world’s greatest plumber, these are all passions God has very likely placed within you to walk out. The things that bring you joy and bring life, even if they’re outside of the church, are many times the Lord’s doing. God hasn’t called everyone to serve in the church or stand behind a pulpit. God has called us all to be ministers in every sphere of influence for his glory and kingdom! Understand that you are called to a specific mountain of influence, so the question isn’t whether or not what you’re passionate about is of God; the question is, how can I use this passion I have for God?⁠
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✍🏽: Nicholas Sowell in "Mountains of Impact" | Continue reading at newidentitymagazine.com⁠ by visiting the link in our bio and tapping on the image.⁠
Happy Easter! We hope your day is filled with hope Happy Easter! We hope your day is filled with hope and sunshine!
📖⁠ But on the first day of the week, at early 📖⁠
But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel. And as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise.” And they remembered his words, and returning from the tomb they told all these things to the eleven and to all the rest. Now it was Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James and the other women with them who told these things to the apostles, but these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them. But Peter rose and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths by themselves; and he went home marveling at what had happened. [Luke 24:1-12] For the full story on what happened the rest of the day, read in full Luke 24:1-53.⁠
💬⁠ Known as the “Great Sabbath,” Holy Sat 💬⁠
Known as the “Great Sabbath,” Holy Saturday is considered a day of silence that points to how Christ “rested” physically in the tomb. Churches that have services on Holy Saturday often keep their worship gatherings simple and bare, encouraging participants to rest in anticipation for Easter.⁠
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On Holy Saturday, taking a moment to pray and reflect on Jesus’ death is a practical way to remember God’s work. How does Jesus’ death affect you? What does his death mean for you, both personally and for the church? How might you respond to Jesus’ death? What areas of your life do you feel most affected by Jesus’ sacrificial death?⁠
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✍🏽: @lukegeraty from “Elevating Easter”⁠ | Continue reading at newidentitymagazine.com⁠ by visiting the link in our bio and tapping on the image.⁠
"Even though I was only in high school, I still th "Even though I was only in high school, I still thought about things like eternity. I thought about death. I thought about the meaning of life and all of this stuff. I just didn’t know where to put that or how to answer any of those questions. Walking into Young Life and hearing the gospel gave me a context for that and made a ton of sense."⁠
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✍🏽: Tyler Weaver as interviewed by Ben Helms in "No Cookie-Cutter Christian" | Continue reading at newidentitymagazine.com⁠ by visiting the link in our bio and tapping on the image.⁠
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Judah was outraged when he heard ⁠ Tamar, the wi Judah was outraged when he heard ⁠
Tamar, the widow of his deceased son, had become pregnant because of prostitution. He demanded, “Bring her out, and let her be burned!” (Gen. 38:24, NLT). What a shame to their family name! What an embarrassment for her! But this story exposes Judah’s poor character, not Tamar’s. ⁠
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✍🏽: @the_christopherscott in "Cultivating Good Character" | Continue reading at newidentitymag.com⁠ by visiting the link in our bio and tapping on the image.⁠
📖⁠ Then Jesus went with them to a place calle 📖⁠
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and it is marvelous in our eyes’?⁠
Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing its fruits. And the one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him.”⁠
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📖⁠ On the following day, when they came from 📖⁠
On the following day, when they came from Bethany, he was hungry. And seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to see if he could find anything on it. When he came to it, he found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. And he said to it, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard it.⁠
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How do I get my life together when it seems like a How do I get my life together when it seems like a mess?” That is how I translate Psalm 119:9. Most English language Bibles use something similar to the NIV’s translation of “How can young people keep their way pure?” However, I am no longer a young man, and the word “pure” does not seem to apply to all of the ways that I feel like I stumble. For me, the word “pure” sounds like it has more to do with a priest in the book of Leviticus getting ready for a ceremony. I am also not an ancient Israelite priest. Instead, when I think of the ways I fail in my own life, they are more akin to what Paul describes in Romans 7, when he says, “what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.”⁠
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✍🏽: @jefffrelatable in "Trading Bad Habits for Zakah" | Continue reading at newidentitymagazine.com⁠ by visiting the link in our bio and tapping on the image.⁠
"Holy Week, a central point of remembrance during "Holy Week, a central point of remembrance during the Christian calendar, focuses upon the death and resurrection of Jesus. This is no surprise. Had Jesus not risen from the dead, our faith would be useless, and we would still be guilty of our sins (1 Cor. 15:17).⁠
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Holy Week helps us reflect upon the last week of Jesus’ life. There are a number of ways that Christians celebrate Holy Week, but there is a common commitment to expressing deep gratitude for Christ’s death and celebration of his resurrection! –@lukegeraty in Elevating Easter⁠
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Join us each day this week to read Scripture and see what each day was like in the life of Jesus, leading up to his death and resurrection. It's a good way for us to be present and remember what took place those many years ago.
If you missed it, the new issue is out this week! If you missed it, the new issue is out this week! Check in with some of your favorite writers, and we don't think you'll be disappointed! The link in our bio will take you to in the full issue!⁠
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Many thanks to our wonderful contributors:⁠
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Everyone has experienced a “wilderness season” Everyone has experienced a “wilderness season” before, perhaps more than once. A wilderness season is when you feel stuck or lost in a difficult situation, and your only options are to endure patiently and wait with the expectation that the situation will eventually pass or be resolved. For some people, this period may last a few days, for others it may last years—or for so long that it feels like it will never end.⁠
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We all encountered a wilderness season at the same time due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Businesses closed their doors—some for good. Anticipated events were cancelled. Schools closed with awkward transitions into remote learning. Jobs were lost, hours were cut. Those who lost loved ones were unable to gather to mourn their dead. Church services became virtual, and some may remain that way.⁠
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✍🏽: Chitara Ellis in "Waiting In The Wilderness" | Continue reading at newidentitymag.com⁠ by visiting the link in our bio and tapping on the image.⁠
We are pleased to announce the launch of our lates We are pleased to announce the launch of our latest issue with an added brightness and fresh design – while still bringing you the inspirational depth and thoughtful encouragement that you’ve come to expect from us.⁠
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Hope is around the corner and spring is in the air as we celebrate the renewal of life and the great miracle of Easter. We hope that the articles in this issue would help you during this transitional time of winter to spring, and the hopeful horizon ahead of pandemic to post-pandemic. Be inspired by hearing the thoughts of our passionate contributors. ⁠
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Take a look inside, and let us know what you think! The link is in our bio! Enjoy!
Sadly in our world today, kindness has lost its va Sadly in our world today, kindness has lost its value. But as we see from some of the examples in Scripture, kindness is to be shown in all of our interactions with others. It is a gift from God through the work of the Holy Spirit, and taught by Jesus Christ. We can no longer walk past. Now, more than ever, we need to bring kindness back. We have to especially show the younger generation’s constant examples of kindness. We can hold the door for one another; allow someone to go ahead of us in line. Smile with compassion at the clerk whose line is one person too long and everyone is staring at him or her as if it’s their fault. ⁠
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✍🏽: Crystal Alexander in "Kindness: The Forgotten Fruit"  Continue reading at newidentitymagazine.com⁠ by visiting the link in our bio and tapping on the image.⁠
📷: Photo by @cottonbro from Pexels⁠
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