Resist the Devil and he will Flee.

Resist the Devil and he will Flee.

Some weeks ago, I mentioned to a friend how lonely it can be going to church by myself week after week. My children have grown, now living their own lives and my husband isn’t a believer. More recently, I also mentioned to laugh at the devil and say; “Is this all you got!”

I remember I also wrote to her describing when 26 years ago, I learned to feel the fear and do it anyway and where only recently did I learn not to feel the fear, but to cast it out. For all these years I’ve been stepping out in ‘fearful faith.’ Stepping out in faith, but with anxiety attached to the hip.

Even though I’ve read my bible through, cover to cover 7 times, I still didn’t connect ‘cast out fear’ to what I was doing. Once I hit on it, I could then walk in courage, leaving sin on the sidewalk, so to speak. No longer in fear filled faith, but in courage and with a sound mind, I now march into my day ready for any battle.

Coming back to feeling lonely; it hit on occasion. Or it did. Not now, as now things have changed. Recently, when I had a terrible loneliness three weeks in a row (funnily enough – only ever at church), I saw it was a ploy of the devil. Him thinking he could stop me attending church, although he never did. I felt the loneliness and went anyway, in spite of my feelings.

Once I realised this, once I realised this was a ploy, I said to the devil; “Is this all you got?” and laughed. I haven’t been lonely at church since.

Now that I have this in hand, the devil thought he’d try a new thing today. While worshipping I got an overwhelming sadness for our beautiful dog, Soxx, as her days are coming to a close (she’s 17 years old now, arthritic, stiff and slow). And who knows, she may go another 2 or 3 years but for whatever reason, today I got teary and again only at church.

Straight away I realised it to be another ploy of the devil. Satan can no longer get me in the loneliness department and so, ever the optimist, he’s trying a new thing. “Ha, ha, ha; is this all you got?” I went right on worshipping and didn’t think of Soxx again throughout the service.

It’s a new tool for the tool kit on battling the enemy, don’t you think? New to me anyway.

When in condemnation; Is this all you got!

When in pain; Is this all you got!

When in poverty; Is this all you got!

When in fear; Is this all you got!

When in illness; Is this all you got!

The list is endless, but I guarantee, when you laugh (a form of resistance) the devil will flee, for as it says in James 4:7 Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

Now I’m not saying we should poke the bear. That’s never a good idea. We need to be “prayed up” before we attempt this kind of thing. There are two forces at work in our world; good and evil (Christ and satan). Unprepared, it’s not so easy to laugh at the devil.

We need to be tapped into the wisdom of God, for to laugh at the devil is no simple thing. In this instance, it’s not to be taken lightly. Done the right way the devil’s plans are brought to nought, as we break the chains holding us back, under the guiding hand of the Lord Jesus Christ.

As we look through Christ’s eyes and pray for wisdom and understanding, as we ask for the strength and courage to take us where we need to go, as we hear the Lord’s prompting over our situation, then with His leading and guiding can we overcome the evil one.

Laughter transmutes our perspective on an issue, be it a form of evil, or the mundane of modern living. Proverbs 17:22 states a merry heart does good, like medicine. But a broken spirit dries the bones.

Laughter is good for us. A crushed spirit is the opposite of a cheerful heart. If you would rather joy than sadness, take a moment to laugh. Force it if you have to. Even forced laughter causes the mind to react in a positive manner, lifting our pleasure endorphins.

God’s word says in Job 5:22; You shall laugh at destruction and famine and you shall not be afraid the beasts of the earth.

Laugh at destruction and famine – not an easy thing to do when you’re in the midst of the situation. But God can change situations. Beasts of the earth - satan is a beast and one of whom we should not fear, for God is our strength.

Follow the leading of the Holy Spirit, pray, study God’s word, take Communion, worship and stand your ground, have faith, testify to all and you will resist the devil and overcome your battles, in Jesus mighty name.

Remember Baal-Perazim; the God of multiple breakthroughs. He can do what you can’t. Amen.