10: The Ploy

The schemes of the devil can be interesting.

Have you ever been tempted by anything? Usually, when temptation comes, it's in the form of something you really want. Other times, temptations can be things welling up inside you that you let guide you astray. 

A good rule of thumb is that if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

I've often heard people speak about the Internet being the tool of the devil. Well, that is true, but it's also true that you get out of anything from whatever you put into it.

That means if you're constantly seeing things luring you into stuff you probably shouldn't be doing, it's generally because you accept it and look for it. For instance, porn sites don't seek people out, you seek them. 

Loan assistance companies don't send people letters at random. Those letters are generated because the companies can access our records and see how much debt we have, thus making it our individual fault when those letters are received. 

No one makes you mad. You make yourself mad. Think about that last one the next time someone brings up politics, vaccines, or anything that triggers an angry feeling inside you. Were you really mad at them or at you?

I would tend to believe that 99.9% of the time, the devil's schemes work on us because we let it. That's because the devil is scheming 0.1% of the time. That's really all it takes to do us in. A fleeting thought. A word in a message. The look someone gives you, good or bad. When those things occur, the devil latches on to it and entices us to act. Movies make it seem like the devil acts grandiosely to torment and attack us, whether it is The Exorcist, The Devil's Advocate, or The Omen. But these are Disney World Theme Park attractions, meant only for entertainment. The devil doesn't actually work like that.

All you need to do is go back and read the story of Adam and Eve to see how the devil truly works. He took one phrase, spoken by God, and twisted it around to tempt Eve into doing something she knew was wrong. That's it. It's that simple.

One thing Satan, Lucifer, and the devil hate is people accepting Christ as their Lord and Savior.

"Hell lost another one. I am free. I am free. I am free." That's a favorite lyric of mine from the song I Thank God by Maverick City Music & Upperroom. The song explains why salvation is so important. It changes us for good. In the end, Hell no longer has a hold on us. Therefore, the devil no longer has a hold on us. But can he still attack, misdirect, and torment in his subtle ways and devices? Absolutely! That is all the devil has left once you're saved by Christ.

For that reason, the weeks following the baptism of my family saw more tormenting than any time leading up to that weekend. Confusion, missteps, doubt, all of these feelings and emotions crept in, trying to undo things God had put into place for me and my family. If for no other reason than to disrupt and detract from meaningful and purposeful things to God. 

The weekend of the baptism saw everyone in my family having sinus and upper respiratory issues leading up to that precious moment. Except for me. Of course, the thought went through my mind. Do we need to wait for this? Let everyone get well first? Well, that seems like a logical thing to do. If people aren't feeling well, maybe postponing it isn't a bad idea. However, you must believe that what God provides will work out as God intends. What if putting off the baptism had caused another issue, opening the door for a larger problem? Perhaps putting off the baptism might have led to more doubt and ultimately deciding not to do it.

We got through baptism without issue. But it has been quite interesting since the baptism. Now that Satan cannot have us, he can stir things up. That's all he has left. In the weeks following the baptism, many things started unraveling at home, work, and even some for the kids in school. Nothing major, but enough to be aggravating for us all. These attacks came in the form of texts that hit the wrong way. Issues with our dogs. Both vehicles needing maintenance at the same time. Internet issues, especially when looking into things related to Christ. Weight changes related to dieting that irritated more than anything. Finding out that one of our children may need surgery. It is nothing overly serious, but it is still a concern. Any and everything to distract from the one thing Satan, the devil, cannot stand--joy.

Once you know you are in Christ, and in our case as an entire family now, there is no greater joy. Satan HATES that. All you can do when Satan makes those attacks is pray to Jesus to intervene, and He will. Don't let things, however big or small, steal your joy in Christ.

Now, it is time to work through the needed changes to improve the days ahead, especially leading up to the next A1c check in May. Stay tuned for the next installment of 10: The Days Ahead.