Making Agreements With the Devil

“You are so angry” he whispers.

“Bah! I am SO angry!”  I jerk about and throw the words from my mouth.

 

“You’re not pretty.” he whispers.

“Man, I look terrible today.” I drop my face as these words spill over my lips.

 

“You are a jerk.” He whispers.

“I am SUCH a jerk!” I yell wildly wishing things were different.

 

But they are different.

 

Those were just a few examples of agreements I used to make with the devil.  I think one of the most important things I learned this year is how to consciously and continuously identify the devil’s voice.  So often I would say something about myself (especially the jerk comment) and not even think about where that comes from.

 

This is the important part! I KNOW that God would never say anything to bring me down.  I mean, come on, we are his children.  And as God, he knows how to love perfectly and would never do anything to harm us. As members of Creation, God looks at us and says “You are looking good.” or even better, “hey, how you doin’?” He knew what I would look like and be like by today in my life, it’s not as if I can surprise him, so everything that counters that very point by saying…

“You’re not good enough.” (not God’s voice)

“You’re not really loved.” (Not God’s voice!)

“Boy, you sure screwed that up.” (NOT God’s voice!!)

…is, as you may have noticed, NOT God’s voice. And every time I say something that sounds like any of that stuff, what I’m really doing, and this is huge cause I just now learned it, is making agreements with the devil!  WHY in the h-e-double-hockey-sticks would I want to do that?!

 

I also realized that the devil is doing this a lot.  Once I really started paying attention to my thoughts, I realized there was actually a battle going on for them.  The good part is, as Andrew Shearman says, “we win this thing.”  And realizing the lie is only the beginning.  The next part is to speak the truth to it.  Even if I don’t feel like it may be true at that moment, it is so important to say the opposite: I AM loved, I AM beautiful, I AM honest, I AM patient, I AM….. whatever it needs to be.

 

I think I used to think that satan was just a litle defeated liar but now I realize satan is a little defeated liar who is Constantly lying to me! And it is time to take charge.  We win this thing.  And I am ready to charge out on the offense.  I’ve seen the battle plays.  I’ve experienced satan’s tactics.  And now I am ready to charge in, guns blazing, and take the victory.  I have idly sat listening to the broken record that is satan for long enough.  Those same things should not, cannot, and ultimately do not, have any hold on me.