Conversations with Satan
Growing up in church, I’ve always heard preachers say, “Tell the devil ____!” And the congregation would fill in the blank or repeat whatever the preacher said. But, not me.
I didn’t want to say anything to the devil because I didn’t want to agitate him or instigate an encounter with him. I thought that if I called him out, I would suddenly be on his radar. So, my best form of defense was to stay out of the enemy’s way. Now, if the enemy was unusually busy during a season of my life, of course I was decreeing and declaring, rebuking, and binding. Still, on some level, I really believed that the key to avoiding spiritual warfare was to not call attention to myself.
As I’ve been studying about prophecy and spiritual warfare this month, I’ve realized that this war tactic of mine has actually had the opposite effect. By hoping the enemy would leave me alone because I ignore him or because I don’t antagonize him, it’s possible that I’ve invited some demonic access and manifestations into my life. By being afraid to confront the enemy, I’ve likely left some areas of my life vulnerable and without a defense. How did I do this? Because while I wasn’t talking to the devil, he’s been talking to me.
You see, the enemy is the source of the conversations I’ve had with myself regarding my readiness, my qualifications, my skills, etc. I haven’t been talking to myself, I’ve been having conversations with the enemy. I’ve literally been discussing and strategizing my life with the one who desires to steal my future and separate me from God. I’ve allowed him to act as an accountability partner, naively agreeing to what he’s proposed. How do I know it’s the enemy? Because when God gives me an assignment, He simply requires that I walk into what He’s instructed. He’s already endowed me with what’s needed to obey His instructions and He provides whatever I need along the way. On the other hand, the enemy tries to convince me to prove my worth before I begin the assignment. And as a result, I delay the assignment trying to do whatever I believe is necessary to prove to God that I’m worthy of the assignment.
In reality, the key to spiritual warfare is not to ignore the devil. The key to spiritual warfare is to recognize your place in the fight. The devil is not just some bully, he’s a lying, defeated foe without a chance to ever redeem himself. That means, you always win! Any encounter with the enemy is a fixed fight. It’s for testimony purposes only, it’s not for your demise.
Still, we must confront the devil every chance we get. And it begins with the conversations in your head. Because if you allow the enemy to get in your mind, he’ll control your speech, and that gives him permission to create and/or change your life. “It’s [your] duty to make sure that Satan does not win even a small victory over [you], for [you] don’t want to be naïve and then fall prey to his schemes.“ (2 Corinthians 2:11) Thankfully, the enemy isn’t omnipresent, omniscient or omnipotent. However, he is persistent. (He’s such a hater🙄)