Spiritual Warfare: Satan's Schemes #4 (vulnerable in bad times)
In the bad times
Not only are we vulnerable to demonic attacks in the good times, but we're also vulnerable when we're in our deepest, darkest times, when the trials and tragedies make us feel broken-down, fragile, exhausted, and hopeless. (Definitely been there!) Satan will kick us when we're down, taking advantage of our exhaustion and weakness, trying to get us to doubt God and His Word, to give up on Him in despair, to blaspheme Him, or to act outside of His Will in some way, taking matters into our own hands.
Goodness gracious, just look at what he did to Job in the Bible! Relentless. And Job was a godly man who didn't invite these attacks by disobeying or neglecting God. So imagine how much more vulnerable a less godly person would be.
[I wonder if that's why Job's friends accused Job of sin, of doing something wrong to invite God's severe discipline. They just didn't want to believe that a righteous man could get attacked that way - because if it happened to Job, it could happen to them, even if they did all the right things. And it scared them. And so they took comfort in the thought that he must have done something wrong to deserve those tragedies. Then they could feel like they had some sort of control, like they could avoid those kinds of tragedies, that kind of "discipline," as long as they didn't sin like Job did (or so they thought, to comfort themselves).
Are we much different? Isn't it the random tragedies and violence that scare us the most? Don't we take a little comfort in knowing that if something bad happened to someone, it's because they brought it on themselves somehow? Because if it was truly random, it could have been us or could be us someday. But if there's a reason - if they brought it on themselves - then we can do things to avoid it, to protect ourselves, by not doing what they did. (Or so we think, to comfort ourselves.)]
At first, Job got attacked during the good times. Things were going very well for him, and he was a very righteous man ... and this made Satan want to attack him, to target him, to prove that Job only loved God because of all the good things God gave him. "But take it all away and watch how fast Job bails." Job was singled out not because he was doing something wrong, but because he was doing everything right, because God honored him and trusted him more than anyone at the time. (A little bit scary, isn't it?)
And then, he continued to get attacked in the bad times. Satan didn't knock him down once and then have mercy on him and leave him alone. No, he took advantage of Job's weakened, vulnerable condition and continued to pounce on him over and over again, trying to wear him down to get him to curse God or to give up in despair. (For more on Job, see "So Job was a dimwit, huh?")
[You know, I just have to say, on a different note: Christians harshly criticize Job's wife for telling him to curse God and die. They act like she was cruel, stupid, godless, heartless. But did you ever think that... maybe... she was simply hurting really badly? I mean, it was her kids who died too (I would assume), and now she had to watch her husband suffer, unable to help him in any way, to stop the pain, the attacks. Maybe she hurt so badly for him that she just wanted it to end, out of mercy and compassion - and so she suggested he curse God because she believed it was the quickest, most sure-fire way to stop the pain, to put him out of his misery, to end it all. I wonder. I'm not saying it excuses what she did - because obviously she failed the test by being willing to curse God instead of trust Him, which is exactly what Satan wanted with Job - but I guess I just don't think any of us should judge her motives or act like we could do better unless we've been in her shoes. And God-willing, none of us ever will be.]
Job knew what it was like to be attacked relentlessly in the good times and the bad.
"But that's not fair," we say. "It's not fair for Satan to attack good people."
"It's not fair for Satan to harass someone out of the blue, ruining their joy."
"It's not fair for Satan to beat us when we're down, when we're broken and hurting and vulnerable."
"It's not fair for Satan to hit some people over and over again while leaving others alone."
"It's not fair for Satan to fill in the blank... deceive people, attack innocent children, trip up godly leaders, destroy good marriages, ruin good countries, take down good churches, steal people's happiness, break up good families, cause people to hurt others, cause people to despair and commit suicide, trick/lead people into hell, etc."
"It's not fair!"
Yeah, well, since when does Satan play fair?
Don't you remember what he's called, what he's here to do?
He is a "murderer from the beginning" and "the father of lies." (John 8:44), seeking people to devour (1 Peter 5:8), waiting for "an opportune time" to attack (Luke 4:13), with goals of "steal and kill and destroy" (John 10:10).
He's been a rule-breaker since the beginning, rebelling against and attacking even God and His authority, glory, and character. So what makes us think he'd go soft on us mere humans? That he'd go "Oh, poor thing, she's already dealing with enough; I'll leave her alone and let her rest"?
No. He's in a battle for souls. He's going down and wants to bring down as many people as possible with him, causing as much destruction as possible. And he can't do that by pulling punches. He hits as hard as he can, whenever he can, with no regard for what we're going through or how we're feeling. (And remember that Satan doesn't need an excuse or reason to attack us. He attacks us simply because we're here and that's what he does.)
[And why might he leave some people alone but attack others relentlessly? Could it be that he doesn't need to attack some people because they're already on their way down, already living a life he likes, that brings him glory and accomplishes his purposes? Not being attacked might not be a good thing. It might just mean that you're not a threat to him, that you're on the same side as him, that you're making him happy. Why would Satan waste his time and energy taking you down when you're already doing it for him? But on the flip-side, maybe he relentlessly attacks others not because they're doing things right, like Job, but because they're doing things wrong, because he knows they aren't connected to God, don't take the God's Word or spiritual warfare seriously, and so they don't know how to fight back. Easy pickings are too tempting to pass up.]
Until God ushers in His end times' plan and locks up Satan for good, we have to deal with the fact that Satan is allowed to maintain some authority and freedom, that he's allowed to attack people, and we need to learn to fight back the biblical way. Ignoring the enemy won't make him go away. It will just leave us wide-open to his schemes and attacks. (And I'm guessing he'll only get more active, more bold, as we get closer to the end times.)
When we're in the bad, painful times - broken-down, exhausted, fragile - we need to be extra alert, because Satan might not have to do much to make us despair. Sometimes all it takes is a little idea he plants in our head against God, against Truth, against us: subtle suggestions of "Everything goes wrong" or "It's always going to be bad" or "I deserve this" (or maybe "I don't deserve this," as if it's really about deserving it) or "God isn't listening and doesn't care" or "I can't handle it, I'm gonna lose it" or "If God really loved me, He wouldn't have allowed this" or "I have to take matters into my own hands because God can't be trusted and won't come through for me" or "It will all be better if I just do something to numb the pain: drink, smoke, drugs, sex, cut myself, kill myself, etc." Etc. etc. etc.
Steal and kill and destroy.
It's really important during these times of fear, weakness, and vulnerability to take your honest thoughts to God. Don't just try to ignore them or stuff them - because it will only cause them to go deeper, to swirl around more in your unconscious looking for nooks and crannies to hide in, finding more ways to contaminate your mind and heart and faith and the Truth.
Bring your honest thoughts and heart-cries to God. Pour out your pain to Him, open your heart fully to Him. He knows it all already, but He's waiting for you to be honest about it, to invite Him into the pain and heartache. And if you don't know what to do or where to start, read the Psalms (and listen to godly music, see below). Let them be your prayer, your heart's cry, when you're too broken to find words on your own:
From Psalm 38: “All my longings lie open before You, O Lord; my sighing is not hidden from You. My heart pounds, my strength fails me; even the light has gone from my eyes… I will wait for You, O Lord; You will answer me, O Lord my God… For I am about to fall, and my pain is ever with me… O Lord, do not forsake me; be not far off, O my God. Come quickly to help me, O Lord my Savior.”
Psalm 13:1-6: “How long, O Lord? Will You forget me forever? How long will You hide Your face from me? How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and everyday have sorrow in my heart?... But I trust in Your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in Your salvation. I will sing to the Lord, for He has been good to me.”
Psalm 34:17-19: "The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; He delivers them from all their troubles. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. A righteous man may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from them all."
Yes, Satan will attack us, but God has provided us with spiritual weapons to use that can overcome satanic schemes, attacks, and weapons. Find out what they are in God's Word, and use them. (I'll have a future post on the armor of God. It's just taking a lot longer to get around to it than I expected. I talk too much. Wish I didn't, but I can't help it. Do you know that my New Year's Resolution was to keep my mouth shut more? I'm failing miserably - but it was a nice thought. Last year, it was to watch as many U2 videos as I could. I think I got to about 4 or 5 - so much more success last year than this year. Oh well, life goes on. Ob-la-di, ob-la-da)
For more help during the hard times
Some of my favorite, most heart-soothing songs:
From The City Harmonic: Fell Apart and Oh, What Love and Praise the Lord
From Tenth Avenue North: Worn and By Your Side and Hold My Heart
From Matt Maher: Lord, I Need You
And find more songs in My "When Anxiety Strikes" Playlist
Praying Scripture: When Anxiety Strikes
Praying Scripture: For Peace When Afraid
Praying Scripture: For the Brokenhearted and Exhausted
Praying Scripture: Resting in the Lord
Praying Scripture: When You Feel Like You're Failing
Praying Scripture for Forgiveness and Healing
Especially for anxiety and depression: "26 tips for dealing with depression or anxiety" and "Help for anxiety, depression, or suicidal thoughts"
