When the Devil Lies….
It was after 11pm. I had been working at my computer and went to get myself a hot drink, when the 13 year old daughter of some good friends appeared behind me.
“I’ve been in bed and memorizing James chapter 5, but …’, she paused for quite some time, a little unsure of how to express what she wanted to say. ‘Well, I … I keep getting this feeling like I’m not really saved.’
I know this young lady quite well, and it was a privilege that she should feel the confidence to come and share her fears with me. I know that her bedtime reading isn’t always scripture memorization. She always reads her Bible when she goes to bed as well as when she wakes, but has of her own volition been memorizing the book of James over the past few months. She also devours both fiction and non-fiction books and is often reading them late into the night.
Last night though, she had focused on trying to finish memorizing James, and while she was doing it, found herself assailed with frightening thoughts of not really being saved.
“I’ve prayed about it. I’ve told the devil to stop lying to me and to leave….”. She paused again, then suddenly became animated, and said with strong conviction, “Mrs Field, I KNOW Jesus is God’s Son. I KNOW He died for me on the cross so my sins could be forgiven. I KNOW He’s defeated the devil and got the keys of death and hell. I KNOW He rose again and is seated at the right hand of our Father in heaven. I KNOW I’ve repented and asked Him to be my Lord and Saviour, …. and yet …….”.
Her voice trailed off as she wrestled with the ever present sense that she wasn’t really saved. As she stood, her anxious eyes meeting mine, I put my hand on her arm and quietly said, “If you KNOW all of that, then there is no doubt that you ARE saved. You’re right. This is just the devil trying to do what he does best - lie, steal, destroy - but remember, Jesus destroyed the work of the devil and we all need to learn how to walk in that reality.”
I then went on to explain that sometimes it takes a few of us praying together, so, with her snuggling in my arms, we agreed together in prayer.
It was a simple prayer, but one borne from an assurance that God’s will was for us to live in the secure knowledge of His love and salvation, and a confidence that ‘For this purpose the Son of God was manifest, that He might destroy the works of the devil’. (1 John 3:8)
When we’d finished, her eyes told me she was at peace again.
“Now remember that the Bible tells us that when we humble ourselves before God that the devil has to flee from us when we resist him,” I said. “By declaring our need for God, and our inability to solve our own problems, we ARE humbling ourselves, so be assured that the devil has no choice but to flee.”
She nodded, smiling.
“Of course, if you have any more thoughts come to you like that, just resist the devil - tell him to get lost and that Jesus Christ is your Lord. He’ll give up pretty soon because he HAS to go. If you want a bit more support, I’m here for you.”
She went back upstairs to the bedroom. I could see a lightness about the way she carried herself, so was confident that the work was done.
And indeed it was. She was fine after that. She told me this morning that a couple of thoughts had come into her mind before she turned out her light, but when she resisted the devil the thoughts left her and she slept well.
I’m so grateful for the solutions God has given us. They don’t always make sense to the natural mind, but for those who want to learn to walk in the Spirit, this kind of solution is a REAL answer that gives REAL victory.
*****************************************
Even though this incident involved the daughter of some close friends, it is also the type of thing I have done for my own children many times over. It is the type of excellent opportunity each of us as parents needs to take advantage of, in order to train our children to stand in the victory and live in the liberty that Christ bought for us at Calvary. May I encourage you to ask God to give you such opportunities. In so doing, your children’s faith will be strengthened as they discover for themselves the reality of the victory of Calvary.