Introduction

We All Have A Story

          My story included hopes and dreams and the search for love and acceptance. My last written chapter began on May 25, 2018. We were newlyweds, taking another chance on love. The moving truck had delivered the boxes to our new home less than two weeks earlier. The area was quiet and serene, just ten miles from the house where I grew up. I had never lived more than twenty miles from my birthplace.

          It was a beautiful old log cabin nestled in a quiet neighborhood. We were almost home after picking up flowers to plant in the yard. The sun shone brightly, making it a lovely day and the perfect start to the Memorial Day weekend. We stopped at the traffic light, just a few blocks from home, when we were hit from behind. We never saw it coming.

          That car accident became the defining moment that changed my life forever—initially for the worse, then for the better. The devil used that accident to label me as permanently disabled. Unaware of the consequences of accepting such a label, I allowed that title to define me when I should have let my God define me. It turns out that what you permit to define you eventually becomes your identity.

          You think of sin as temporary, believing you can indulge occasionally and easily stop. This is yet another blatant lie that the devil wants you to think. If the devil can convince you that just a tiny bit of sin is safe, Satan can distort your genuine identity in Christ. Christ leads with order. The devil leads with confusion. He encourages you to open sin’s door ever so slightly—just to take a quick peek or whiff for immediate pleasure—then you can just shut it with no consequences. You think no one will ever find out, you got away with it, but your soul knows.

          Humans may not see, but you can be sure that God sees everything, and so does the devil. Life is a constant tug-of-war when you sit on the fence. You think that if you’re on the fence, you can hang out with the devil and “have fun” until the end, and then call out to God, and you will be saved.

          This is a lie. Every action, every thought is either sin or it isn’t. The devil is deceitful. You had better check that property line. It is impossible to hold hands with both God and the devil simultaneously. You can’t be loyal to both. Don’t wait until the end to discover that the devil owns the fence.

          I encourage you to memorize 1 Peter 5:5-11. It is the key that sets you free. “Submit to God, Resist the Devil: Likewise, you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for ‘God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.’ Therefore, humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.” (emphasis mine)

          Wreaking havoc is the devil’s sole reason for existence. His singular goal is to destroy human beings. We were created by the hand of God Himself, the result of God’s love, grace, and mercy. The enemy was jealous once more!

          My two previous auto accidents, both of which involved being hit from behind while I was a passenger, had already caused me immense heartache and pain. First, I had my neck fusion, followed by COVID, then my lower back fusion, and the desperate need for a 1,200-mile move south to warmer weather.

          The more I was being drawn to the Lord, the more the attacks would come. One after the other. Those strange circumstances became so familiar to me that I began to recognize them for what they really were, spiritual warfare.

          The devil had studied me for years. He understood my strengths and weaknesses better than I did. He became so skilled at deception and distraction in my life that I was ineffective in everything I attempted. He slowed me down, diverted me with shiny objects, and even halted me in my tracks with tragedy more times than I could count.

          Now, he was picking off my Fruits of the Spirit one by one just to see me squirm. He always enjoys that. Another panic attack. Anxiety and depression were my pungent aromas to him. The devil relishes the rancid smell of fear.

          Galatians 5:13-26 says, “Life by the Spirit: You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other. So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.” (emphasis mine)

          That’s the problem with the devil: he knows when you draw closer to God. He hates the sweet aroma of sacrifice to the Lord. It drives him crazy. He can’t kill you. Oh, he’d like to, but your days are still numbered by God.

          The devil uses his army of satanic fallen angels to pursue you just as he did Job. As if destroying all of Job’s material possessions weren’t enough, he killed all ten of his children. Job was tried and tested through the fire time and again. Yet Job remained steadfast in his faith. He knew God had a plan that was greater than himself. His story continues to inspire us all. God would reward him abundantly.

          Make no mistake. The devil is not a cute cartoon character with a pitchfork, horns, and a long, pointy tail. The devil is a formidable opponent who will do everything possible to trick and deceive you. He is an evil master of manipulation.

          He will bait you with compromising sin, deliciously seductive sin. There are so many to choose from; pick your poison. He will confuse you to the point where he can control you without you even knowing it. Open that door even a crack, and he will come in and convince you of the most unspeakable things.

          Although he could possess you if you are not saved. When you follow Jesus, he is only allowed to tempt you by planting harmful thoughts in your mind. He sows confusion and discord, desiring you to hurt or even kill yourself in a moment of despair or possibly others in a moment of rage. He enjoys slowly tormenting you over time, hoping you lash out and inflict the same pain on others. Misery loves company, and the devil will never have enough.

          He wants you to believe that you’re still in control. Sinful pleasure comes with a price, and he wants you to think you can afford it all, until the final bill arrives.

          This is the worst part. Sin is the tool he uses to make us willingly surrender our lives to him. He employs guilt, fear, and embarrassment to control us, invoking just the right memory at just the right moment to keep you exactly where he wants you. This prevents you from turning to God and keeps you submissive to the devil. It’s debilitating.

          That is why you need Jesus, the light of the world. You need to repent, which means consciously striving every day not to repeat those actions. Jesus’ light shines within you when you are a believer, so there is no reason to let darkness overtake you. Our Heavenly Father sent His son to offer you a better way of life.

James 8:10-12 says, “When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, ‘Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?’ She said, ‘No one, Lord.’ And Jesus said to her, ‘Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.’ Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, ‘I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.’” (emphasis mine)

          It isn’t necessary. You have a choice. You have the power to rebuke the devil, and he must flee. This must be done with the authority of faith in Jesus Christ. This is when believing in God isn’t enough. This is when you need to truly believe God. Sometimes, it’s easier to believe that God will work a miracle in someone else’s life rather than your own. This is simply not true. God’s Will encompasses grace and mercy for everyone.

James 4:7 says, “Humility Cures Worldliness. Therefore, submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.”