Satan's Calling

I sat just now listening to someone that I don't typically share much spiritual connection or conviction with. Several of us sat at the table discussing business, spiritual matters and various odds and ends of news. This person, who blends with so many before him, made a particular comment that irks me. Nothing harsh or intentional, nothing obscene or recognizable to anyone else at the table. Nothing unbiblical. But nonetheless, personal. And as I absorbed the words, I felt a presence that had no business in this conversation or any conversation.

Satan's calling. I can still feel the weight of that realization. "For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places" Ephesians 6:12.

I'm not fighting any one person. I'm fighting Evil. I'm fighting the dark force in this world that loves disguising itself in ways it knows really get under my skin. But when someone says or does something harsh to us, we too often don't target our emotions at the correct enemy. We hate our fellow man. We throw brash comments, hateful little anecdotes and mean-hearted gestures at other people. We feel threatened and self-conscious and lash out at the wrong enemy. Our first problem is of course the incessant need to reciprocate at all, but a very close second is the direction of our hostility.

What's wrong with us today? Of course there are many answers to this question but I think one of the roots lies in incorrectly indentifying the source of our anger. Don't think for one second the enemy doesn't know you infinitely better than almost any one person, maybe even everyone. He studies your moves, he knows your weaknesses, your hot button topics, your irritations. He knows what will set you off. I think in our culture he particularly thrives on back-handed comments and tone of voice. He gets his thrills when no one else but you notices your blood boiling so no apology or amends will ever be made. But he's created a barrier that unless we forceably break through may remain as a hindrance to true relationship for a long time.

We can become people that are confrontational, and confrontation has its definite place and need in any culture. But what we really need to do is become people that correctly identify the enemy so that our emotions land on the correct source. We've got to change to become less irritable, less able to be thrown, less likely targets, or we continue to be such easy prey.  But until we master that discipline, we can practice love and by that forgiveness. We can practice giving people the benefit of the doubt and end our hostility on our fellow man. Practice it will take but I guarantee the world will be a better place for it.