This is what I’m talkin’ about.
I am exhausted with the devil today. I am sooooo tired of his relentless effort to destroy what’s sublime, degrade what’s worthy, weaken what’s strong, mar what’s beautiful. I’m angry at his willful stubbornness, his grossly misplaced pride, his shameless machinations, his fostering of irrationality, his waste of the precious, his victimization of the susceptible. I’m sick to death of his constant, venal corruption.
And he hides, of course; always, he hides. He ducks, and covers, and stays in the shadows. He quickly throws up shiny, vibrant diversions; he changes shapes; he always moves left when you go right–and then comes stealthily circling in behind you, his piercing weapons drawn.
And heaven forbid that weakling should ever go after anyone with any strength. I do (believe me) understand what a dangerous assertion it is to make, but the fact is that the devil’s grip on me personally isn’t anything for him to be crowing to his loser minions about. I’m strong; I’m smart (enough); I’m happily married–mostly, of course, I’ve got religion. I know who I am–and I sure know who he is. And he knows I know who he is. So I’m of limited appeal to him. No one likes someone who laughs at what they want him to take seriously.
Besides, why bother with me, when there’s two little boys next door being cared for by “foster parents” who are drunks? What fun am I, when there’s a depressed teenage boy right across the street from me who’s just started smoking pot? Why struggle with me, when there’s a whole world of hurting, vulnerable people out there that he can work like a ball of putty in his slick, hot hands?
I’m so sick of it. I’m so tired of having to witness and suffer through the endless little pockets of hell created by King Sleazeball for his own pathetic delight. I’m tired of the trash he makes, the stains he leaves, the holes he digs, the walls he builds. I’m tired of his craven opportunism. I’m tired of his glittery, superficial, caustic sexuality. I’m tired of his toxic insidiousness. I’m tired of his bottom-feeding frenzy.
Jesus, I know you do everything in your own time. Of course! And one of the great, engaging pleasures of we on earth is to contemplate the magnificence of your eternal reality, to reflect upon the humbling truth that a moment to us is an eternity to you. That’s certainly true.
And of course we know you know this–but if you wouldn’t mind us saying it again: When, in your holy benevolence, you are moved to come down here and once and for all stomp out the devil like the scampering, spitting, diseased cockroach that he is, trust that we’ll be there with a can of insecticide and a hammer (or a shoe, or a shovel, or whatever else we can get our hands on) faster than you can say, “You wanna take a shot?”
Posted by Ruth on July 2, 2007 at 1:27 pm
Amen. heels it is!
Posted by John Shore on July 2, 2007 at 5:06 pm
I’ll bring the anvil.
Posted by Tony on July 3, 2007 at 4:25 am
One of the popular sayings in churches around here is something along the lines of “I’m gonna give the devil a black eye”. I told a church the other night how big of a pet peeve that was with me, because if I get close enough to black his eye, that will be the least of his problems. I would fully intend to mess him up as badly as possible…..the punk…..
Posted by Ruth on July 3, 2007 at 4:29 am
he’s already under our feet, right? the battle is for our mind…… pulling down strongholds and glad to know I’m not alone, isolated as I may feel~ Peace…
Posted by John Shore on July 3, 2007 at 4:34 am
Great comments! Tony, I’d hate to be the devil when you … recognize him on the subway. In a long, dirty trenchcoat. Right before he flashes … some nuns.
Ruth: No, you’re hardly alone. None of us is. Are. Is. Whatever.
Posted by snowhite197 on July 3, 2007 at 7:02 am
the devil is such a stupid punk and i HATE him!!!!!
Posted by snowhite197 on July 3, 2007 at 7:05 am
Seriously though, I have had to battle some demons in my day. I went through about a year where i was just so deceived, it was like the devil was this huge monster feeding me poisoned lies and i was just a helpless little girl, cowering a begging him to leave me alone.
But GOD came through for me. I now know I am a WOMAN of God, and I have Christ’s authority to tell the devil to get OUT of my life.
Posted by John Shore on July 3, 2007 at 7:14 am
Superb. Thanks for this.
Posted by John Shore on July 3, 2007 at 1:23 pm
Under what sort of heading, do you think?
Posted by John Shore on July 3, 2007 at 4:28 pm
See? Ask Satan anything REAL, and he never has an answer.
Posted by Ruth on July 4, 2007 at 11:45 am
Hey John! let patience have her perfect work….. he’s got no new trix- gotta give him time to be creative with old junk because thats all he’s got……
same old same old……hmmmmm what’s that stuck on the bottom of your heel John? ewwwww scorpion guts!? must be the shell….. because he’s gutless……
Posted by John Shore on July 4, 2007 at 11:48 am
Too good.
Posted by Mike on July 5, 2007 at 7:54 pm
Come Lord Jesus, come.
Posted by John Shore on July 5, 2007 at 8:02 pm
powerful
Posted by Lisa P on July 5, 2007 at 11:45 pm
My eight year old son, “Mom, Jesus says pray for our enemies so I prayed for Satan. I feel sorry he’ll never see Jesus…I said ,’God, may Satan see the light and the truth and the way’ “…outta the mouth of babes.
Six year old brother says,”Get behind all of us Satan.” in reference to him and his eight siblings…(excuse me while I wipe away the tears) Thank you dear Lord for the gift of our children. Our God is an Awesome God, Amen
Posted by Barbara P on July 7, 2007 at 2:22 pm
A few days late reading this, but I can’t wait for Jesus to kick his sorry fat head. Yes, fat head.
I have been given the ability to draw, so in an effort to provide a visual for my bible study and children I drew Christ’s return on His white horse dressed for battle. His saints blood on his clothing and armed with the Word; The Sword of Truth. On his thigh it says, “King of Kings and Lord of Lords”.
I have to say, when I finished and looked at the image …it made all of want to hop on the back of that horse (like on the Westerns when the hero would grab the damsel’s hand and pull her up on the saddle without missing a stride). Seeing Jesus with a fierceness in his eye that shows how determined he is to fight for his children, it inspires you to want to fight right along with Him. Instead of being tired I felt ready to fight.
I, too, am very weary from the battle. It’s constant. There has always been this danger, however, today’s tricks and schemes are even more subtle, frequent and treacherous then ever.
Guess we’re going to have to keep on fighting the fight for now. When you’re tired, if you can, picture in your mind’s eye that moment He rides in…gives you a lift.
I want to ride a very large war horse too. ~B