Friday Evening Devotional

August 3, 2007

 

Satan’s Favorite Tool

Tom Barnard

 

“Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of suffering.” (1 Peter 5:8, 9)

 

A friend sent me a story about the Devil. According to the legend, the Devil advertised his tools for sale at public auction. When the prospective buyers assembled, there was one oddly-shaped tool that was labeled, “NFS.” It meant, “Not for Sale.” Asked to explain why this was so, the Devil answered, “I can spare or replace all of my tools, except this one. It is the most useful implement that I have. I call the tool, ‘Discouragement,’ and with it I can work my way into hearts otherwise inaccessible. This tool helps me get me into a person’s mind like no other tool I own. Once there, I can plant anything there I may desire. Discouragement leads to Doubt. Doubt leads to Defeat. Defeat leads to Dismay. Dismay leads to Depression. Depression leads to Destruction of a person’s future. All I need is this one tool—Discouragement—to get things going my way.”

 

The Apostle Peter gave sound advice to believers: “Resist him” (your enemy, the devil), Peter advises. Other defense mechanisms just won’t work. “Ignore him” is foolish; he will not go away. “Argue with him” is equally foolish; he is better at debate than you will ever be. “Deny that he exists;” that’s what an atheist does, and you know where that ends. “Cooperate with him;” the world has done that since the beginning of time. There is only one sure way to disable the Devil’s favorite tool of Discouragement: Resist him. Notice what Peter said in the next verse:

 

“And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.”

 

Heavenly Father, I know there are no shortcuts to spiritual strength. There is no human armament that will protect me against the enemy of my soul. But there is something that will achieve victory—Resistance, coupled with the Grace of the Lord. Even though I go through trials and temptations that I wish I didn’t have to face, I have faith to believe that in time, as the Apostle said, “Christ himself will restore me and make me strong, firm and steadfast.” I hold to that promise today. In His strong Name I voice this prayer. Amen.

 

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