And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul. Matthew 10:28
Big Eddy was the terror of the grade school playground, and my brother and I were frequent targets of his bullying. A fifth grader, he seemed to tower over us younger ones like a Goliath among grasshoppers. Then Santos moved to town. A friendly boy from the island of Aruba, he soon became a pal to my brother and me. To our amazement, he stood up to Big Eddy and let him know in no uncertain terms that he was not to bother the two of us. Although smaller than Big Eddy, Santos spoke with an authority that made the bully tremble.
Unfortunately, personal harassment didn’t end with grade school, for I now have a far more formidable adversary—Satan, the father of lies, the enemy of our souls, “as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8). I need not fear him, however, for my Advocate, the Lord Jesus Christ, causes even Satan to tremble. Overcoming my spiritual adversary is possible because “greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world” (1 John 4:4).
Fear and intimidation are powerful weapons of Satan, but his deceptions probably overwhelm far more victims. The Apostle Paul wrote that we should beware of “false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ” (2 Corinthians 11:13).
In a society where people “call evil good, and good evil” (Isaiah 5:20), let us encourage one another to never fear our adversary. Let us rather call fervently on our Advocate every day, “praying always . . . and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints” (Ephesians 6:18).
For I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist. Luke 21:15
~ Pete Lewis