I would prefer to chat about Jesus, the King of all kings and Lord of all lords, than about the defeated one. There was a little incident this week that made me chuckle, reminding me Satan is nothing more than a roaring lion, a barking dog, or a buzzing bee.
A Barking Dog
As a child I would veer off the road to uncharted paths; now I often walk the back allies of the place I call home. At one particular spot, a high chain link fence confines two dogs. Inevitably with jaws flapping, they bolt full tilt at every passer-by, dashing back and forth within their confinement. Their predictable path behind the fence trampled.
Usually, I ignore them. Today I did not! I stood still maintaining absolute eye contact with the lead dog. He continued his aggressive barking, pacing his restricted ground. I stayed quietly staring him down. He stopped directly in front of me barking intensely, then continued his back-forth run. Finally, he slinked behind the hedging. Peering through the leaves, he was waiting for me to blink.
Blink? Not a chance! Again, he picked up his pattern of intimidation. Again, he stopped, this time directly in front of me. He flinched looking away – to the side, to the sky, behind him, above me… Feebly he barked; quickly he stopped. Then with head hung low slowly he headed back to the place he came from, almost looking over his shoulder, but not quite…
Inwardly I chuckled! One more dog stared down!
In Freedom
You see I know where I stand! I am standing and walking in the free zone. The dog is bound by a fence! I have liberty. He does not!
As a Christian does this make sense? Through the cross of Christ, the enemy was debilitated and publicly humiliated.
“And having disarmed the powers and authorities,
he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.”
Colossians 2:15
One more note! When Christ was raised from the dead, we were raised victorious IN HIM!
“Since you have been raised to new life with Christ,
set your sights on the realities of heaven,
where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand.”
Colossians 3:1
This is our reality! We are the ones who walk in freedom, power and authority!
A Roaring Lion
Yes, scripture says Satan is like a roaring lion looking for someone to “devour”. We don’t need to cower (crouch down in fear). The same passage in I Peter 5 gives instruction.
“Stay alert…
resist him…
standing firm...”
Eyeball him down, friends! Eyeball him down!
A Buzzing Bee
One of the biggest challenges I face is the one between my ears. The subtle ungodly thoughts that buzz around like bees, distracting me from the reality of
who I am
the authority I walk in
and my true position in Christ.
Next time you hear the lion roar, a dog barking or a bee buzzing around your head, I hope you stop in your tracks. Then look around at the true freedom you have in Christ. Stare that noisy intruder down moving forward rejoicing in the power of the cross and resurrection over you. Don’t forget to grin a little as you do it!
Freedom
Thank You, Lord
for the unbelievable freedom
You have given through
the cross and the resurrection.
When I hear the growls, barks or buzzes
of life,
grant me the wisdom to stand
in the fullness of all
you did.
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