Devil of a Time

I once had a t-shirt that said:

The next time the devil reminds you of your past, remind him of his future.

I got more comments on that t-shirt than any I had ever worn. It definitely touched a nerve with a lot of folks.

Strangers would say, “Love your shirt,” “Good words,” or “Where did you get that t-shirt?”

I would watch people as they approached me on a sidewalk or in the mall, watch as they read the words, marvel at the light that came into their eyes and the smile that followed.

And I really don’t think it was the thought of revenge for most of them.  I think it was the realization that the things in the past don’t really matter as long as we have our Messiah, our Savior.

It was, after all, Jesus who said to those who were questioning His authority,

Your father is the devil, and you do exactly what he wants. He has always been a murderer and a liar. There is nothing truthful about him. He speaks on his own, and everything he says is a lie. Not only is he a liar himself, but he is also the father of all lies.   John 8:44

You can’t get much clearer than that. 

We have suspicions, doubts, fears – The devil is a liar.

He brings up our past and tells us we can’t change – There is nothing truthful about him.

He knows our insecurities, our weaknesses and our fears – Everything he says is a lie.

He knows what bothers us most – He is a liar himself.

He uses our past to depress us, hold us down, hold us back – He is also the father of all lies.

On my t-shirt, in smaller print and just below the main sentence, it said: 

The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.   Revelation 20:10

In our own lives, we’ve got to remember that Satan has somehow made evil things in our world appealing.  Sometimes it seems like there are more gray areas than black and white ones.

But at some point in the future, Satan will land in that lake of fire and brimstone, finally unable to do anymore damage.

In the meantime, we can be about God’s business of being the light of this world.  It sure does need it.