"Satan's Devices"

I heard an old fable that declares that the devil once had a sale and offered all the tools of his trade to anyone who would pay the price. They were spread out on the table and each one was labeled; hatred, malice, envy, gossip, lust, etc. They included all of Satan's weapons that everyone knows so well. But off to one side lay a harmless looking instrument marked "discouragement". It was old and worn looking but was priced much higher than the others. When asked why, the devil replied, "Because I can use this one so much more easily than the others. No one knows that it belongs to me, so I can weaken those who are on high alert against the others. Once I get inside one's head I can use any tool that suits me best."

What great, heroic, and inspiring feats for Christ were never completed because Satan effectively used his tool of "discouragement?" In the Bible we find many sad stories of people who lost heart and gave up. When Moses sent the spies into the land of Canaan, all but Caleb and Joshua came back with discouraging news. The ten fearful spies saw the size and strength of their opponents while Joshua and Caleb focused on the strength of their God (Numbers 13,14). After Peter vowed he'd never leave Jesus' side he fled with all the others when the Lord was arrested. He became so fearful that he denied he ever knew Jesus (Matthew 26:31-75). Apparently Timothy was considering throwing in the towel or was at least so discouraged that he had become withdrawn and afraid of saying what needed to be said. Thus Paul reminded him, "God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind." (2 Timothy 1:7).

We become discouraged when we start paying more attention to the obstacles than the opportunities. We become discouraged when we start believing the "father of lies" (John 8:44) instead of the Father "who cannot lie" (Titus 1:2). God can do great things with a heart that is His and a mind that believes it. Does He have your heart and mind? Or is the devil having his way with you?

"Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you." (James 4:7)