Grab Your Armor—The Devil Is Here

I rarely think about the devil unless I’m around other Christians, taking in a sermon, or reading an article or Bible study plan. When “bad” things happen, my mind doesn’t go to Satan—it goes directly to God: “Do not pass Go.” In other words, if someone or something doesn’t bring it up, I don’t think about this dastardly devil.

Such thinking might seem ironic when you consider that spiritual warfare is ongoing. As Revelation says:

The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him. Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: “Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Messiah. For the accuser of our brothers and sisters, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down.

Revelation 12:9-10 (NIV)

Surely, if I’m thinking about spiritual warfare, I must also be thinking about the devil, right?

That depends.

It depends on who you ask. For the most part, those Christians I mentioned will probably talk about this “enemy” who wants to “steal and kill and destroy” us (John 10:10, NIV). Others might stop and say, ” Listen, there’s a roaring lion looking for someone to devour ‘; be careful, or he’ll get you!” (1 Peter 5:8, NIV). This mindset—that Satan is actively seeking to destroy us—is horrifying, but is it true?

If Grace Is Free, Why Is This So Hard?

One of my favorite sci-fi shows is Farscape. Every couple of years, I rewatch it because I think it’s that good. While there are loads of meme-worthy sayings in the show, I find myself repeating a particular one way too often:

“Why so difficult?!”

For some reason, what should be a simple task sometimes gets harder for no clear reason. Other times it just feels like a way of life, as if nothing is ever easy, no matter how much help we might get. I am, of course, referring to being a Christian.

Before I was a Christian, my life wasn’t easy, but I never expected it to be easy. When I graduated from high school, someone asked me what I intended to do afterwards; I told them, “Survive.” That was it. I didn’t have a three-step plan for success, and I had no plans except for making it through each day.

However, when I was saved, it was the beginning of a new day. It was a new dawn, and I was going to seize it.

Ironically, I thought it would be easy.

Why Do You Love People?

Before I was saved, I had a love/hate relationship with people. On one hand, I hated people. People are obnoxious and self-serving. We typically look out only for Number One. On the other hand, individuals are almost an entirely different breed. While they can still be obnoxious and self-serving, they can also be loving and kind. Even small groups can be loving and kind, but there’s some magic number or something at which love and kindness shift into apathy and intolerance.

I remember earlier this year when a helicopter crashed on the freeway in Sacramento. I wasn’t there, but I saw the footage. Someone was trapped under the helicopter while people got out of their cars to lift it so first responders could get to them. In that moment, everyone worked together to save someone’s life. This type of thing isn’t that rare. As individuals and in small groups, when the chips are down, people usually step up to the plate and hit a home run.

I’d even go so far as to say that on these occasions, people are motivated by something they cannot comprehend: love and respect for life.

Why Does Paul Say Jesus Was Revealed “In” Him?

But when God, who set me apart from my mother’s womb and called me by his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son in me so that I might preach him among the Gentiles, my immediate response was not to consult any human being.

Galatians 1:15-16 (NIV)

In this passage, Paul says Jesus was revealed “in” him rather than “to” him. Although we often describe ourselves as being “in Christ,” meaning we’re part of the body of Christ, I found it curious that Paul describes God’s revelation of Jesus this way.

When I compared translations, my curiosity grew because some, like the English Standard Version (ESV), say “to me” instead. Still, the majority favor the “in me” (Greek: en emoi) rendering. There is a difference, so I’m wondering which one is correct.