Evil Is Present With Me

The world has an attraction to evil and glamorizes horror through cinema.  October is a month that celebrates the dark side of the spirit world.  In fact, the preparation begins in retail stores as early as the beginning of September.  Most people do not want to miss out of the annual celebration of evil spirits, witches, ghosts, goblins and ghouls; that takes place on October 31^st.  Because Hollywood, has trivialized the world of the dead; into a nonexistent myth; most people have stopped believing in the Devil.  Many Christian churches down play the Devil and hell.  Innocent children are dressed up in little devil costumes every year, to hear adults and parents dote over how cute their child is, portraying the prince of darkness.

Jesus Christ took His encounter with the Devil so serious that He fasted forty days and nights.

“And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred.  (3)  And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.  (4)  But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.  (5)  Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple…” (Matthew” 4:2-5).

The Apostle Paul; observed a spiritual law that that he witnessed to be true; that evil is always present when we do good deeds. 

“I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.” (Romans 7:21).

Notice in Revelation 12:9; that the Devil is referred to as having deceived the whole world!  A deceived person  doesn’t know that they are deceived; else they would not be deceived!

And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him (Revelation 12:9).

All large cats of prey blend in with their surroundings.  Lions blend in with light brown grasses of the plains; tiger’s and leopards have stripes and spots to blend in with the jungle.  Stealth is their greatest weapon to lay in ambush.  Is it any wonder that the Devil not only blends in; but he has convinced the world that he does not even exist; yet he stalks as a roaring lion.

“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:” (1 Peter 5:8).

Broadcasting negative attitudes, selfish desires, vanity and lust; the Devil sends out his signals, much like a radio station; our hearts and minds tune into his messages.

“Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience” (Ephesians 2:2).

Denying the existence of the Devil does not make him go away.  From preschool age, my parents and church taught me to resist the Devil.  They did not go to horror movies, but taught us to protect our minds.  We all need to understand that there is an enemy after our soul.  He is real; but we have power over him in the name of Jesus!

“Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (James 4:7).

Prayer:  Lord God Almighty, you are the Everlasting Father and the author of everything good.  Lead me into your marvelous light and keep me from the deceptions of the Devil.  Help me to rebuke the Devil in your name.  The name above all names, that has power.  Help me protect what goes into my mind; that I may walk with you.  Lead me to that which you are blessing.  Help me to magnify good and put evil in its place.  In Jesus’ name; Amen.