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Anger

This year, I'm taking on a fun journey through the New Testament and ONLY reading the words in Red. For those who may be unfamiliar, some versions of the bible have the words Jesus said, in red. I have one such bible and, as I think I'll be trying to grow closer to Jesus until the day I die, this seemed a good first step to that closeness.

 I'm in Matthew, chapter 4, where Jesus is being tempted by the devil. What has stood out to me for a WEEK now, because I keep playing the words over in my head, is not the temptation, but Jesus' final response to Satan. Jesus, at his weakest, goes through this crazy interaction with the devil. And Jesus uses the Words his Father gave him, as his weapon. Which is a pretty impressive weapon :). But after these 3 scenarios, Jesus is DONE and he says: "Away from me Satan!" And the devil goes away. 

 That's what I can't get out of my head. The devil goes away. Jesus doesn't tell him to "shoo" immediately. He talks to the guy. He defends himself and his Father. And then he has had enough and he says "Away from me!" 

 There are some things in my life where I am at this point. I have had enough. I've been angry (and ladies, I am NOT an angry person). And, in using the Bible as my weapon and my truth, I see enough occurrences in regards to NOT being angry that I know that my continued anger is being targeted by the ultimate trickster. I don't like it. My life, as I envisioned it, is not happening. Anger isn't going to bring it back. Being bonded to that is going to make me a slave for the rest of my life. And I refuse for that slavery to be my future. So my response today has been "Away from me! In the name of Jesus Christ, get out. There isn't room for you here." For anger, and the devil, if I'm being honest! It's empowering to say those words. To mean them. To believe that if Jesus Christ can tell the devil to go away and he HAS to listen; that belief in Jesus' name is enough to have the same effect in my life. 

 "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." That little gem is from Ephesians 6. I love it. Our struggle is against those items; and our weapon is truth, righteousness, the gospel of peace, the shield of faith, salvation and the Word of God. I've got my weapons. For the first time, I feel armed. I feel ready fight. For my son. For myself. I feel confident in my assertiveness to say: Away from me, Satan! There is NO room for you here.

 I'm ending with song lyrics that got me through some rough times this year - this is Unspoken's "Higher": 

 Don't blame it on the preacher 'cause the preacher done told
"The devil's got a target on my heart and my soul"
But let me tell you, brother, what the devil don't know
The lower I go, the more I'm gonna lift you....Higher.

Friends, what's your target? Anger? Rage? Bitterness? Malice? What is dragging you low? Find it. Name it. Defy it. Arm yourself with the weapons of the Lord and fight. Lift Him higher. Tell that devil to go away. In the name of Jesus Christ, tell him to go away!

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