Spotlight of Truth

The truth about the devil is this: he’s extremely evil, but that does not make him big or extremely powerful. If you fight him on his turf, he’ll eat you for lunch. So fight him on the turf Jesus gives you. 

The devil works in darkness to bring doubt and depression into your life. In the dark, you can’t see how pathetic he really is. You envision him, and your problems, as horrible, undefeatable, and unending. You believe the lie that “things will never get better.”

Shine the spotlight of truth on him, and you have the same revelation as Isaiah:

“Those who see you stare at you, they ponder your fate: “Is this the man who shook the earth and made kingdoms tremble, the man who made the world a desert, who overthrew its cities and would not let his captives go home?” – Isaiah 14:16-17

We give the devil a lot more credit than he deserves. Have you seen “Star Wars”? Remember how scary Darth Vader was? Evil with a capital “E.” Big, strong, ruthless, destructive.  However, Luke Skywalker stood up to fear, went on the offensive, and defeated him. As Vader was gasping his final breaths, Luke took off the menacing helmet, unmasking a scrawny, ugly, pathetic creature. Vader loomed large only because he played on the fear of others.

Satan’s like that. He’s not a brilliant strategist or a brutal general. He’s a schoolyard bully preying on the weak in their weakest moments. That doesn’t have to be you.

“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary, the devil, roams the earth like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.” 1 Peter 5:8

He can only devour you with darkness and doubt if you let him. It says in James 4:7, “Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” That’s the best advice for those dealing with depression. Resist it. Focus on God and all things good, and depression will flee.