Demons and Hope

The shooting in Connecticut a little over a week ago shook this nation to the core.

I prayed. I cried. I talked. I wrestled with God’s gift of free will.

This man and others just like him (male and female) who choose to do such things and others that violate innocent people have either before or after their capture, been deemed “mentally unstable”. Sometimes it’s labeled as schizophrenic, bipolar, depression, and the list goes on…  I don’t disagree with those labels but I feel that as society and history has evolved we may have missed another label.

The word “demon” is mentioned nearly 50 times throughout the Bible. People who offered sacrifices to demons (sometimes their children), Jesus casting out demons from people… demons were alive and well during Jesus’ time here on earth. They were alive and well before Him and I believe they are alive and well now. I believe that the reality of demonic possession has been minimized with words like “mental instability” or “personality disorder”. I can’t be sure that those things are a complete demonic possession but I am sure that the demon has a grasp on them, a very solid grasp.

I agree with many that as a society (not just a country), we have chosen to push God out of our schools, out of our government and, at times, out of our homes. Where God is not, Satan is. We’ve allowed him and his demons into our minds and souls with certain music, movies and games. Satan is sly and smooth, we haven’t even noticed. It’s a slow fade. We’ve worshiped him time and time again by claiming “freedom”. We have given in to him so much that it’s not even a fight anymore. And he likes it.

He is laughing at the catastrophe on Friday. He is laughing at us for pinning the blame on this or that. He is laughing at our weak minds and our weak thoughts. And while he’s laughing, he’s grabbing up a few more to use in his plan.

I believe in guardian angels. I believe they walk around us and watch over us and take us when Christ instructs them and it’s naïve of me to believe Satan doesn’t have his team of demons working their way through us trying to undo the good of Christ.

It’s up to us. Individually. To take up our cross daily. To fight the fight every second of every day. We have been given a gift to fight it. He constantly gives us a way out, we just have to choose it. He gives us a hope.

Cling in it.
In times of despair.
In times of fear.
In times of anxiety.
In times of frustration.
Cling to the Hope that is in Christ Jesus.