Dear Rose Park Reformed Church Family,
This week’s letter comes from our beloved Mary Wisner…
I am going to talk about Satan. I don’t want to focus on him too much, but he is prominent in the first two chapters of the book of Job. He is present at the meeting of ‘heavenly beings’ and has a conversation with the Lord twice. He is credited with all the calamity that Job faces. So, it would behoove us to take a look at him.
It seems people lean toward one extreme or the other when it comes to Satan. He is given all the credit, “the devil made me do it.” Or he isn’t given an existence. The Bible takes a more middle of the road approach. Satan may be the instigator, but we can arm ourselves against him. Ephesians 6:11-15 talks about putting on the armor of God and beware. We are not fighting against flesh and blood but against powers of darkness. The image of an angel sitting on one of your shoulders and a demon sitting on the other, both whispering in your ear is not too far off.
Satan comes in many forms, many of which look pretty good in the moment: feeling unworthy of forgiveness, justifying one’s actions, pity parties, to name a few. Job’s wife advised him to just curse God and end it all. First Peter 5:8 says “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”
Stand firm in the Lord,
Your sister in Christ, Mary Wisner
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