Satan the Lent-hater

Let me tell you a couple things about Satan. #1 He HATES Lent. #2 He knows you.


Let me start with a week ago.  Tuesday about this time I put up my chipper little blog about Lent.  Filled with enthusiasm, I later headed to bed contemplating the great things that would happen between then and Easter.

Ok this brings me to the Satan hating Lent part.  You see, I RARELY dream. Yet that night was filled with dreams, er... nightmares.  Crazy, awful, vivid nightmares allllll night long. Now, if you read my blog comments from last week, you'll know that one of my Lent commitments is to get up earlier to spend time beginning the day with God. Well that certainly was made a lot more difficult after a restless night of bad dream torture.

As I sat down that first Ash Wednesday morning beginning my time with God, countless things wrestled for my attention.  Distraction after distraction came, from dog, hubby, phone, etc. Even my worship music kept crashing.

Grr... Satan!!!

Long story short, later that day got even better as someone I'd never met from my workplace decided to call the cops on me on a hit-and-run. Yes,bizarre and don't worry, FALSE.  She claimed I put damage on her car that... guess what... the cops knew had been there for a looong time.  Nice try chic.  But the ordeal was pretty long awful and so a big chunk of my day was spent crying and being attacked by people I work with.  Ah yes, my other Lent commitment... to not worry.

So the next day... guess what?  I was sick... I mean I felt AWFUL.  Kinda hard to follow up on my Lent commitment to make the bed every day when I'm stuck IN it for 3 days.  Ended up finally going to the doc and found out I had strep.

SATAN!!!!

You know, it's so awesome and cool to know that God knows us so well.  But it's important to remember that, while he doesn't know us NEARLY as well as God does, Satan does know us.  He knows are weaknesses, strengths, and everything in between and he WILL use it to take us down.

Not only did Satan specifically attack each area of my Lent, but He also knows this about me:  I am a black and white person. Hardcore. It's all or nothing to me.  And it was hard after the Penicillin wore off to not give up already on Lent. Thoughts of "Well I already missed some days... so much for hitting every day during Lent... what's the point now?"  Thankfully, God's voice was louder than the Devil's and I got back on the horse.

Maybe you've already faced some attacks during Lent, or whatever attacks from Satan you are facing, remember this:

  "Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm."  -Ephesians6:10-13