TIME TO TALK BACK

Mystics have often pointed this out about prayer: We spend too much time talking to God and not enough listening to Him. That is a point well-taken. However, I find the opposite is true when it comes to Satan (and to self). I believe we spend too much time listening to Satan and not enough talking back to him. Satan is always trying to tell us something. I am amazed how readily people just listen, give credence to what he has to say, and accept it. Oh, for certain, often he uses a proxy mouthpiece. He has plenty of imps, cohorts, both those who wear flesh and bone and those who don’t. Satan also finds a ready voice and messenger in our flesh. Sometimes Satan uses an accusatory voice; sometimes a tempting voice; sometimes a taunting voice; sometimes a wooing voice; sometimes a condemning voice. Often Satan speaks disparaging remarks about us, and they harmonize so completely with our own voice we fail to realize it is he. He speaks, “You are a failure. You are worthless. You are a loser. You will never make it. You will never amount to anything.” Sometimes He talks to us about other people. “They are laughing at you. They don’t like you. They don’t care. They are better than you. They are hypocrites.” Sometimes he talks to us about God: “God doesn’t really love you, care about you. God has rejected you. God won’t work in your behalf. God’s not going to answer your prayer.” Satan can’t keep from talking this way. His very name means “Accuser.” He speaks these accusations to you. If he doesn’t speak accusatorily, he does temptingly: “It’s ok to do that. It’s not really sin. You are the exception. It won’t hurt you.” Other times his is the voice of doubt, “You aren’t really saved. Maybe, all that about Jesus isn’t really true. Surely, there are other ways.” The above are only a sampling. You know what Satan speaks to you. Whatever it is, talk back. Satan talked to Jesus. Jesus didn’t just listen. Jesus talked back. He talked back, not with cute jingles, platitudes, or Confucian aphorisms. He talked back with Scripture—Bible, we evangelicals would say. When Satan starts talking to you, talk back. Give him some Bible. That’s why it is important continually to be imbibing your mind and heart with the preaching, reading, studying, and memorization of Scripture. When Satan begins talking to you, there is nothing more effective than having a Scripture immediately coming to your mind and heart with which to respond. You then answer Satan, talk back to him, with that Scripture. Last night (Wednesday) in church a sister who has been under heavy attack shared a poignant testimony. She talked about a prolonged period of sickness and failures into sin and how Satan had told her God would not forgive her. Suddenly, Peter’s question to the Lord of how often he should forgive his offending brother and Jesus’ answer came to her. “Seventy times seven, Peter. That’s how often you should forgive.” Her response to the voice of Satan, the voice of doubt and despair, was Jesus’ word followed by, “If God told Peter to forgive that often, will not He Himself also forgive that much?” That’s the way to talk back. Just one thing: Remember that you are speaking to Satan and others don’t necessarily need to hear--kind of like when you talk to yourself; you really don’t want others to hear you. As a preacher, I know what it is for Satan to begin talking to me even while I am trying to deliver the message of a sermon. When young, I would talk back out loud. As I preached, he would begin to harass my mind with things like, “Nobody wants to hear that.” “You’re such a fake,” etc. Somethings he would say were just bizarre. There were times, when the congregation was responding to something I was preaching with worship, I would take the opportunity to move the microphone away from my mouth and say, “Leave me alone. Shut up and get out of here.” One night I forgot to move the microphone. My talk back to Satan boomed over the PA system: “Leave me alone. Shut up and get out of here.” The congregation sat stunned. Ten people got up and left. Well, ok, ten didn’t. But, Satan did. In the past down South, children learned one could get slapped for talking back. But, Satan’s not your authority, and you’re not his child. Talk back.

TIME TO TALK BACK

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