If there is one dude who for certain doesn’t fight fair, it’s the devil. I’ll just be sitting around, minding my own business, thinking I’m doing exactly what God wants me to do and then realize… BAM… “the horned idiot got me!” Maybe he wriggled in with jealousy over a cherished friendship or perhaps I purposely missed an opportunity to serve my neighbor because of pride. Maybe selfishness interrupted the joy of what was meant to be a good deed… whatever it was… he got me, again. He sneaked right in there without me noticing. He used one of my many known weaknesses to drag me down to his level. And if I’m not really careful, he can keep me down there with him by making me think I need to beat myself up over and over and over instead of just giving it to God once and wiping my hands and heart clean of it. Yep, that devil sure doesn’t fight fair.
It makes me think of the story of poor Dinah. She went out to see some of her girlfriends one day and while out and about, struck the fancy of a man named Shechem. He decided he had to have her… and raped her. He was really nice to her after, but she was completely distraught over being defiled and disgraced in such a personal and private way. I’m sure she couldn’t help but to think how unfair it was to be taken like that against her will.
She told her family hoping for support and at first, they seemed to have her back. But it wasn’t long before she learned that Shechem, the man who had raped her, was requesting her hand in marriage. The worst of it was her father was actually considering giving her to him. How in the world could she marry a man who violated her so terribly? When Dinah heard her father had struck a deal with this awful man, I imagine she was beside herself. She felt lost and alone. She felt abandoned and afraid… and she couldn’t believe life could be so cruel… and unfair.
The deal was an unusual one for sure. Dinah’s father told Shechem’s father he would hand over his daughter in marriage, and share other daughters and land with him IF all the men of Shechem’s tribe would agree to take on the sign of the covenant with God. In short, all the dudes in Shechem’s tribe had to be circumcised. After talking it over, the deal sounded pretty good. They’d get to trade goods, daughters, land and such and all they had to do was undergo one little, teensy procedure. They all agreed it was worth it so they went for it… and all the men in the city were chop-chopped on the same day. Fair or not, off little Dinah went to her new home.
Well, as unfair as it may have seemed to her… the Shechemites were about to learn a little something about injustice. In an act of planned vengeance, Dinah’s brothers gathered all of the great warriors and able bodied men of their tribe together and went over to the Shechemite's city while they were all still in pain and recovering from their little “procedure”… and Dinah’s brothers opened up a big can of whoop-ass on them. Because of their weakened state (an unfair advantage), Dinah’s tribe was able to easily kill all the men and plundered the city. And they did it for her… they were her personal vigilantes!
I love this story… do you know why? Because these are God’s people exacting revenge! Of course it’s the Old Testament (big shock) and if you don’t believe that it’s really in there… look it up at Genesis 34. Now, I’m not saying you should go open up a can of whoop-ass on everyone you feel has been unfair to you… what I am saying is this… God showed me today how “the unfair fight” goes both ways.
I really hate the way the devil plots and plans against me. He does horrible things to me then tries to trick me by saying he cares about me. I can become like Dinah and be completely distraught over being defiled and disgraced in such a personal and private way. I think how unfair it is to be taken like that against my will. He is mean and calculating and it’s really easy to look at him and cry, “no fair!!!!” But maybe when I feel that way, I’m thinking of it the wrong way. How unfair is it that the devil already knows he has been beaten??? How unfair is it that he knows he has absolutely NO POWER over God and God’s people? How unfair is it that no matter what he does, no matter what he says… he can not change the fact that Jesus has already overcome him. It’s a done deal. When I think of it that way, I start to feel a lot like Dinah must have felt as she watched her buff brothers mow down the man who had defiled her. I feel justified and proud. I feel invincible and indestructible. I taunt him with… “Ha-ha take that you idiot… you’re goin’ down sucka!!!”
Of course the devil needs to be sneaky and play unfair… I mean wouldn’t I if I knew there was absolutely no way I could win? Wouldn’t I be grasping at whatever straw I had to, to try and hang on to even the tiniest of victories or dignity? Of course I would… and that’s exactly what he does. That’s why it’s so important for me to remain vigilant in my servitude to God. The war has already been won but there are many battles ahead. Yes, the devil may come out ahead on a few of them… but in the end, my vigilance and my Father’s vigilante, Jesus, is going to come through for me!! I bet my eternal life on it! “That’s right devil… you’re goin’ down sucka!!!!!” And THAT, my friends, is the ultimate unfair fight! I sure am glad I’m on the winner’s side.
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