The Hooded Man

Ok, so this one's a bit different. Lately I've been experience A LOT of stress, anxiety and fear due to multiple situations at home, work, church and just life in general. Now I am normally an anxious person and my anxiety stems from all sorts of childhood events and decisions made as a teenager and adult that were not good. I've even thought that perhaps I have some sort of "disorder" and have been tempted to get my doctor to prescribe a pill or something. I haven't done that...yet.

The sort of anxiety I've been feeling has been oppressive, even insidious. And that's interesting because my wife said she recently had a conversation with a good friend who used that exact word (insidious) to describe the work of the enemy in her life and the lives of others around her.

I don't normally talk much about the enemy - you know, "The great dragon... that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray" (Revelation 12:9) - because.... Well, to be perfectly honest, that whole subject seems a little antiquated and superstitious to my modern sensibilities. It's not that I don't believe in the existence of such a creature. I do because Scripture is pretty clear that such a being actually exists. Not only does he exist, but he "leads the whole world astray." He is "filled with fury, because he knows his time is short." (Rev. 12:12b)

I believe in the existence of a creature named Satan, whom I'll refer to simply as "the enemy," not just because of Scripture, but also because I have felt his presence in my life, lately in very palpable and tangible ways.

Late last night my wife and I were talking and she described her day to me. It started out fairly normal, but a series of anxiety-provoking events led to a startling revelation for her:  the enemy is active in our life right now, trying to lead us astray from the freedom, happiness and holiness God wants for us. The friend I mentioned earlier also described a mental image of the enemy as wearing a black hoodie; his face was partially turned so you couldn't see him clearly but it was unmistakable of his identity. He was (is) the enemy.

Now this is interesting because in a story/novel I've been working on (and off!) for the past several years I have a character who I call the Dark Father, a sorcerer and necromancer whose cruelty and malice is reaching out to destroy others. I've patterned his physical appearance after the Emperor in the Star Wars movies. Yes, that's right. The Emperor wears a long, flowing black robe... with a hood. The Dark Father and the man with the black hoodie in our friend's mental image are essentially the same being.

Coincidence? Perhaps. But I've exerienced coincidences and they are never as profoundly meaningful as this. No, I think this is much more than coincidence. I think the hooded man, the enemy, perceives a true spiritual, financial, emotional breakthrough is about to happen in our lives. The context of the passages from Revelation deal with the birth of the Messiah, Jesus, and the expulsion of the "great dragon" (the enemy) from his place in heaven. John the Revelator hears a "loud voice in heaven" proclaiming an aspect of the gospel that is rarely mentioned:

Now have come the salvation and

the power and the kingdom

of our God

and the authority of his Christ.

For the accuser of our brothers,

who accuses them before our God

day and night,

has been hurled down.

(Revelation 12:10)

The "salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ" is growing in our life:  Jennifer and I are growing closer than ever before and good things are happening for us financially and emotionally. Both of us are experience new and deeper level of freedom in all areas of life than ever before and that is cause for great rejoicing!!!

But the enemy, the hooded man, is, predictably, "filled with fury" because of it. He is the accuser, the one who hurls false accusations at the saints (see the beginning chapters of Job) and attempts to destroy them. Some of the lies he has been hurling at us, sometimes faintly and at other times overtly (such as now!) have been things like:

1. No matter how hard you work and save, you'll never get out of debt.
2. Your prayers are ineffective, so why even try?
3. No one really understands what you're going through, so don't even bother to open up and share with them.
4. Hope and dream all you want, but your living situation will never change. You will continue to be miserable, so give into the pessimism and bitterness that surrounds you.
5. God really doesn't care about you. If he did, wouldn't things be different?

These are lies from the pit of hell, and they have nothing to do with faith in the Living God and Father of our Lord Jesus. Let me say that again:  These are LIES. They are not the TRUTH.

The TRUTH is,

1. We are getting out of debt. It's a slow process, but it's happening one step at a time. 
2. My prayers are very effective. I may not see immediate results, but the Spirit of Jesus lives within me and helps me pray when I don't know how!
3. Lots of people understand what we're experiencing because they've been through similar trials and tribulations themselves. So when we open up to them, they don't run out of the room with their hair on fire because they can't handle it. They shake their heads "yes," and come along side us to encourage us, pray for us and just be there for us.
4. We're not "giving in" to the pessimism and bitterness that is so rampant. We are staying positive and hopeful, choosing to believe in the goodness and mercy of our Creator who has good plans for us.
5. God really does care about us. I recently had a conversation with a friend of mine that went something like this: 

• "You've got problems?"
• "Yes!"
• "Does the Spirit of Jesus live within you?"
• "Yes..."
• "Then your problems are God's problems!"

To which I can only add:  And not only does God have more invested in solving my problems than I do, but God is infinitely smarter, more powerful and bigger than I am, so He is more than qualified and able and willing to solve my problems. All I have to do is follow Him in faith, believing not just that He knows the way, but that He is the Way!

Now that's good news. We are overcoming the enemy not in our own strength and ingenuity, which is laughable, but by "the blood of the Lamb and by the word of our testimony; and we do not love our lives so much as to shrink from death." (Revelation 12:11)

Death is the worst the enemy can do. But Jesus has dealt with that. He passed through death into new life, a ressurrected life. He has defeated the enemy; he has flung back his hood to expose him for who he is. A defeated enemy. A desperate enemy. One who will stoop to new levels of pitiful malice and childish monkeyshines to accomplish his goal. Pathetic, isnt' it?

The enemy is only pathetic if I choose to walk in faith with Jesus each day, each moment. If I choose to go my own way and trust in myself, then the enemy is very effective. But today I choose to believe Jesus. I choose to believe God's love for me is enough. I choose to believe I am safe in God's hands. I choose to believe I am surrounded by the loving arms of the Savior, my Friend and Companion.

Thank God for that.