3 Ways to Silence Satan’s Schemes
It’s a fact that none of us can escape.
From time to time, situations arise in all of our lives that entice us to get upset, offended, or resentful. These situations are usually over minor issues that get blown out of proportion. But by the time we realize how petty the issues are, it’s often too late. Bad words have already been spoken, and hurt is lodged deep in the soul. The only thing left to do is to begin the process of getting over the hurt and offense. However, this is a much more difficult thing to do than to just deal with the situation differently in the first place.
Because this is a predicament that everyone faces at one time or another, I’ve written ten suggestions—three included in this article—that I’ve learned to apply in my own life to help keep my emotions in balance and my heart free of offense. These practical suggestions may not seem deep or profound. But if they help keep your heart free of strife and offense, they are mighty and powerful!
Read the following points carefully. I believe they will help you keep the door closed to the devil so he can’t destroy your relationship with the people you love, the people you work with, or those with whom you serve the Lord.
Suggestion #1: If you think you’re getting in strife, ask to be excused for a few minutes.
I’ve learned that when I’m weak and tired, I’m more susceptible to an attack from the devil. It’s amazing how many times the devil strikes our minds and emotions when we are physically or emotionally exhausted. He knows that when we’re tired, it’s harder to hear and see things correctly.
For instance, have you ever gotten so deeply involved in a conversation that you couldn’t see your way out? I have. The longer you talk, the more trapped you feel. Even worse, you can’t even remember how the tangled-up conversation got started in the first place! You’re exhausted from trying to prove your point or understand the other person’s view. Instead of sensing the sweet fruit of the Spirit flowing from your heart, you feel like you’re about to erupt in a fit of raging carnality and say things you’ll later regret.
When you find yourself in this type of situation, ask to be excused for a few minutes. Give yourself an opportunity to get a grip on your emotions and see things in a new light. You may be tempted to get into strife just because you are physically or mentally tired. That weariness may be affecting you so you can’t accurately hear or understand what the other person is trying to communicate to you.
At times I become involved in a situation in which stress and strife begin to develop between me and someone I love or whose cooperation I need. If I’m tired when this happens, my perception is more easily distorted. As the conversation gets more and more intense, I sometimes feel like I’m losing track of the point we are both trying to make. Frustrations arise. Conflict erupts. I later end up regretting that I didn’t put on the brakes and stop making such a big deal over something so insignificant.
That’s why I’ve learned the wisdom of walking away from this type of situation for a short break. When I realize my emotions are getting bent out of shape about something that really shouldn’t be a big deal, I just ask for a few minutes to be by myself.
Satan loves to attack people when they are tired. So instead of letting him take advantage of you when you’re weak and tired, be smart. Tell the other party or parties involved in the potential conflict that you need to take a break for a little while. Go enjoy a walk around the block, pray, or read your Bible. Do something that takes your mind off the issue at hand and helps you relax for just a little while before you have to come back to deal with that issue.
I’ll tell you a secret I learned years ago that has helped me avoid strife in my own life. When I’m tempted to get upset with someone, I look for the opportunity to just get away, close my eyes, and sleep for fifteen minutes. When I’m able to do that, I often awaken with a brand-new approach and a positive attitude toward the problem I’m facing. Although that problem may have seemed overwhelming to me just a short time before, my little nap clears my mind and helps me get started again with a healthier outlook.
Psalm 46:10 says, “Be still, and know that I am God….” There is something about calming yourself and making yourself be still that helps you see things in a brand-new light when you return to take up a difficult conversation where you left off.
So whenever you’re tempted to lose your peace and get into anger or strife, back off. Do whatever is needed to get your focus back to where it ought to be. Perhaps you need to read your Bible for a few minutes and allow it to produce peace in your soul. Maybe you need to find a private place so you can pray in tongues for ten minutes. Or you may be the kind of person who needs to do something physical to get rid of all that tension, such as jogging or walking.
Whatever you need to do to give yourself a few minutes of rest, do it. You’ll not only feel better, but you’ll be able to return to the situation at hand with renewed strength and a better perspective. By keeping yourself in check in this way, you’ll protect your relationships and avoid saying harsh words in moments of weariness that you’ll regret later!
Suggestion #2: If you’re tempted to get upset with what someone is telling you, invite a third party into the conversation so he or she can help you both hear what the other person is trying to communicate.
Sometimes when we are tempted to flare up and get into strife with someone, we are just “getting our wires crossed” and missing what that person is trying to tell us. These mishaps of misunderstanding are Satan’s golden moments when he tries to wedge his way into a conversation and disrupt a relationship we cherish.
If you feel like “your feathers are getting ruffled” by something that is being said to you, it’s time to use your head, tell your emotions to shut up, and invite a third party into the conversation so he or she can help you hear what is really being communicated.
I have found that the presence of an unbiased third party is often helpful. Because this person is emotionally unattached to what is happening, he or she can sometimes see the full picture more clearly than those who are in the midst of the heated discussion.
Ephesians 4:26,27 says, “Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: Neither give place to the devil.” Do everything you can to stay free of anger, wrath, and strife, since these fleshly emotions give the devil free access to wage war in the situation you’re facing. If bringing an unbiased person into the discussion to hear both sides helps you understand what the other person is trying to say to you, you have taken a very wise step toward disarming the devil and preventing him from doing his business!
So lay down your pride and be willing to admit that you may need an objective party to help you hear more clearly. You may be surprised to find out that you were wrong and that the other person really did have something worthy to contribute! A third person may have the very perspective you need to help you see through the muck of misunderstanding.
Suggestion #3: If your conflict is with someone who is in a supervisory position over your life or work, remind yourself that you are to speak to that person with respect.
If you’re tempted to get upset with your boss, pastor, or someone who holds a supervisory position over you, remind yourself that the Lord has placed him in that position. You must treat that person as someone God has placed in authority over you, even if you don’t like what he is saying or doing to you at the moment. Never forget that you are under him; it isn’t the other way around. If you adopt any other attitude, you’ll end up being subversive to that God-ordained authority in your life.
You may say, “Yes, but you don’t know how hard it is to work for this person!”
That may be true, but didn’t you agree to submit to this situation when you took the job? If you don’t like it, you may want to find another place to work or to serve. No one is making you stay where you are — unless, of course, the Lord has placed you there and told you it’s where you’re supposed to be.
“What if it’s a work situation that developed after I took the job?” you may ask. Well, you can rest assured that it didn’t take the Lord by surprise. Is it possible God has placed you in this position to reveal something that needs to change inside you?
If the Lord has placed you there, you need to do your job with a smile on your face. Do everything in your power to go through each day with a happy heart. That may mean you have to spend more time fellowshipping with the Lord in the Word and prayer. Whatever it takes, determine that you will do it. Otherwise, you may allow your heart to become filled with scorn toward that leader and end up in rebellion against him and his orders. In that case, you would actually be rebelling against God, since He is the One who led you to take that position and work with this person in the first place!
Hebrews 13:17 says that you are to obey your leaders. The word “obey” is a military term that describes soldiers who know how to honor and respond to their immediate authority. It isn’t the job of a soldier to correct his commanding officer. Rather, it’s the soldier’s responsibility to advise, help, and honor his leader by obeying his orders.
Therefore, if the person in authority over you is doing something that collides with your convictions so that you cannot follow his lead, you need to remove yourself and go somewhere else where you can work or serve with joy. Better to remove yourself from the situation than to get into strife and open a door for the devil.
Get alone with the Lord. Let the Holy Spirit speak to your heart and put the situation in right focus for you. Read and meditate on Titus 2:9: “Exhort servants to be obedient unto their own masters, and to please them well in all things; not answering again….”
Let the divine instruction in that verse sink deep in your heart. It will help you stay free from rebellion and strife when a difference of opinion arises between you and those who are in a supervisory position over you.
