A LETTER FROM THE DEVIL

2Kings 19:6^b: ..thus saith the LORD, Be not afraid of the words which thou hast heard, with which the servants of the king of Assyria have blasphemed me.

                                                                                                                                                 
King Hezekiah was one of the great, righteous and good kings that ruled God’s people. Apart from introducing religious reforms, he re-instated religious traditions. He set himself to abolish idolatry from his kingdom. Politically, he sought to throw off his subservience to the Assyrian king by refusing to pay tribute imposed on his father and rebelled against the Assyrian king. Mistakenly, he entered into league with Egypt which led to invasion of Judah by Sennacherib (2kings 18:13-16). Hezekiah did not also follow the wicked ways of his father, Ahaz. Once upon a time, the King of Assyria sent his messenger to go and intimidate Hezekiah. But king Hezekiah knew his God and put his trust in God to deliver him from the threats and God did.

In times of trials and tribulations, who do you trust? Read 2kings 18-19.

The Devil’s Letter

The first trick of the devil is to question the believer’s commitment to trust in the Lord. He accuses us as these : ‘ God is not going to get you out of this mess’; ‘you are going down’; you will fail; you are in real trouble and your faith is not going to work. If his accusations don’t work, he promises us the world and its lust- like he did to Jesus in Matthew chapter 4.

Are you in a mess right now? Are all doors closed before you? Has the devil being hammering in your ears that God is not going to rescue you? You are scared because everything looks hopeless. You hear the devil and his agents laughing at you. You hear them say- “In spite of your love for Jesus, giving up the world, doing the right things and trusting God, it’s not going to be alright.”

But like king Hezekiah and his people did, do not answer the devil’s letter! (2kings 18:36)

The Devil’s Plan B

You are wondering what you can do to stop this mess or worry and just then the devil comes with a harder plan if you are not going his way or acknowledging him as he wants. He comes up with a twist. He tells you God is the one behind all your trials and tribulation as the Assyrian messenger (Rab-shakeh) claimed. He will tell you God has forsaken you. He wants you to think all your problems are the result of God’s punishment for your past sins. Don’t believe it. It is satan who is out to destroy you. All perfect gifts come from the Lord, remember!

No my dear, you are under attack because you have made up your mind to trust in God. The devil is therefore trying to weaken your faith- your shield for warfare.

Satan’s Device

·        Satan, our arch enemy, in his attempt to destroy us, attacks our faith with failures and how the mightiest have been defeated at his hands (2Kings 18:33-34). He will boast about how he brought down the biggest evangelists or prophets, so what makes you think you can escape his power (2kings 18:35).

·        He will bring to mind all the believers who claimed to trust God but have suffered trouble, sickness or even died. If preachers cannot make it, what makes you think you can? “See how God pays His faithful servants; you will end up poor like them”. “You see, he led a godly life but yet ended up in deep poverty”, as he will say. The devil has always been a liar and deceiver.

·        Maybe you are a minister of God or a believer and a faithful one but struggling in poverty. You have therefore decided to become a mammon agent- using God’s word for money-making by hook or crook. The devil is drumming in your head that you don’t need to be poor.

The Deal

2Kings18:31-32. Another trick of Satan is to paint a fantastic picture of what our life could be if you make a deal with him. The deal tells you there is no need to suffer unjustly; no need to keep on being holy in the midst of suffering. Just allow me to fix the situation for you, he will say. I will give you all you need or lack right now and there will be no more mounting bills to pay, no childlessness, no unemployment, no more financial crisis; I will open an accounts for you- what a crooked salesman the devil is. Just one more deal and your problems will be solved; you have suffered enough; you need a break. But don’t be deceived. Every compromise you make in your walk with Jesus, you are opening a deal with the devil- you are selling your soul in the process. If you buy into this lie, you will be the devil’s slave from that point on. Some have bought into this lie and have shipwrecked their faith. Some depend on stealing for their financial success, adultery to live their marriage, others are diplomatic prostitutes whiles others live on back-biting and lying. The moment you depend on Satan’s lies, he will slap a chain around your neck and hands and lead you to Babylon. You will now get a task master for a father. The satisfying water he promised you is certainly poisoned. No, you won’t have freedom but live under bondage; a slave to Satan- how damaging that will be.

Finally, Satan will send threatening letters (2Kings 19:14) through his agents to you if you are still not bulging under his deals to enslave you.

Have you received your letter from the devil? Those divorce papers, those termination letters and those failure letters. That letter is carrying the devils voice saying “so that is what you get when you follow Jesus, huh?  Nobody wants you? You are too old to get pregnant. Its too late now, you have a terminal disease from the laboratory results- the situation is hopeless. And Satan says “so you believe Jesus heals, do you”?  Well, where is he now? Why do you still have to suffer in return? See, you gave him everything and look at what has happened to you. Believer, all the devil is telling you in this letter is, it is over; your God has failed you. I told you so! See that guy and lady who are with me, they are making it. Can’t you see, why don’t you give up?

What to do with the devil’s letter

So what do you do when you receive such a letter from the devil? Spread it before the Lord as Hezekiah did (see 2Kings 19:14-15) - Pray and seek the Lord’s face. Don’t even reason or talk to the devil about his letter. Just hold your peace (2Kings 18:36), read the letter and laugh (2Kings 19:21-22). Believer, know that the Lord has taken your letter personally. God says devil, you did not send that letter to my child but to me. God says you are safe because you are His and He will defend you (2Kings 19:32, 34).

God will win the battle hands down (2Kings 19:35). Let this promise sing into your heart deep. You are safe. The Lord is set to defend and deliver you. The Lord sends His own letter to the devil on your behalf- Psalm 46: Read it, meditate on it and believe it. It is heaven’s answer to your letter from the devil. God provides this reply letter for all of Satan’s attacks on your faith.

Like King Hezekiah

Are you a Christian living it right with God? Do you trust God with every detail of your life? Are you being bombarded with letters from the devil? The devil is only haunting you with those words to get you off track. Is he telling you you’ll continue to be unemployed or you’ll forever be down with that sickness? Is he telling you you’ll be childless and forever a bachelor or spinster? Is he still accusing you of the former sins that the Lord has forgiven you long ago? The list can go on and on and on.

The Lord knows what is happening to you. The Lord hears your cry every day. Are you cutting out the idolatry, the fornication, the adultery, the stealing, the ungodliness and unrighteousness from within and around you?

But

Do you know Jesus, through whom you can get over the devil’s letter? Is your heart right with God? If yes, then this reply letter- Psalm 46 is for you. No shaking believer. The Lord is in control. Just trust and obey for there is no other way to overcome the devil. Just walk that righteous path. Amen!