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The Cosmic Bully

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It's an all too familiar scene...there - at the end of the hallway - is the mean faced wild eyed kid who because of a growth spurt or growing bad attitude has decided to become:

The bully

Most every school and/or neighborhood has them, and they come in all shapes and sizes. They call out insults, throw snowballs, demand tater tots, steal lunch money, and generally speaking, make life miserable for everyone around them.

Here's how the smart people over at Webster.com define a bully:

"One habitually cruel to others who are weaker."

(By the way...if you're reading this and you now realize that you are a bully, click here and read "got salvation," trust Christ, then go apologize to everyone you've ever bullied. Thank you.)

Did you know that there is a cosmic bully? That's right, and the territory he terrorizes goes way beyond a school or a neighborhood to the entire universe. The scariest part is that he doesn't want your tater tots or even your lunch money.

This bully wants your eternal soul.

The Bible calls him by many names that give a picture of what he's like and how he operates:

• Tempter (Matthew 4:3)
• Enemy (Matthew 13:39)
• Murderer (John 8:44)
• Father of lies (John 8:44)
• Evil one (1 John 2:13)
• Accuser (Revelation 12:10)

You probably know this bully best by his most common name, Satan, which most people identify with ultimate evil. But what you may not know is that he wasn't always that way. His original name was Lucifer, and he was God's right hand man. Isaiah 14:12-14 and Ezekiel 28:12-15 tell the sad story of how beautiful he was created, and how ugly was his fall. Basically, he was the most stunning and powerful created being in the universe - but after a while his abilities turned him to audaciousness, so he decided to take on God.

Bad idea.

The end result was that Lucifer was kicked out of heaven forever and now wants to kick our tails every second of every day. He loves being "habitually cruel to those who are weaker" - which would include every human being on planet earth.

So why does this bully hate us to the point that he wants our eternal soul? Only he could answer that for sure, but I have a few ideas. First off, the Bible tells us that the terrible place called hell was created for Satan and his "mini-me" angelic bullies who we call demons (Matthew 25:41). Obviously misery loves company, so the Devil is living a purpose driven life with one single purpose: take as many folks as he can to hell. He does this with clever lies about how there are many ways to God, or that there is no place called hell, or that there is no God at all.

Also, Satan hates Christians because we have been given by grace what he tried to take by force. What I mean is this: at some point Satan looked in the mirror and was filled with pride that drove him to try to steal the Kingdom of heaven - which resulted in his immediate rejection. At some point Christians looked in their hearts and were filled with humility that drove us to admit we could never earn the Kingdom of heaven - which resulted in our immediate salvation. When we trusted Christ as our only hope of salvation, we were given a gift that is forever out of his reach.

And that makes his hatred towards us burn as hot as the fires of hell.

So what should we do about our cosmic bully problem? The same thing we should do with an earthly problem: watch out, fight it out, or get out. Let's first talk about watching out. The best plan is to avoid Satan all together, which would obviously include staying far, far away from no brainer Satanic traps like Ouija boards and séances. But remember it also includes more subtle things like deep relationships with unbelievers and exposure to web sites, music, and literature that draws you away from God.

Am I sounding like you should be afraid of Satan and his demons? Absolutely! Here's the advice the Bible gives:

Be careful! Watch out for attacks from the Devil, your great enemy. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for some victim to devour. (1 Peter 5:18)

If you can't avoid facing your bully, the next option is to fight it out:

So humble yourselves before God. Resist the Devil, and he will flee from you. (James 4:7)

Remember - don't fight Satan in your own strength...believe me, you'll lose every time. That's why this verse starts out with "humble yourselves before God" - when you resist the devil, you must first admit that you can only win through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Then there are many times when you face Satan not because he was unavoidable, but because you went looking for him. Like a mindless fish you got an appetite for the worm on the hook, now you're swimming full force towards a force that will gut you in no time flat.

My advice? Get out!

God's advice? Get out!

"Run from anything that stimulates youthful lust" (2 Timothy 2:22)

This means that sometimes it is a much better plan to turn tail and scamper - especially when you walked into the lion's den on your own in the first place.

The bottom line is that there is a cosmic bully, but remember that there is also a cosmic Savior who is ready and willing to be your bodyguard. His name is Jesus...in case of bullying, speak His name, and repeat when necessary.

Head: What you need to know about this truth

Satan and his demons are real, and they really hate you. Their mission in life is to keep unbelievers from trusting Christ, and believers from serving Christ.

Heart: What you need to feel about this truth

Be afraid...be very afraid. Satan and his demons are no joke, but your efforts to fight them in your own power certainly are. Also, feel compassion for those who have been taken in by Satan's lies. He may want to take as many people as possible to hell, but don't let that stop you from taking as many people as possible to heaven!

Hands: What you need to do about this truth

One of the best things you can do to win the daily "battle with the bully" is to remember that it is a battle! Soldiers do not go out into battle unprepared, which is why we need to put on out spiritual armor every day. Start each day reading and applying this passage until it becomes as second nature as putting on your clothes!

A final word: Be strong with the Lord's mighty power. Put on all of God's armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies and tricks of the Devil. For we are not fighting against people made of flesh and blood, but against the evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against those mighty powers of darkness who rule this world, and against wicked spirits in the heavenly realms.

Use every piece of God's armor to resist the enemy in the time of evil, so that after the battle you will still be standing firm. Stand your ground, putting on the sturdy belt of truth and the body armor of God's righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News, so that you will be fully prepared. In every battle you will need faith as your shield to stop the fiery arrows aimed at you by Satan. Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Pray at all times and on every occasion in the power of the Holy Spirit. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all Christians everywhere. (Ephesians 6:10-18)