A Tool of the Devil

Daniel Fritz

If I asked several people this question: "What are some of the Devils most effective tools?" I am sure I would get an assortment of answers, each one dealing directly with our own personal lives. One might reply "deceptiveness" or "by appealing to the pride of life or the lust of the eyes," and I would agree that the devil has the ability to deceive and lure us in many ways. Look at the story of Eve in the Garden of Eden. Satan used all of these tools to persuade her to eat the fruit of the forbidden tree. However, Satan has an even more effective tool that he uses against us and that is discouragement. Think about how Satan uses discouragement against us. If he can get us headed down the path of discouragement, he can lead us to despair and eventually to destruction. My point is that in our lives discouragement will come. However, I believe there are some Biblical passages to better help us in dealing with discouragement.

Pray

The first tool we want to consider is prayer. James 5:16 "... The effective prayer of a righteous man accomplishes much." We can look at different prayers in the Bible offered by many different characters of faith who called on the Father for help. A few weeks ago we looked at the prayers of Hannah and Jonah in my sermon and why they were great prayers of faith. One could also look at David in the Psalms. David many times calls on the Father when he was at a point of discouragement. Psalms 38:10 "My heart throbs, my strength fails me; And the light of my eyes, even that has gone from me." Psalms 109:22 "For I am afflicted and needy, And my heart is wounded within me." Psalms is filled with examples of David calling on the Lord and the Lord giving him strength. Another story I enjoy is the story of Job because there is not any other man recorded in the Bible that deals with discouragement as well as he did. Imagine the fact that Job literally lost everything. His children were killed, he lost all of his wealth, his health, and his wife and friends turn against him. If any one person had any right to be discouraged to the point of giving up Job would be at the top of the list, but as we continue reading the story we read that Job does not become discouraged to the point of giving up. He uses his situation for the greater good. One of the things so special about prayer is that we, as children of God, can bring anything and everything to Him in prayer. We have the chance to just talk to our Father who is in Heaven and let Him know what is on our hearts. Matthew 11:28,29 "28 Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS." I share this passage many times and especially with those who are feeling discouraged. I believe it tells us in everything we can come to Him. Prayer is our first line of defense when being attacked by discouragement.

Talk about it

Our second tool against discouragement is talking to our brethren. Proverbs 27:17 "Iron sharpens iron, So one man sharpens another." We need to seek our brethren in times of discouragement so we can sharpen one another so we can get strength from one another. Most the problems or discouragements I face, many others face also and it is essential we communicate with one another to encourage and uplift each other in our time of discouragement. It is for this same reason we confess our sins to one another (James 5:16). Encouragement from our fellow brothers and sisters is a strong tool against Satan's discouragement.

Sing

A third tool to use when fighting discouragement is singing. The great thing about singing is no matter when, no matter why, you can always sing a song. If we are happy we can sing, if we are sad we can sing, and when we are discouraged we can sing! A song has many meanings. A song could be a remembrance of something or someone. A song could represent a feeling and a song is also a great tool for encouraging not only ourselves but others. Do you remember back in Acts 16, when Paul and Silas were thrown in prison? What were they doing? Acts 16:25 "But about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns of praise to God, and the prisoners were listening to them" Most of us have never been arrested, or been put in prison, and I am reasonably sure no one has been violently persecuted for their faith yet we all become discouraged about frivolous things. We can find a lot of courage and strength in the story of Paul and Silas. Picture this in your minds. Your hands and feet are shackled to a wall in a prison. It is cold, dark, filled with the worst of the worst, and you are awaiting your accusation and punishment. Most, I would assume, would not be singing at such a critical time as this but Paul and Silas obviously found encouragement in singing. Not only was Satan's tool of discouragement defeated in this instance but souls were added to the household of God that night! Singing encourages us and lifts our spirits and it is an effective tool to use when feeling discouraged.

Discouragement indeed comes in many shapes, sizes, and forms and all of us will become discouraged to some degree at some point in our lives. Therefore, Satan can use discouragement against us to keep us from doing God's will. We have three very powerful tools we can deploy when fighting discouragement. First and foremost is prayer, next would be talking to our brethren, and finally singing to lift our spirits. We can talk to our loving and caring Father about all of our heartaches and struggles. We can seek our brethren for understanding, strength, and encouragement and we can sing to teach, admonish, and uplift our spirits in troubled times. In using these tools we can successfully overcome Satan's attempt to lead us to despair. As Paul said to 1 Timothy 6:12 "...fight the good fight of the faith..." Let us also continue in our spiritual journey regardless of the discouragements that may come along. Let us keep fighting the good fight and keep the faith.