WHEN SATAN WHISTLES AND BOOS
Sakkie Parsons
Someone wrote to me and asked:
“Why does it feel to me that I do not hear our Lord’s voice in my life and, in other words, experience that He does not really want anything to do with me?”
I want to share my answer to this person with you. (Perhaps you know of someone who also feels this way, and then you might be able to pass this writing on to them):
Just the fact that you ask this question is already proof that our Lord does indeed have something to do with you, and that you are in fact hearing His voice.
Let me show you something:
Have you seen in a Rugby match when one team is given a penalty kick?
The man who is going to kick places the ball and then steps back.
And what happens then?
The crowd cheering for the other team starts to make noise and whistle. In short, they try everything to “distract” him so that he will miss the goal.
The dictionary gives the following meanings for the word “distract”:
“to confuse, to disturb, to bewilder, to drive crazy; to lure away; to draw off attention.”
That is exactly what satan tries to do with you and me—and if possible, even to make us feel as though the whole world is against us.
Exactly what the crowd in the stands tries to do when the kicker prepares to kick at the goalposts.
Who is this crowd that tries to “distract” you?
I mean—to confuse, disturb, bewilder, drive you crazy, lure you away, or draw off your attention?
The Word says:
Ephesians 6:12
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood [contending only with physical opponents], but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this [present] darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly (supernatural) places.
Do you remember what the man who prepares to kick at the goalposts does while the crowd whistles and boos?
He focuses on the ball and the posts, shutting the crowd out of his mind.
This is, of course, exactly what the Word teaches us to do when the “crowd”—the rulers, the powers, the world forces of this present darkness, the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places—in short, when satan wants to “distract” us. In other words, when he wants to confuse us, disturb us, bewilder us, drive us crazy, lure us away, or draw our attention away from our Lord with his evil whistling and booing.
The Word says in this regard, for example:
Hebrews 12:1-2
Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses [who by faith have testified to the truth of God’s absolute faithfulness], stripping off every unnecessary weight and the sin which so easily and cleverly entangles us, let us run with endurance and active persistence the race that is set before us,
[looking away from all that will distract us and] focusing our eyes on Jesus, who is the Author and Perfecter of faith [the first incentive for our belief and the One who brings our faith to maturity], who for the joy [of accomplishing the goal] set before Him endured the cross, disregarding the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God [revealing His deity, His authority, and the completion of His work].
Just look at what awaits us if, despite the whistling and booing of satan’s crowd, we keep our eyes on Jesus. In other words, look at the “score” we make:
Revelation 3:20-21
Behold, I stand at the door [of the church] and continually knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him (restore him), and he with Me.
He who overcomes [the world through believing that Jesus is the Son of God], I will grant to him [the privilege] to sit beside Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down beside My Father on His throne.
There is of course also something else we can learn from that man standing there on the field, ready to “score.”
He did not just walk onto the field by chance. He had to work hard and train and train to be able to stand there.
There were many things he had to do—and many things he had to avoid—to be allowed to stand there and to “score.”
Right after we read in the Word that our struggle is against the whistling and booing of the rulers, the powers, the world forces of this present darkness, the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places—right after that we also read what we must do to be ready to withstand the “punch,” so that we may be able to aim for the posts and “score”:
Ephesians 6:13-18
Therefore, put on the complete armor of God, so that you will be able to [successfully] resist and stand your ground in the evil day [of danger], and having done everything [that the crisis demands], to stand firm [in your place, fully prepared, immovable, victorious].
So stand firm and hold your ground, having tightened the wide band of truth (personal integrity, moral courage) around your waist and having put on the breastplate of righteousness (an upright heart),
and having strapped on your feet the gospel of peace in preparation [to face the enemy with firm-footed stability and the readiness produced by the good news].
Above all, lift up the [protective] shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.
With all prayer and petition pray [with specific requests] at all times [on every occasion and in every season] in the Spirit, and with this in view, stay alert with all perseverance and petition [interceding in prayer] for all God’s people.
From my side, I would also like to suggest this:
Get involved in a congregation where Christ is the Head of the church and where the whole Bible is accepted as the foundation of His gospel. Surround yourself with a circle of confessing Christian friends.
In other words—just like that man on the field, surround yourself with a team, a circle of Christian friends, with whom you can practice to play and win for our Lord.
Sakkie