When Satan and his demons gather to plan out their battle strategy and when they identify people who are dangerous to their evil kingdom, does your name get mentioned? Are you a threat to the kingdom of darkness such that the fallen angels plot how to take you down? How far up the chart do you rank on the devil’s most wanted list?

Although we are denied knowledge of the details of Satan’s battle plans, the Bible assures us in many places that the devil is determined to destroy those who follow Jesus. Peter tells us that the devil is our adversary and that he “prowls about like a roaring lion seeking someone he may devour (1 Peter 5:8).” Jesus Himself tells us that the devil comes to steal and kill and destroy (John 10:10) and that he is a murderer from the beginning (John 8:44) and we can be sure that those the devil hates the most are those who follow Jesus Christ. We are told not to be ignorant of his schemes (2 Cor. 2:11), and surely part of his schemes include making us useless for service to our Lord Jesus Christ.

So imagine that we are enabled to listen in on the strategic planning meeting of the forces of hell, with the prince of the power of the air (Eph. 2:2) himself leading the meeting. As they discuss their enemies and the people most dangerous to their wicked schemes, is your name mentioned? One of the goals of my own discipleship is to be a serious threat to Satan’s plans and a dangerous hindrance to Satan’s activities. In these imaginary meetings of the agents of darkness, then, I want my name often to be mentioned and I want to draw heavy fire from the enemy. I want them to be planning my demise, because that means that I am doing damage to their cause. If they desire to silence me, it means that my voice is bringing the words of life to some. Satan does not spend his firepower needlessly, and if he is directing his cannons at me, it is because he needs to stop what I am doing. As believers and followers of Jesus, do we live in such a way that Satan is staying up at night trying to figure out how to neutralize us? When he hears your name does he fly into a rage of hatred? Are the good works that I am doing (Eph. 2:10) giving him an ulcer? Will the devil throw a party to celebrate the day of your death? Will he breathe a sigh of relief the day your voice is finally silenced in the grave?

Brothers and sisters, let’s live in such a way that Satan is obsessed with our demise. RMB