Session 5

Who’s really out to get you?

From Is the Enemy at Your Table?: A 5-Day Devotional

Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you (Ephesians 4:31-32). 

Does it ever feel like the whole world is out to get you? 

While that feeling is real, it’s probably not true. Not everyone is out to get you. It’s more likely that one person is out to get you, and his name is Satan. 

Satan is our real enemy, and he will exploit any hostility he finds to shift our focus away from God. If you get in a dispute with your neighbor, his is the voice telling you that everyone knows and they’re all on your neighbor’s side. Soon, you’re convinced the whole neighborhood is against you. 

Bitterness builds resentment and makes it harder and harder to hear from God. This is why forgiveness is such a powerful weapon against our enemy. Where the enemy tells us to watch our backs and defend ourselves, God says, “That’s my job. You get to forgive. Leave everything else to me.” 

Imagine that for a second. No more looking over your shoulder or plotting how you’ll get back at everyone. Instead of waking up exhausted, you can finally rest your mind and enjoy the day. 

Bitterness never hurts the person we’re mad at. In fact, the person most affected by your bitterness is probably you. If you’re ready to try something different, watch this message to see how forgiveness can set you free.