The Property of Christ 

The Devil pretends to be your closest friend when you are at your lowest moment. He sympathizes with you and tells you everything you want to hear. At this point, the voice of God is faint. He speaks, but to you, it is only a whisper. It is only a whisper because Satan has now disguised himself as an ally. As I imagine it sometimes, he puts his arm around me as a friend would and fills my mind with thoughts as I sit at the edge of my bed in hopelessness.

“Oh dear, what’s this? God really has forsaken you this time. My, my, I would have never let this happen to you. If He truly loved you, He would not have allowed this to happen.”

Satan then proceeds to quote Scripture to me. He knows the Bible better than I do. He shouts at the top of his lungs as he waltzes across my bedroom mockingly:

“No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.” [1 Corinthians 10:13]

After a dramatic silence, Satan scoffs: “Lies…”

And then, I finally break…

That was my last straw. I had finally reached a point in my life where it was more than I could bear. I tell myself that God has lied to me. He has allowed my heart to break repeatedly. He has allowed my spirit to be shattered for good. It is starting to look hopeless.

But Satan is still not satisfied. He wants to devour me completely. He knows I am a born-again believer. Although I am upset and confused with God at this present moment, Satan knows that all his words are ultimately futile. He can only confuse me. Never truly harm me. He does not have the power to erase what was written on my soul.

The Case Against God by Satan

Satan now shifts into second gear. He needs to act quick to get what he wants. He uses Scripture again to break me even further.

“Oh, you think God hasn’t forsaken you? Let me show you some people He has:

God rejected Cain. [Genesis 4:3-5]

God rejected Saul. [1 Samuel 15:22-23]

God rejected Judas. [John 17:12]

God rejected you.”

At this point, a wave of fear creeps up behind me. Have I committed the unforgivable sin? Maybe I was always destined to fail like those men. I begin to wonder what Jesus must have felt as He washed Judas’ feet. Did He know that those same feet would later hang from a tree? Am I like these men?

Satan cunningly presses on as he sees me crumble under the weight of my thoughts:

“See? These people were chosen by God just like you, but God failed them. They never had a shot at eternity because it was written against them. Maybe it is written that you are a failure too, destined by God to go to hell no matter how hard you try. That is why you fall short. That is why God is silent now. That is why He hasn’t saved you from your troubles. And if you have any doubts, ask yourself this… WHERE IS YOUR GOD?”

Satan has delivered his best closing statement.

“Where is He?” I say to myself quietly staring blankly at my wall. 

What a profound yet obvious question. I know that God is in Heaven. I know that His Spirit is living in me. I know that He is omnipresent. And yet, why does it feel like God is not here at this moment when I need Him the most?

Satan has succeeded. His last question has shaken my faith. My advocate, the Holy Spirit, who fights on my behalf, is also nowhere to be seen. I have defiled His temple (my body) with my own sinful actions and words. As I slowly slip away from God’s presence, I add to my guilt and shame by saying:

“Satan is right. I am rejected.”

The Advocate’s Return

As I drown in filth, ebbing away from life, I hear a voice. Not the conniving voice of Satan. No, this one sounds like it is coming from deep within my own soul. He speaks words I had not thought to remember until now—words I may have read in passing at one point. But these words resonate within me with an earth-shattering tone. I am left completely powerless, yet I feel entirely secure at the same time.

The Voice announces:

“But now thus says the LORD, he who created you: ‘Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are mine.’” [Isaiah 43:1]

I recognize this presence all too well. It is the Advocate. As my soul quivers in His presence, tears roll down my face. With each tear drop, I hear Him speaking hurriedly in hushed tones to Someone else.  

“The Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.” [Romans 8:26]

As the Spirit finishes speaking, I hear the roar of the Father behind me. I can feel His righteous anger. However, His anger is not directed at me. It is at the adversary. Satan has touched something he should not have. [Zechariah 2:8]

And this is where I notice the most amazing thing in my life as a Christian. As the Devil cowers in fear and flees from my presence, I begin to understand something else—grace.

The Imprint of the Holy Spirit 

The Father stands right behind me. He towers over me in height and stature, and His shadow rests on me now. As He restores the joy of my salvation once more, removing the guilt of sin, He implores me to remember the truth of my faith: God is not waiting for me to be good enough. He is waiting for me to realize that without Him, I will never be good.

The Book of Hebrews tells us that Jesus is the imprint of God’s very being in our lives. His mark is written in blood on my soul—the same finger that inscribed the Ten Commandments on stone for Moses, the same finger that appeared writing on the wall in Daniel’s time. That same finger has etched a truth so powerful, it can never be erased.

To forget this truth grieves Him deeply.

So the next time Satan tempts me to despair, the Spirit gently reminds me: “Show him your soul.”

Which reads: “The Property of Christ.”