When I was a little girl I slept with my sisters. There were three of us sleeping in one bed. I always liked sleeping in the middle because I felt safe. Whenever I slept on the side of my bed, my arm would dangle off the bed. I was always scared that something would grab my arm. Also, I was afraid to walk into a dark room.

I didn’t understand at the time how the big bad wolf (satan) likes to work. The devil TRIES to use fear as a scare tactic to get your focus off of God. If you have struggled with fear, then you know it is a form of torment.

1 John 4:18–“There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment…” KJV

I used the word “TRY” because the devil can’t do anything to you unless you give place to him. WE have been given all authority by Jesus Christ to rebuke the enemy in Jesus’ name. Then and only then satan has to flee. All he can do is huff and puff. He cannot get past Jesus!

If you allow satan to lead you around like a puppet on a stick, you have no future, you have no hope! The devil is the master of lies. He cannot tell the truth. The Lord says you can believe a lie and be damned.

If you are not for God then you are for the devil. You can’t have two masters, either God is Lord of all–or not Lord at all. Matthew 6:24—“No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.” KJV

How much do you allow the devil to steal and kill your joy? Do you toss and turn at night because you have chosen not to forgive someone?

Do you get up in the morning mad at the world?

Do you speak negative words or do you speak positive words?

You might be depressed, caught in self-pity and questioning, “Who cares about me? I’m just going to give up.”

These are some things that allow satan to come in and destroy your life.

I have a friend in Saint Louis who at one time was homeless and lived in a vacant downtown building. The building caught on fire and he was several stories up. The only way of escape was to jump out the window or go through the fire. He had a new Bible in his hand and decided to throw it out the window because he didn’t want it to get burned. Why? Well, the Bible was precious to him because he had recently been saved.

My friend decided to run through the fire. As he was frantically running, he heard horrible screams coming from people that he knew were in Hell. He could have blamed God for what he experienced, but he knows that it was the devil that tried to kill him.

He will never forget the terror he went through that day. However, he knows for sure that there is a Hell. And, more importantly, my friend knows he is going to Heaven! There is nothing like the peace of God in your life.

Things do happen to people and often we question why God allowed it, but God is always faithful and He cares. He is with you, helping you through the situation. Where would we be without Him today?

Only the Creator of humanity can look into our hearts, discern our motives and direct our steps. God helps us find and then stay on the path that leads to Eternity.

Remember the Lord says to fear the one who can destroy both body and soul in Hell. (Matt 10: 28) Satan is the one who accuses the brethren and tries to discourage us. There is nothing in life worth dying and going to Hell over—to go where the worm never dies. There is gnashing of teeth and burning for Eternity. All of us have done things we shouldn’t have done. But thanks be to God that He is a merciful Savior Who forgives and restores.

God did not plan for you to come to this Earth, just to watch you grow old and die. God cares about you! You are His creation. You are made in the image of God. God made a way for you to live a victorious life!

At the beginning of this article, I shared that as a child I was afraid to sleep on the side of the bed, because fear would grip my thoughts. The “Big Bad Wolf” (satan) would try to control my mind and even caused me to fear being in the dark.

The enemy’s tactics are still very subtle, but now the foundation of my life is established on the solid rock of my salvation – Jesus Christ!! He is LORD over my life and the “big bad wolf’s” huffing and puffing can’t blow this solid foundation down, because of who I am in Christ Jesus!

So my advice to you is: GIVE NO PLACE to the “Big Bad Wolf!” God bless you!!