Too often we talk as if the devil is destined to win. We speak as if the devil will attain final victory. We know better. We know that God is infinitely more powerful. Infinitely!

But do we push through to victory? No. We become muddled and muddied in worldliness — this spat and that. We act as if the devil is the most powerful force in the universe. We go about religiosity without looking toward our destiny far above the evil one and the darkness he is spreading in this world — without realizing that if God has blessed us, no one can curse us.

We act as if the devil is winning because we have lost our fervor, our devotion, our zeal. We’re all “blogged” down. We’re “social-mediated.”  Those are what the devil steals, to gain entrance: zeal, fervor.

He takes things the absence of which open us to defeat.

He takes away our unity.

Unity confuses the evil spirit. Did you know that? It is water on his fire. So this is why he strives against it. He sets us one against the other over everything (real or imagined). Often, the disunity is over things that are petty. Really petty. Rather pathetic. The devil knows that if he can take away our united front and our enthusiasm — if he can distract us (culturally, religiously, and politically) — he has half the battle won.

Sensing this, we lose our courage and cower into cults that form shells around us.

But the Lord whispers: “Calm down. Make peace. Have courage, I am with you.” When I am behind you, He says, there is nothing that can harm you.

In our time, there is little such courage. There is not the passion for the Cross of Jesus Christ. The devil smirks as he removes our boldness. He takes our focus away from Jesus. We get angry when we are scared. Instead of warring with the principalities, we war with each other. We ignore Ephesians 6: “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

“Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.

“And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”

Stop fighting everyone around you and start fighting the darkness that hovers and smothers from above, from the devil’s dark heaven.

Unity suffocates the great rebel, the great disuniter. Isn’t this an essence of what he is? He can’t stand when we are together in prayer, headed in the same direction — instead of carping at each other; instead of picking apart everything and everyone, for really no good cause in the end.

Instead of reminding the devil of his destiny (which is utter defeat), we let him rob our own. We all do. He wants chaos. When there is chaos there is no order and when there is no order there is no: unity.

Are you worrying or complaining or carping at or about others?

You should be praying.

When you talk about your problems you magnify them.

When you talk about God, you magnify Him.