The Fruitful Life

by Jerry Bridges

One of the many ways in which the Devil tries to devour us is related to the meaning of his name. The Greek word for devil means “accuser” or “slanderer.” As the prince of slanderers, he accuses man before God, but he also slanders God to man. One of the thoughts that often enters our minds when we are undergoing some trial is, If God really loved me, He would not have allowed this to happen to me or If God loved me, He would provide a way out of this trying situation. Such thoughts come from the Devil; failure to recognize this origin causes two problems. First, we assume those thoughts originate within our own hearts, so we add to our already anxious minds a sense of guilt for thinking harsh thoughts about God. Now we have both anxiety and guilt to contend with, compounding our problem. Second, we fight the wrong battle. Instead of resisting the Devil, we try to deal with our own wicked hearts. Although there are plenty of times when we do have to deal with our own wicked hearts, this is not one of them; this is a time to resist the Devil. We have a very clear command, coupled with a promise: “Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (James 4:7).