OPIINION —
In the Bible Satan has many names. He is the Accuser, the Enemy, the Tempter, the Father of Lies, the Serpent, the Deceiver, the god of this world. Jesus called Satan “Beelzebub, the prince of demons.” At other times Jesus called him the “Evil One.” The most common New Testament name for Satan is the Devil; that’s what I have always called him.
You may scoff at the belief that the Devil is real. Well, he was real to Jesus, and he is real to me. In fact, he comes by my house more often than the mail carrier. He comes by every day, offering me his devilish gifts.
You don’t need to ask me what gifts; you know the gifts in his bag. He offers them to you too — self-pity, fear, doubt, envy, self-centeredness, apathy, discontent, jealousy, hate, discouragement, anger, anxiety and hopelessness. The list is long. Sometimes, before I can slam the door in his face, the Devil has dumped those gifts on me and begun laughing, with a sneer on his face. He’s laughing because he knows anyone of his gifts will ruin my day if I accept it.
I understand his game plan. He will control my mind if I accept his gifts. But Jesus gave me a plan to resist the Devil and stop him from messing with my mind. My plan is simple: sing songs about Jesus to the Devil. Jesus said, “Walter, you can frustrate and defeat the Devil by singing songs of faith about me. The Devil hates to hear you singing about me, so sing, Walter, sing! And the Evil One will flee from you.”
My plan will work for you too; there are hundreds of songs about Jesus so just pick out some you enjoy singing. One of my favorites is “Close to Thee.” Fanny Crosby wrote it. When I sing it, I am telling the Devil that Jesus is “my everlasting portion.” Since the Devil knows I have few worldly possessions, I want him to know because Jesus is my portion, I have everything I need — and I don’t need anything the Devil is offering.
The Bible tells us that our portion is our inheritance — not land, stocks or money — but Jesus Himself, who is our provision, our security, our complete source of blessing and our hope for eternal life with Jesus in heaven.
We find the word portion in Psalm 15:5 — “The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup.” And in Lamentations 3:24 — “The Lord is my portion, says my soul; therefore will I hope in him.” In Numbers 18:20 God says to the Levites, “I am your portion and your inheritance.” Because of what God did one night in Bethlehem, I can expand what David said, and let the Devil know that “The Lord Jesus is my portion,” a gift available to every child of God.
Fanny Crosby understood this when she composed “Close to Thee.” She says it so beautifully.
“Thou my everlasting portion, more than friend or life to me; all along my pilgrim journey, Savior, let me walk with Thee. Close to Thee, Close to Thee, All along my pilgrim journey, Savior, let me walk with Thee.”
Another favorite song of mine is “His Eye is on the Sparrow.” There are three verses, each one the key to victory over three of those gifts the Devil wants to dump on you and me: discouragement, doubt and hopelessness.
Civilla Martin wrote this song in 1905 when my dad was four years old. I heard it for the first time when Ella Fitzgerald sing it at a Billy Graham Crusade in New York City in 1957. I have loved it ever since that night.
Martin and Crosby were drinking from the same fountain. Observe how in the first verse she asserts that she does not need to be discouraged because “Jesus is my portion.”
Why should I feel discouraged, why should the shadows come,
Why should my heart be lonely and long for Heav’n and home
When Jesus is my portion? My constant Friend is He: His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.
In verse two, hearing the tender voice of Jesus causes Civilla to “lose my doubt and fears.” Then in the final verse she offers this powerful testimony of how Jesus sets her free from care when she is tempted to lose hope.
Whenever I am tempted, whenever clouds arise,
When songs give place to sighing, when hope within me dies,
I draw the closer to Him, from care He sets me free;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He cares for me.
What inspired Civilla to use the phrase, “His Eye is on the sparrow?” You know the answer. She got it from the teaching of Jesus (Matthew 6:26-27, NLT).
Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?
Now, if you are reluctant to sing songs like these to the Devil, you can witness to him. Talk straight to him. Tell it like it is. Tell the rascal the truth. Tell him, “I don’t need anything you are offering because Jesus is my portion. I belong to Jesus and He is all I need! Jesus has filled me so full of peace, joy, love and hope that there is no room in my heart for doubt, fear, hopelessness or discouragement. So take your evil gifts and keep walking.”
But keep in mind that a speech does not frustrate the Devil nearly as much as singing about Jesus. So, please, when the Devil drops, and you don’t feel like singing a song or two, just sing the chorus of Civilla’s song to him, and he will hit the road:
I sing because I’m happy, I sing because I’m free,
For His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.
The Devil hates that song because it reminds him that Jesus makes his disciples happy and gives them the power to resist the Devil’s best efforts. I have expanded the chorus a little; this is the way I sing it.
“I sing because I’m happy, I sing because I’m free, Yes, Praise God, He has set me free! For His eye is on the sparrow, and I know, yes I know, yes I know, yes I know, He watches me! Yes, even me! Oh yes, He cares for me! He is my portion today and forever! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!”
Try it. You’ll like it. And the Devil will despise it.
Altar Call | What to do when the devil drops by
