“The Devil is in the details” is an idiom I think of often when signing a contract. It reminds me to read the fine print for an item that might contaminate the offer.
I wonder if this phrase originated from the story of temptation in the Garden of Eden when Satan, the snake, questioned Eve by asking “Did God really say…?” (Genesis 3:1-24)
With subtle nuance, he redirected Eve’s attention from God as the source of all goodness and provision to one that was suspect. In doing so Satan, the Enemy, shifted Eve’s complete confidence in God’s perfect plan and placed it under the microscope of human skepticism.
The Devil does the same thing to us. As we work to build or rebuild, our businesses, he constantly asks, “Did God really say…?”
“Did God really say to attend that event?”
“Did God really say to reach out to a new client?”
“Did God really say to invest in more inventory?”
While God is interested in all the details of our daily lives, He’s not confined to minutiae. God works in leaps of faith and unforeseen opportunities. He confirms his calling on our lives through Biblical wisdom, personal relationship, and conviction of the Holy Spirit. When God asks us to move, we move! We step out of our comfort zone, trusting that HE will manage the details.
Satan can only plot to manipulate the smallest portions of our lives, but God through faith moves mountains. It makes sense then, that our faith need only be as small as a mustard seed. (Matthew 17:20)
It also explains why Satan’s manipulation of the work of God’s people is unrelenting.
Satan reveals himself at Illinois schools in the form of “Satan Clubs.”[1] He turns our heads from the celebration of Christmas with a Satanic display at the State Capitol.[2] He discourages us in our businesses where even the smallest seeds of faith can yield abundant fruitfulness.
When Satan, the father of lies shows up, he comes,” … to steal and kill and destroy...” (John 10:10). He comes to the very place where God’s people are at work.
So how do we respond when the Devil tries to contaminate our work, school, and statehouse?
The same way Jesus did when he was tempted in the wilderness:
1. We lean into God’s Word.
But he [Jesus] answered, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” (Matthew 4:4)
2. We trust God for His promises even when they aren’t visible.
Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’” (Matthew 4:7)
3. We worship God above all else (even the court of public opinion.)
Then Jesus said to him, “Be gone, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.’” (Matthew 4:10)
When Christ came to earth, he did so with full knowledge of the fallen nature of humanity. He knew we were broken women in need of a savior.
His arrival forced Satan’s hand and when Christ spread his own upon the cross, he wrote a new contract giving us the offer of eternal life and counsel via His Spirit saying, “Forgive them father, for they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:34)
And Satan hates us for it. So like an annoying wasp at the end-of-summer picnic, He tries to make us so miserable that we give up. He wants us so paralyzed with doubt, fear, anxiety, and frustration that we stop doing the work God intended.
But rest assured, God is still on His throne. He has a plan and a purpose for your work. In classrooms and courtrooms, statehouses and storefronts, he calls you to be a light in dark places. And through fervent prayer and confident conviction in the power of the Cross, you will overcome.
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