Is Evil More Powerful Than HE Is?

May 9

Written By Sheryle Cruse

Temptation.

Beyond any drug, pleasure, or financial gain promise.

What is maybe a more significant temptation?

Believing that evil is more real, more powerful, than The Most High.

When I was a child, my mother had this humongous Children’s Bible, complete with color illustrations.

I mean, this thing was massive, probably weighing eight-to-ten pounds.

It looked even more intimidating as a five-year-old child.

BIG SCARY BOOK, ALL GOD.

However, for me, it was a bit more complicated than that.

One of my first childhood memories was leafing through this Bible, landing on a particular page, a particular Bible story.

Gather the Kiddies around, everybody.

This Bible story?

Oh, how about…

Matthew 4:1-11…

“Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted[a] by the devil. 2 After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3 The tempter came to him and said, ‘If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.’”

Jesus(Yahshua) answered, ‘It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’[b]”

5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. 6 ‘If you are the Son of God,’ he said, ‘throw yourself down. For it is written:

‘He will command his angels concerning you,
and they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’[c]”

Jesus(Yahshua) answered him, ‘It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’

Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. ‘All this I will give you,’ he said, ‘if you will bow down and worship me.’

10 Jesus(Yahshua) said to him, ‘Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.’

11 Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.”

That’s probably a lot for a five-year-old to absorb.

Beyond these weightier issues, as that child, I could not get past one thing:

How scary “evil” looked.

Back to that Children’s Bible, chock full of color illustrations, including this one, right here…

It is a beautiful, artistic illustration; yes, it is.

The blue sky, the tan stones or small mountain, Yahshua is standing on top, with flowing robes, triumphantly, hands lifted, proclaiming, I’m sure,

“It is written,”

with all Majesty and Authority, clapping back at each temptation test.

That should be enough of a picture for anyone, especially the child target audience of this Children’s Bible, to focus on.

Emphasis, “Should…”

AND

There was my little self, looking at this picture book.

And fixating my child eyes to something that was ALSO a part of that illustration…

The red devil.

Scary face. Horns. Hooves for feet.

In mid-flight, seemingly, flying away from Yahshua, while still looking back AT Him.

Clothed in what looks like a robe of red bat wings.

Menacing.

Up to no good.

Yep. Scripture lays all of that out there.

As a child, however, page turning that Children’s Bible, I didn’t understand that complexity yet.

But I understood scary pictures.

I knew about Yahshua, as that child.

And I knew what being scared was like as well.

I knew fear.

Abuse, yes, gave me many lessons on that. My dad’s scary demeanor, especially.

So, yes, that’s what I focused on.

Evil grabbed my attention more than Yahshua’s Presence?

Uh, there’s a lot of complicated anti-childlike faith layers there, huh?

Early groundwork laid for my child self, indoctrinating me to a distortion of evil, in HIS Ultimate Presence.

And it would be all- too easy, simplistic, and fairytale wrapped up, happily ever after, for me, as an adult, years later, to assert the concept of “that was then; this is now.”

ALL Better!

Nothing more to report.

I am ONLY believing Yahshua.

Evil holds no sway, no temptation, no fearful impact on me whatsoever.

Well...

Ideally, so, but really?

It’s more like this…

“Lord, I believe. Help Thou my unbelief.”

Mark 9:24

Lookie here, Adult Version Me, still a bit freaked out by evil.

Still needing some emotional convincing?

Still not quite the Tower of Unshakeable Faith?

Still tempted to believe wrongly?

Yep, I’m here. I’m there. I’m a bit of a skiddish fearful, five-year-old everywhere!

Here’s a good spot to introduce another Scripture…

“This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope.

It is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.

They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.”

Lamentations 3:21-23

Yes, I know.

Spiritual maturity.

Yes, I know, confronting lies and temptations with “It is written.”

Yes, growing past that scared child.

Working on it.

In the meantime…

HELP!

I’m scared!

“Lord, I believe. Help Thou my unbelief.”

Mark 9:24

And…

“This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope.

It is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.

They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.”

Lamentations 3:21-23

Illustrations.

They can depict anything and anyone.

Good and evil.

The Most High, His Love and Sovereignty.

Evil, with its attempt to convince us of lies regarding its power.

Maybe with red horns.

Battling.

We battle. Fear. Evil. Doubt. Obstacles.

We are all learning how to illustrate, in Spirit, and in Truth (John 4:24), indeed…

“IT IS WRITTEN.”

Keep drawing. Keep drawing closer to HIM.

Keep illustrating, as HE creates this Book, Faith More Real, More Powerful, than Evil, that is you.

Sheryle Cruse

Is Evil More Powerful Than HE Is?

Temptation.

Beyond any drug, pleasure, or financial gain promise.

What is maybe a more significant temptation?

Believing that evil is more real, more powerful, than The Most High.

When I was a child, my mother had this humongous Children’s Bible, complete with color illustrations.

I mean, this thing was massive, probably weighing eight-to-ten pounds.

It looked even more intimidating as a five-year-old child.

BIG SCARY BOOK, ALL GOD.

However, for me, it was a bit more complicated than that.

One of my first childhood memories was leafing through this Bible, landing on a particular page, a particular Bible story.

Gather the Kiddies around, everybody.

This Bible story?

Oh, how about…

Matthew 4:1-11…

“Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted[a] by the devil. 2 After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3 The tempter came to him and said, ‘If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.’”

Jesus(Yahshua) answered, ‘It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’[b]”

5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. 6 ‘If you are the Son of God,’ he said, ‘throw yourself down. For it is written:

‘He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’[c]”

Jesus(Yahshua) answered him, ‘It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’

Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. ‘All this I will give you,’ he said, ‘if you will bow down and worship me.’

10 Jesus(Yahshua) said to him, ‘Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.’

11 Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.”

That’s probably a lot for a five-year-old to absorb.

Beyond these weightier issues, as that child, I could not get past one thing:

How scary “evil” looked.

Back to that Children’s Bible, chock full of color illustrations, including this one, right here…

It is a beautiful, artistic illustration; yes, it is.

The blue sky, the tan stones or small mountain, Yahshua is standing on top, with flowing robes, triumphantly, hands lifted, proclaiming, I’m sure,

“It is written,”

with all Majesty and Authority, clapping back at each temptation test.

That should be enough of a picture for anyone, especially the child target audience of this Children’s Bible, to focus on.

Emphasis, “Should…”

AND

There was my little self, looking at this picture book.

And fixating my child eyes to something that was ALSO a part of that illustration…

The red devil.

Scary face. Horns. Hooves for feet.

In mid-flight, seemingly, flying away from Yahshua, while still looking back AT Him.

Clothed in what looks like a robe of red bat wings.

Menacing.

Up to no good.

Yep. Scripture lays all of that out there.

As a child, however, page turning that Children’s Bible, I didn’t understand that complexity yet.

But I understood scary pictures.

I knew about Yahshua, as that child.

And I knew what being scared was like as well.

I knew fear.

Abuse, yes, gave me many lessons on that. My dad’s scary demeanor, especially.

So, yes, that’s what I focused on.

Evil grabbed my attention more than Yahshua’s Presence?

Uh, there’s a lot of complicated anti-childlike faith layers there, huh?

Early groundwork laid for my child self, indoctrinating me to a distortion of evil, in HIS Ultimate Presence.

And it would be all- too easy, simplistic, and fairytale wrapped up, happily ever after, for me, as an adult, years later, to assert the concept of “that was then; this is now.”

ALL Better!

Nothing more to report.

I am ONLY believing Yahshua.

Evil holds no sway, no temptation, no fearful impact on me whatsoever.

Well...

Ideally, so, but really?

It’s more like this…

“Lord, I believe. Help Thou my unbelief.”

Mark 9:24

Lookie here, Adult Version Me, still a bit freaked out by evil.

Still needing some emotional convincing?

Still not quite the Tower of Unshakeable Faith?

Still tempted to believe wrongly?

Yep, I’m here. I’m there. I’m a bit of a skiddish fearful, five-year-old everywhere!

Here’s a good spot to introduce another Scripture…

“This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope.

It is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.

They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.”

Lamentations 3:21-23

Yes, I know.

Spiritual maturity.

Yes, I know, confronting lies and temptations with “It is written.”

Yes, growing past that scared child.

Working on it.

In the meantime…

HELP!

‘He will command his angels concerning you,
and they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’[c]”