"The devil has the people by the throat."
If you enjoy old movies, you may recall where that line comes from. In Casablanca, the lovely refugee and newlywed Annina tells the hero Rick, "We come from Bulgaria. Things are very bad there. The devil has the people by the throat." It's a line that stays with you long after the movie. "The devil has the people by the throat." Such a graphic and violent image of the evil one squeezing the life out of his prey.
But it's not just the poor souls from Bulgaria who are being choked out by the evil one. I think you'll agree that the devil also has the people of America by the throat. And that's because, according to the Holy Bible, the devil has the people of every country in this world by the throat! 1 John 5:19 says "the whole world lieth in wickedness." In Revelation 12:9 we see, "And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him." And we can't overlook 2 Corinthians 4:3-4a, "But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: in whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not."
Do you love the LORD? If you love the LORD, it's probably a good idea to know what He hates, right? In other words, if I desire to please JAH, I certainly don't want to embrace or accept something He hates. So we find in Proverbs 6:16-19 the following: "These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: a proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, an heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, a false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren." That almost reads like the devil's resume!
In John 8:44, Jesus says the devil "was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it." One of the main characteristics of Satan is deception. He lies, he deceives, he deals in falsehoods and half-truths. So we must be alert to the wiles of the devil. Satan is not playing games with us; he comes to steal, kill and destroy. He uses lies and half-truths to sow discord. And discord, fueled by lies, can ignite into hatred, murder and even wars. That's why acts of deception, even little white lies, are an abomination to God.
Satan, the master of deception, uses lies to sow discord. In Revelations 12:10, he is referred to as "the accuser of our brethren." He accuses us before God and he accuses us before one another. He uses lies to sow distrust. He wants me to believe the person of the other political party is my mortal adversary. Which means they are not worthy of common courtesy or respect. He would have me think there's not enough of the good things in life to go around. Therefore I must get all I can, can all I get, and sit on the can. He tries to convince me that the person of another race is my sworn enemy. Night and day, the god of this world works to blind us all to the Truth of God's grace, love and abundance.
I think you'll agree that America is in trouble. The devil has the country by the throat! Hate crimes are on the rise. The love of many has grown cold. And Truth has been turned on its head. However, JESUS IS STILL LORD OF ALL, and by trusting in the sacred promises of 2 Chronicles 7:13-14 and 16:9, we can set in motion the winds of revival and restoration, and break free from the snares of our true enemy.
I find it interesting that later on in the movie, Rick makes a "sacrifice" that delivers the refugees Annina and her husband from the clutches of Casablanca and provides them passage to America, the land of freedom and hope.
In an act that we may never fully comprehend this side of heaven, our Lord Jesus Christ, the lamb of God, was sacrificed to deliver us from the power of darkness and translate us into the kingdom of God. Praise JAH! See Colossians 1:12-14 and Galatians 1:3-4. The Bible says in Romans 8:37 that "we are more than conquerors through him that loved us." Romans 16:20 declares, "And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly."
Satan may have unbelievers by the throat but such is not the case for the Spirit-filled child of God. The devil has no authority over those who walk in the fear of the LORD. As I mentioned in the Romans Road to the Kingdom of God, victory over the evil one is one of the benefits of being a child of God. If JAH stands for us, who can stand against us? I trust you are walking in that victory. And I encourage you to revisit the updated Tips for Leaders page, as well as the Romans Road page. Men and women of the Most High God, it's time to Arise! Grace, Peace and Jahspeed!
