Were you ever a part of a church youth group? I loved youth group growing up. We always had something fun going on and I have a boat load of memories of those times that can make me bust out laughing just thinking about them.
I am blessed that both of my children are actively involved in our church youth group. Recently, they had a youth D-NOW weekend where they spent the night in host homes in small groups. Laura loves to tell the story of how her group was in the basement of the home they were staying in and noticed a teenage boy walking by the back door. Their college leader, Kimmy, jerked the door open and in a high pitched voice screamed, “Go away!” and slammed the door. They all rolled with laughter, because her high pitched voice didn’t sound threatening or demanding. In fact, they said she sounded more like Minnie Mouse than an adult, but it worked. They never saw the young man again. This just goes to prove you don’t always have to sound intimidating, you just have to get the words right.
The tempter came to torment Jesus while he was alone in the desert. Isn’t that just like the enemy, trying to mess with us when we’re already down? First, he tried to lure Jesus away by questioning His identity [Matthew 4:3]. Jesus didn’t take the bait. He knew who He was [John 11:25]. Satan didn’t give up so quickly. He came back again and tried to get Jesus to show off and I love Jesus’ reply in the God’s Word translation in Matthew 3:7. “Jesus said to him, ‘Again, scripture says…’” You can’t almost hear a little sarcasm in the word “again” as if Jesus were looking at Satan and saying, “Seriously?” Finally, Satan tried one last time to tempt Him with all he had to offer, “I will give you all this if you will bow down and worship me.” [Matthew 3:9] Now, I don’t know about you, but I have to wonder if Jesus wanted to look at him and say “Look, dude, I know how this whole thing plays out and I get all of that anyway and much more, so why would I listen to you?” After all, in Matthew 28:18 Jesus says “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.” Instead of being sarcastic or mouthy, Jesus just replied like Laura’s D-NOW leader, Kimmy, and said, “Go away, Satan!” [God’s word translation, Matthew 3:10].
We make life so difficult sometimes and it is really very simple. Satan has proven to us throughout scripture he will come to lure and torment. It’s his only plan [John 10:10]. He’ll poke the bear; however, we simply need to respond like Jesus and tell him, “Go away, Satan!” James 4:7 tells us “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” Tell Satan to get lost, but don’t forget the first part of the verse. We also have to submit ourselves to God. Jesus submitted to God daily [John 5:19]. If Jesus did it and Satan listened to Him, then we can trust the same to be true for us.
So the next time the enemy comes at you with his multilevel marketing plan of destruction, just tell him to “Go away!” and he has to obey. You’ve gotta love that!