Satan cannot play. He can only corrupt and destroy. Therefore he will accuse us to the Father, because of his envy, and will put it in the minds of our fellow believers to find fault with us, to criticize and slander us.

If we choose to defend ourselves, to fight back, to justify ourselves, we will lose our ability to play. We will become filled with darkness and misery, bitterly fighting back against our accusers. This is what Satan hopes we will do.

Instead we are to commit our way to the Lord, to trust in Him, to let Him bring forth our righteousness and the justice of our cause.

Keep in mind how Christ was unjustly charged and how He did not respond to His accusers. Christ committed Himself to the Father, and the Father has vindicated Him.

If you have sinned, confess your sin to God and turn away from it. If restitution is to be made, then make it with the Lord's help. Keep pressing through until you clear yourself with God. You may suffer the rest of your life for what you have done. Just keep coming to the Lord until your conscience is perfectly clear before Him. Do not justify yourself or blame anyone.

Then let God bring forth your righteousness as the light and your judgment as the noonday.

Whenever we decide to serve the Lord, to walk before Him, to do His will, we make ourselves the prey of the enemy. Just making a profession of Christ may or may not bring trouble upon us, but turning away from wickedness will cause people to try to find fault with us. Our change of heart makes them uncomfortable and they want to pull us down to their level.

Do not fight back. Never fight fire with fire. Satan is a master of fire and you will lose. You cannot get down in the mud with someone else without getting dirty. Let people say what they will. You make sure that you are pleasing the Lord. Then you will gain the right to play.

Resting and waiting patiently.

Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes. (Psalms 37:7—NIV)

Our prisons and trials go on forever, it seems. As we grow in Christ we are brought into periods of waiting that keep getting longer. It is in these times of waiting, of imprisonment, that the saints are formed in iron righteousness, fiery holiness, and stern obedience to the Father.

What is God seeking? He is seeking the death of our self-will, the original problem.

If we are to obtain the promises of joy, of the fulfillment of our hope and desire, we must wait patiently for the Lord.

Resting and waiting patiently for the Lord is not easy when all around us religious leaders are exhorting everyone to get out and do something, to "heal a lost and dying world"; to "bring thousands to Christ." Such ambitious people do not always understand the value of or the necessity for resting and waiting patiently for the Lord.

To be continued.