The Grinch Stole What?!

Everyone knows the Grinch as the one who stole Christmas. He scorns the Christmas season and the holiday spirit. His primary plot involves breaking into the Whos’ homes to steal their holiday decorations and gifts. Despite his best efforts to rob the Whos’ of their Christmas cheer, they cheerfully celebrate despite his evil plans.

Acknowledging that we have also an enemy that is constantly trying to steal from us is an important step in living free of his threats.

“The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.”  John 10:10 (NKJV)

The thief mentioned in the Bible is Satan. And to understand Satan, you have to understand how he got here. Satan is an angle named Lucifer, who was banished from heaven when he tried to step into God’s place, be worshiped by the heavenly saints and angels, and be the center of the universe. To be relegated to earth was punishment indeed. But to forever face the reality of God’s love for every human on the planet is a torture he cannot escape. If you try to picture it, feel it, and imagine it – you can feel the hate Satan has for you. The more God loves you, the more Satan despises that unconditional love.

That is why it is so important we have the power of the Holy Spirit within. The power that raised Jesus from the dead, now lives in me. The power that put Satan in his place on the day of the resurrection, now lives in me. Satan is under the feet of Jesus, and I am at His right hand, seated in heavenly places.

God loves you so much he never wants to see Satan’s fingerprints on you. He wants you to understand your authority in Christ so that you live a conquered life – free from harassment of the evil one or his minions. God wants you to know your authority in Christ.

Satan isn’t just trying to steal the obvious stuff – your health, your loved ones, your life; he will also steal the less obvious possessions – your money and your time.

A few years ago, my husband took a fall resulting in back pain the doctors treated with medicine. The medicine’s most significant side-effect was depression. So his doctor layered on an anti-depressant to combat the first side-effect – creating a couple of more in its wake. Four medicines later, my husband barely had a personality left. My prayers for his physical pain didn’t seem to help. At some point in the frustration of paying for all these medications – I realized Satan was stealing our money! So I commanded Satan to stop stealing from us and return everything that was stolen. Without knowing I had said this prayer, my husband informed me days later he was so tired of all the medicines he was going to stop them immediately. He stopped “cold-turkey” and never looked back!

More recently, I was trying to help a co-worker pray for her ailing mother-in-law who was going on her second week in the hospital and not showing signs of improvement. My co-worker was exhausted from working all day then spending evenings and nights at the hospital. God brought my husband’s story to mind and it dawned on me that Satan was stealing my co-worker’s time. So I shared our testimony and suggested she could command Satan to stop stealing her time. Her mother-in-law was sent home from the hospital the next day!

I see examples of this all the time – a dishwasher breaks, on top of the car breaking down, on top of needing a plumber out to the house. Satan can be so subtle we don’t even recognize it!

As the bride of Christ, Jesus wants us to live free from attack, and gave us the power of three little words – “In Jesus’ name.”

Letting us use His name is exactly like being the new wife of the most powerful prince in all the land. Everyone loves this prince, and reveres his name. The prince could travel to any area of the kingdom, and the shop keepers, farmers, and landlords would show him respect. His new wife, if traveling through this same kingdom, would garner the same respect because she is traveling under his name. It doesn’t matter who she might have been as a single mistress, she is now married to a name that carries weight. She can go to those same shop keepers, farmers, and landlords, and on her husband’s name, call in the same favor as her husband.

“And these signs will follow those who believe: IN MY NAME they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”  Mark 16:17-18 (NKJV)

These were Jesus’ departing words before leaving earth. He had already saved us on the cross, and the very next verse says the Lord went up into Heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God. He didn’t say these words, and then offer a 3-hour sermon on how to put it into practice – His words, combined with the power of the Holy Spirit that would arrive a bit later – were meant to be enough.

Try it my friends! Look around and see what Satan is stealing from you, and “in Jesus’ name” tell him to stop!  Don’t let the Grinch steal your Christmas cheer!