THE DANGER OF PLAYING POSSUM

THE DANGER OF PLAYING POSSUM
Tuesday, June 7, 2022 by Leona Choy

“A flying creature with a heavy body, a hunched-over stance, and feathers that often appear shaggy and looser than other birds.” Am I describing a stately, aging eagle before it goes through its late-in-life renewal process—a wonderful transformation that the Bible declares is available for believers in Jesus in our later years?

No. This is a word-snapshot definition of an entirely different bird trying to imitate the eagle with its rag-tag camouflage. I refer to Satan as the “fake eagle” aka vulture who tries to derail us from God's holy calling from walking a lifetime with the Lord. He is a deceiver, a destroyer, and a thief who is hovering about with his demon angels waiting for its prey to die—or at least to look as if it were dead.

I don't want to focus an undeserved spotlight on the devil. He is a messenger of darkness, although he was described as an angel of light in Heaven before his rebellion. Nevertheless, we need to know the extent of his powers according to the Scriptures. Satan does have limited control over Planet Earth for a season, but whatever influence he has on mankind is restricted by God's ultimate sovereignty.

The devil, our adversary, is referred to as the “prince of the power of the air” in Ephesians 2:2 and the “god of this world” in 2 Corinthians 4:4. Other translations describe him as “the ruler of the evil powers that are above the earth, in the domain of the air, of this present world, over the lower heavens, with power over things of the air, ruler of the spiritual powers in space.” But he is not a lawful prince! He is this world's god, not ours. He is not our King. We have one King, and his name is Jesus!

A characteristic of a vulture is that it eats dead things like road-kill, contrary to the eagle that waits to swoop down on the living fish in fresh ponds and lakes. A vulture circles its prey until it is sure that it's dead. We might call them “garbage collectors.” To have a vulture tattoo is a symbol of death.

Spiritually, the vulture is regarded as an unclean animal because it feeds on corpses. To have a vulture tattoo is a symbol of death. These birds are linked to the kingdom of death, and in the cultures where the custom is to leave deceased bodies at their disposal by vultures, it is a sign of exclusion from society and God. In Christianity, the vulture symbolizes judgment, shame, and a sick spiritual condition.

Jesus did not contradict or correct the devil when he bragged about his own powers during our Lord's temptation in the wilderness. His offer was legitimate. One translation describes him this way: “Satan is the commander of the powers in the unseen world, the dark ruler of the earthly realm who fills the atmosphere with his authority.” Nevertheless, Satan is a defeated, fallen angel whom God kicked out of Heaven with all those angels willing to follow his infernal insurrection against God. Remember, the devil is not divine or omnipotent.

Vulture-Satan's power is restricted to being effective on everyone who refuses to obey God, who does not respond to His truth. That doesn't include us who belong totally to the Lord. Satan “energizes the sons of disobedience,” but we are energized by the Holy Spirit within us. “You are from God, little children, and have conquered them because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world” (1 John 4:4)

The apostle Peter in 1 Peter 5:8 doesn't hesitate to warn us that our adversary the devil is “incessantly, always about, working against you, watching us, fiercely hungry, prowling about, stalking us, sneaking around, poised to pounce, hoping to catch you.” (in other translations)

I refuse to be Vulture-devil's victim. As a child of God, I delight in the assurance that all I need to do is “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee [fly away] from you” (James 4:7). I know my mandate—I am called to keep following the Lord closely whether I am weak or strong, young or old, ill or in health, through ups or downs, in season and out of season. The Lord expects me and enables me to be “steadfast and unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord.” This is not retirement time. The return of Jesus Christ is so near, that we as His Bride must be ready.

The devil's favorite tool is discouragement. Even those of us who follow the Lord at times feel overwhelmed with discouragement and depression, and hopelessness. We act disheartened about our failing, weary, ancient, bedraggled “earth suit” bodies—with “feeble knees and hands hanging down.” I must shake myself into spiritual reality to see into the unseen and discern that this is an onslaught of deception from the liar Vulture and his flock of squawking underlings. I can't let them fool me!

I must resist the pseudo-eagle and his support flock of groupies! “So let God work his will in you. Shout a loud No! to the vulture-devil and watch him fly off” (James 4:7). Let's rejoice in the presence of the Lord who never leaves us or forsakes us whatever our feelings. Victory is ours. His grace is sufficient for us!

The devil, in the disguise of the vulture, attempts to lead God's children astray from God's path of life. He hunts us down when we're distancing ourselves from Christ’s spiritual ways, slipping backward in our pursuit of His high calling on our lives.

Even David, the king-composer of most of the Psalms, admits at times to have been “discouraged, sunk down, dejected, depressed, down in the dumps, crying the blues” in other translations of Psalm 42:5. By acting more dead than alive in Christ, instead of being vigorously energized by the Holy Spirit and pursuing God’s Kingdom business, we might be mistaken as the prey that the vulture-devil is watching for. We become targets for his destroy-and-kill agenda.

“Keep a cool head. Stay alert. The devil is poised to pounce and would like nothing better than to catch you napping [looking as if you were dead]. Keep your guard up. You’re not the only ones plunged into these hard times. It’s the same with Christians all over the world. So keep a firm grip on the faith. The suffering won’t last forever. It won’t be long before this generous God who has great plans for us in Christ—eternal and glorious plans they are!—will have you put together and on your feet for good. He gets the last word; yes, he does!” (MSG 1 Peter 5:8-11)

It is dangerous for us in whom Christ is living, to play possum, to act as if we are dead! The fake eagle, the devil disguised as a vulture or buzzard, is watching for us. If we play dead, we are his target!

Share This Blog:

Comments

Carole McKinney From Now from Enunclaw At 6/9/2022 12:39:23 AM

Thank you for the encouragement for those of us who are no longer spry, young chicks! God isn't finished with us yet and neither should we be finished with our work for Him!!