I'm no stranger to the rain
I'm a friend of thunder
Friend, is it any wonder lightning strikes me
I've fought with the devil
Got down on his level
But I never gave in, so he gave up on me
"I am no stranger to the rain" – Keith Whitley

What a world that would be to live in… No stranger to the storms of life, friend to the loud sounds of the world, never wondering why pain and hardship strikes… Just accepting it. But, for the Christian, the pain and hardship, and struggles of the world are just temporary. The loud sounds of the world – like alcohol advertisements every few pages in magazines – can be drowned out by following God. If we are following God’s word and living for Him 24/7, we can resist the devil and his schemes – and he must flee.

James 4
7Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

Isn’t it wonderful to know that we can overcome the devil by focusing on God? The only problem then, is staying focused on God – not wandering astray. I believe that praises to God are something that the devil cannot stand, and he must leave. I believe that praises to God send a little wave of fear through the powers of darkness. But, I also believe that he comes back every so often, to see if everyone is still in tune with and focused on God.

Matthew 12
43"When an evil spirit comes out of a man, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it.
44Then it says, 'I will return to the house I left.' When it arrives, it finds the house unoccupied, swept clean and put in order.
45Then it goes and takes with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that man is worse than the first. That is how it will be with this wicked generation."

For true Christians, there probably won’t be any major occurrences – murders, drug trafficking, etc. But there probably will be a few little things. A half-truth told between friends that starts the wedge between them… "White lies"… Words spoken in the heat of the moment that cause bitterness… A "new toy" that causes jealousy to start showing… A bad day in life that causes anger to show… Just little things that wouldn’t matter, if they were delt with and resolved. But left unresolved, have torn families and churches apart.

So, what do we do? Stay focused on God. Resolve problems "before the sun sets on our anger". Forgive our friends and neighbors…

Mark 12
30Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.'
31The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these."

Many emphasize the "love your neighbor" more than the "as yourself" part. But, you have to be able to love yourself first. Not to the extent of carrying a mirror in your pocket to see how wonderful you are, but to the extent of loving yourself for who you are. Not trying to be someone else… Being able to concentrate more on your strong points, instead of continually finding fault with your weaknesses. How many know a person who is their own worst enemy? You have to be able to forgive yourself in order to forgive others. If you are continually finding fault with yourself, won’t that tend to show in other relationships?

Remember, no one is perfect – no matter how much they claim they are. It is the blood of Jesus that set us free.