Loneliness, A Scheme of the Enemy

Psalm 25: 15-16 My eyes are ever on the LORD, for only he will release my feet from the snare. Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted.

As the world spins further into the end times, we can see the plan of the enemy unfolding. His strategy is often to divide and conquer. Loneliness has continued to become more and more pervasive in society as the years pass by. In the 1950's the prevalence of single person households was one in ten but now in the 21^st century, it is closing in on one in every three households. It is important as Christians that we pay close attention to this phenomenon and understand the cause, how the enemy will use it against us, as well as the promises God has for us.

It is the enemy that wants to see us alone. It is where he can do his best work in tempting us and whispering into our lives. The old cliché says that an idle mind is the devil's playground but it really relates not so much to being idle, but to being alone. We can be sure that this is what the enemy wants because it runs directly contrary to the word of God:

The LORD God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him." Genesis 2:18

Right from the beginning of creation God knew it would not be good for us to be alone. The enemy wants us alone exactly because he knows that God has said it is not good for us. That is why the world celebrates so called "independence" as a virtue. The world dresses up being alone as "freedom." Yet studies consistently show that people who are alone are at far greater risk for health problems and have shorter live expectancies. It is simply not God's design.

From a Christian perspective, being alone is a far more dangerous proposition. It is where the enemy can more easily tempt us. It was in the desert when Jesus Himself was tempted by the enemy. It was when Jesus was alone. Taking a look at this story from the Gospel of Matthew, we can see the schemes the enemy will use against us as well, when we are alone. Satan used three temptations against Christ. The first was:

After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, "If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread." Matthew 4: 2-3

Note that the enemy tries to attack Jesus at His point of need; the fact that He was hungry. What is more insidious however, is he attacks him in an effort to have Him break His covenant with God; the fast. Jesus had fasted for 40 days. A fast is an agreement made with God to abstain from something sacrificially. This is important because these two points are exactly what the enemy will do with us as well when we are alone. He will attack us where we are most vulnerable. Now, the devil cannot make you do anything but he certainly can present options and often times that is where we succumb because he knows what buttons to push. He knows where we are weakest. He knows our point of need in our flesh. His tactics have not changed and his goal is the same, to put a wedge between us and God; to have us break covenant with God. The second temptation of Christ was:

Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. "If you are the Son of God," he said, "throw yourself down. For it is written: "'He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.'" Matthew 4: 5-6

Note the enemy attacks Jesus with pride. He states, "If you are the Son of God" and then basically dares Him to prove it. The second observation here is that the enemy tries to use the word against Jesus. As usual however, the enemy is mixing some truth with some lies. Now the scripture reference Satan is quoting is from Psalm 91, which reads:

For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone. Psalm 91: 11-12

Do you notice what is missing? The qualifying portion of the scripture! Satan purposefully misinterpreted the scripture and left out "in all your ways", which is a reference to living in obedience and service. God will protect us if we are in alignment with His will, not just "because". So we must also realize that the enemy will come against us and attack our pride; and may use scripture itself to confuse us. We must be as prepared as Jesus was. The last temptation the enemy tried with Christ was:

Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. "All this I will give you," he said, "if you will bow down and worship me." Matthew 4: 8-9

The enemy will promise you all of the riches the world has to offer as well but it is only fools gold. Remember what God tells us about storing up treasure:

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Matthew 6: 19-21

The enemy will come against you to try and change where your treasure is, so that it will change where your heart is. If he can appeal to your point of need, or your pride, or your covenant with God, then he can secure a foothold. It is that foothold which he will exploit to drive a wedge further between you and God. These temptations are far easier for him to accomplish when we find ourselves alone and vulnerable. How can we be sure of this? Because the bible tells us so:

Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up! Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken. Ecclesiastes 4: 9-12

We need each other for a better return for our efforts in this life. We need each other so we can pick each other up. We need each other for warmth in a cold world. We need each other so that we can stand and defend ourselves. It is the enemy that seeks to weaken our efforts, keep us falling down, deprive us of the warmth God intended for us and to be defenseless. It is dividing and conquering and sometimes we can allow it too easily.

Psalm 25 shows us that even King David suffered from loneliness. He refers to it as a "snare" around his feet. Isn't that a perfect picture of loneliness? It is very much like a trap that is secured around our feet, preventing any real freedom. That is the lie the world sells. The actual "freedom" of being alone becomes a snare around our feet. But David lets us know to who we need to look to for a release from this snare. His eyes are EVER on the Lord for only He can release the snare of loneliness. When Jesus faced all three temptations it was God that enabled Him to secure the victory. Each time the enemy tempted Him, Jesus responded with, "It is written" because it is the word of God that defeats the enemy. It is the word of God that breaks the snare. We cannot do it under our own power.

If we ask God to turn to us and be gracious, He will. Do not listen to the whispering of the enemy when you are facing your times of loneliness; when you are in your desert. His scheme is to try and drive that wedge between you and God; to separate you. We must turn to God and hide His word in our hearts, so that we can speak His word into our lives. This is what God Almighty says about separation:

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8: 38-39

Be convinced today beloved. With love like that, we are never truly alone. Celebrate the plan of God and know the scheme of the enemy.

Anthony Wade August 6, 2008