Therefore, submit to God. But resist the Devil, and he will flee from you.     James 4:7 HCSB

Have you ever consciously thought about making the devil mad? We generally think about the devil being this really scary creature all in red, with fiery eyes, carrying a pitch for and having horns and a long tail. Would you really want to make a creature like this mad? The answer is yes. But I lived many years of my life making the devil happy.

What makes the devil mad is obviously the exact things that please God. So by attempting to submit to God and please Him we anger the devil. I made the devil happy in many ways for many years.

I spent too many years of my life not attending church as I should. I would sporadically go out of obligation not because my heart was in it. Hebrews 10:25 tells us that we should not avoid going to church but should go and encourage each other. Church attendance is what keeps us active and serving the Lord. Can you really serve God from your sofa on Sunday mornings?

I didn’t read my Bible daily. Looking back, I don’t think I read my Bible at all unless it was in church. Deuteronomy 6:6-7 tells us that we should study God’s words and commands. We should teach them to our children. We should speak of them and have God’s word on our minds and in our hearts continually.

My prayer life was lacking. I didn’t keep in constant communication with my Lord and Savior. I threw up a 911 when things got rough, but I failed to thank Him for all the good He had done in my life. 1 Thessalonians 5:17 tells us to pray continually. Philippians 4:6 tells us that we should not be worried or anxious but should submit our requests to God with thanksgiving.

And why should I pray if I didn’t have faith. I had been through some rough times, my faith was lacking. Hebrews 11:6 tells us that without faith it is impossible to please God. I was keeping the devil happy.

Sometimes we treat God and the devil like two suitors that we can’t choose between. We try to please God and please the devil, but that doesn’t work.

I spent all those years pleasing the devil because I thought it was bringing me pleasure but looking back, all it ever brought me was a series of heartaches. There would be a moment of pleasure and the heartaches would stick around for a while. When I finally figured all this out, I submitted to God. This made the devil angry.

The devil tried to stop me from going to church. He put all kinds of obstacles in my way. He tried to stop me from reading my Bible and praying. He would try to convince me that it would do me no good. He tried to convince me that I was too far gone.

We are told over and over in the Bible that we should not fear but should be courageous. We have nothing to fear with the devil. Oh, he might get angry, and he might huff and puff and cause us a little discomfort, but God always wins. The other thing we must remember is that the devil can’t do anymore to us than what God allows him to do. Read the first couple chapters of Job and you will see what I mean. Also remember that even though God allowed Satan to take away all that Job had and to affect his health, God restored Job because Job stayed faithful. He feared the Lord. Now by fearing the Lord, we don’t mean being terrified of God. We mean having a reverential fear and awe of God and His power. We understand that we don’t want to make God mad. Making the devil mad is a good thing because when we do that, we make God happy. James 4:4 tells us that friendship with the world (or the devil) is enmity with God.

You are going to either make God mad and break His heart or you are going to anger the devil. You are going to have to choose. Hebrews 10:26-27 says that if we go on sinning deliberately there no longer remains a sacrifice for our sins but only a terrifying expectation of judgment. Don’t worry about making the devil mad, God is going to throw him into the lake of fire along with his followers (Revelation 12:9). Focus on making God happy. We are told in Proverbs 16:7 that when we please the Lord, He will make even our enemies to be at peace with us.

If you want peace and joy, make the devil mad. Turn to God and trust in Him. Love God with all your heart and soul. Go to church, study your Bible and pray continually. Don’t worry about the Devil’s wrath, submit to God. He’s got your back.

Have a great day!