While we frequently associate Satan with goats, this is just a goat, and a very good one, because she looks out for the rest of the goats in the herd. Ironically, her name is Shai. Photo credit Steve Henderson Fine Art.
Fear is one of Satan’s best weapons, because it’s relatively inexpensive.
For a minimal outlay, Satan — who generally works through the assorted people on this planet who love him, worship him, or have sold themselves to him for whatever it costs to buy them — wields control over good people who fear the things that might happen, or could happen, but don’t necessarily have to happen.
That’s the beauty of it: in a small town or big city, the sheriff’s deputies or city police can burst into one home at 3 a.m., with all the noise and violence of a military commando operation launched against “the enemy,” — and this will frighten 10, 20, 50 times as many families into saying nothing, because nobody wants this to happen to them. For some reason, even when it turns out to be the “wrong house,” this doesn’t make things any better.
Jesus was a misfit in the religious society of His day. That says something about 1) the religious establishment and 2) following Jesus. Paperback and digital at Amazon.com.
The two most frightening things about 3 a.m. raids are that 1) they happen at all and 2) ordinary people, living ordinary lives, even consider the possibility that they could happen to them. When I was a child, we acknowledged this the norm in communist Russia, where people were oppressed and persecuted by their own government, even the most benign of individuals considered to be a potential enemy of the state.
In an earlier article, Afraid to Post on Facebook, I mentioned the number of Christians, especially in the United States, who are afraid of . . . just that — posting on Facebook, because they’ve heard that they’ll be put on a list of potential troublemakers — enemies of the state — for no more than expressing dissatisfaction with or distrust of their leadership (which is supposed to be serving the people, incidentally. Do we believe that?)
Please read the rest at Letting Satan Win, at my BeliefNet Blog, Commonsense Christianity.
This article is linked to Graced Simplicity, Shine Blog Hop, Jenni Mulllinix, Children Are a Blessing, All Things with a Purpose, Donna Reidland, Simple Moments Stick, Fellowship Friday, Essential Things, Family Fun Friday, Hungry Hippo, Jenny Evolution, A Look at the Book, Count My Blessings,
This Woman Writes by Carolyn Henderson 
Hi Carolyn, Thank you for linking up at Counting My Blessings! You present some very interesting questions, and ones I think it’s past time we begin to answer. Thanks for giving me some things to think about. Blessings!
You are welcome, Deb — I find that living for Christ involves asking a lot of questions — of myself, of God, about my preconceptions — and questions, honestly asked, are nothing to be afraid of.
Although I know how debilitating fear can be (when allowed) I must say that this post has left me very reflective. Especially the aspect of Christians being fearful to post on Facebook concerning the government, etc.
Thanks for sharing on the SHINE Blog Hop!
It’s an odd thing, Thriller Mom, but I randomly run into a lot of Christians with this fear. And I think, “If you’re fearful now, what later? And later will be sooner if too many people are afraid to speak up now, when we’re dealing more with the perception of reality rather than actual reality.”
Many strong, strident, and brave voices are out there, alerting people to what is going on, but many Christians don’t even hear them, because they won’t listen: “Oh, those people swear.” “Oh, those people say bad things about Republicans.” “Oh, Fox news tells me to ignore those people.” “Oh, those people aren’t Christians.”
Well, if they’re waiting for Christians to speak up and out, they’ll be waiting for a long time, because they’re not. The leadership sect — the mega pastors and ministries that fill the “Christian” book publishing offers, are so busy telling people to send in their check, that they’re not about to talk truth. It would be bad for business.
And the Christians in the pews? Are they reading? Are they questioning? Are they doubting the voices of authority — in their churches and in their government?