The Devil Knows

 

One of my students came into the room today, a lineman who is already in the body of a grown man in 8th grade.

He was a crucial part of our football team’s success but has his fair share of life’s struggles.

And he loves to come to the NEST.

Today after finishing some work and talking through some of his frustrations he asked if he could write a quote for us on the board.

I agreed, with the disclaimer that it contain no profanity, and he laughed and said, “No worries Mrs. Potter. I got you.”  

Then he wrote this message:

“The Devil would not be trying to stop you if there was nothing good inside of you.”

The bell rang as he was finishing and he turned back and tapped the board.

“Don’t forget it.”

Have you ever thought that the very fact you are being tempted by Satan is evidence of your goodness? 

He certainly isn’t in the business of wasting time on lost causes.

He is actively fighting against every spark of light he sees within us. 

And as President Michaelene P Grassli warned, he won’t come to us waving a pitchfork and twirling a devilish tail.  She explained, “Satan knows you’re too smart for that, so he has to trick you. One way he does that is by making bad things seem good. Listen to this: “Everybody does it.” “No one will know.” “Just this once won’t hurt.” “It’s not really a bad thing to do.”

You’ve heard some of those phrases before, haven’t you? “But that wasn’t Satan who said it,” you answer. To that I reply, “It was Satan’s message delivered to you, perhaps by someone who is, to one degree or another, in his power in.” Those phrases are warnings. When you hear them, that is when you should turn and run away from danger.”

And she says that’s when we should run straight to Heavenly Father.

The one who put the goodness in us, and sees our light as evidence of all we can become.