Satan’s Wedge: The Luciferian Candidate

“for even Satan disguises himself.” ~2 Corinthians 11:14

Satan’s Wedge

In the 1962 classic film, The Manchurian Candidate, Korean war veteran Raymond Shaw returns home a hero. Little does he realize he’s been brainwashed by the North Koreans to bring down the United States. Does it ever feel like your spouse or friend, who you once thought your ally, seems like the enemy? That they’re trying to ruin your day, put you out, and just cause you problems? Does it seem like your most frustrating battle being fought is not with your co-workers or your anonymous online opposers but with those in your very own house? If you’ve answered yes to these questions, I must inform you that you’ve unwittingly become a candidate to fulfill Satan’s schemes.

I’ve noticed around this time of year between a holiday where we give God thanks and then celebrate the birth of Christ, an invisible wedge appears with frequency. I call it Satan’s Wedge.

In Hebrew, the fallen angel Lucifer is referred to as ‘the Satan’ meaning ‘the adversary’, and the word is also connected with the Hebrew verb ‘to oppose.’ His motivation is the name he is given. If the Holy Spirit is the helper who guides us, then Satan does the opposite; he is the adversary who misguides us. This is not to say he is the equal but opposite of the Holy Spirit; Satan’s desire is primarily to do the opposite of God’s will by supporting the disintegration of our relationship with God and our family (Gen. 2:24).

Peter warns us “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour” (5:8). Notice, Peter doesn’t say “devour everyone” because Satan isn’t omnipresent, in fact, he has no “omni” abilities, only God does. But when you start to see your spouse, or your sibling, or your parent or child as the adversary then you are allowing a wedge to be driven which will only continue to go deeper unless addressed.

I’ve caught myself, especially recently, realizing nothing would make Satan happier than if I had a terrible holiday because I treated my wife as a frustration instead of as a gift. As Christians, we cannot give in to the perception our enemy blankets over our world. We must first ask the Holy Spirit for humility, second, ask for clear spiritual insight, and finally we must say “get behind me, Satan. You have no power over this relationship!”

Recognizing the Adversary

The next time you realize there’s a wedge forming in your relationship, recognize it for what it is and by the power of the Holy Spirit expel it from your midst.

Always improve the present moment.