In my religious training through my years at Hebrew school, I don’t remember anyone ever telling me about the devil or the existence of Satan, who is the personification of evil.
I knew about the concept of evil, of course, but I never knew it was personal.
I was nearly sixteen years old when I saw the movie The Exorcist. It utterly terrified me. After seeing that movie, though, I knew there was a devil, and this knowledge scared me deeply.
I wondered, “If the devil was able to take possession of the girl in the movie (which I understood was based on a true story), how do I know he won’t take possession of me in the same way?”
And for months after that I would lay in my bed at night terrified. Even though I was a teenager, I would wait until I thought my parents were asleep, crept into their room, and fell asleep on the floor by their bed. I was so afraid that the devil would take complete control of me like he did the girl in the movie.
Though I believed in the existence of God, I did not know Him in a real and personal way.
However, when God revealed Himself to me and I gave my heart to Yeshua, I knew the Lord was real. I was almost instantly delivered from my fear of the devil—I knew that God had saved me and was protecting me. Beloved, the same is true for you as well.
The more assured we become that we are God’s, that He chose us and loves us, and because of this He is protecting us, the less afraid of the devil we will be.
If you’re interested in learning more about this topic, you can read a free preview of my book Do Not Be Afraid here: Free Preview or get the book on Amazon here: Buy on Amazon
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About Rabbi K. A. Schneider
