Get thee, behind me, Satan

This is a devotional by A. B. Simpson.

Albert Benjamin Simpson was born December 15, 1843, in Bayview, Prince Edward Island, Canada. Albert was an answer to the prayer of his mother. She had lost her firstborn son when he was just a toddler. In prayer then she asked the Lord to send her another son, and asked that he would be a minister or missionary "if the Lord so wills, and he lives to grow up, and is so inclined." A missionary brother baptized him shortly after his birth and dedicated him to the ministry.

Albert’s parents exercised a great influence upon him in his younger years. His mother, being a reader and very poetic cultivated in him a love for books. His father was the industrious, religious, and capable disciplinarian. He made sure that Albert grew up learning the catechism of the Presbyterian Church.

Despite his rigorous religious training, no one ever shared with young Albert the way of salvation. By the age of ten, he had some secret yearning to become a minister. Since he was not saved this was a difficult decision. After a period of time he made a decision that that is what he would become. As he grew into his teens this desire stayed with him. Eventually he requested permission of his father to enter the ministry, telling him he would get his education at his own cost without any expense to his family. His father granted him permission for this.

To learn more about A. B. Simpson and to read his full bio go to http://www.churchinwestland.org/id270.htm

This is from his “Days of Heaven Upon Earth Devotionals"

Matthew 16:23 Jesus turned to Peter and said, "Satan, get away from me! You're in my way because you think like everyone else and not like God." (CEV)

[When your old self comes back, if you listen to it, fear it, believe it, it will have the same influence upon you as if it were not dead; it will control you and destroy you.

But if you will ignore it and say: "You are not I, but Satan trying to make me believe that the old self is not dead; I refuse you, I treat you as a demon power outside of me, I detach myself from you"; if you treat it as a wife would her divorced husband, saying: "You are nothing to me, you have no power over me, I have renounced you, in the name of Jesus I bid you hence,"--lo! the evil thing will disappear, the shadow will vanish, the wand of faith will lay the troubled spirit, and send it back to the abyss, and you will find that Christ is there instead, with His risen life, to back up your confidence and seal your victory.

Satan can stand anything better than neglect. If you ignore him he gets disgusted and disappears. Jesus used to turn His back upon him and say, "Get thee behind Me, Satan." So let us refuse him, and we shall find that he will be compelled to act according to our faith.]

I love reading these devotionals from men of God from years past. What always comes to mind is how true they are today. The reason is the same as for the Bible that they all quote from. It is God’s Word to us;
Basic
Instructions
Before
Leaving
Earth

Satan is as real today as he was when Jesus walked the earth. How many times in our lives trouble is right there speaking to us saying, “Go ahead, try it”, “Go ahead, do it”, “Go ahead, take it”, “Go ahead, say it!” That is when you grab your instruction manual that God has made available to each of us and tell Satan, “It is written” and quote Matthew 16:23. Tell Satan, “Get out of here, you are not wanted here!”

Trouble will always be there but do not focus on it but focus on the love of Jesus. Lift up your troubles to Him. I truly believe it all comes down to giving permission to God to get involved in our daily lives. He wants too, He’s waiting too! I like that title of A. B. Simpson’s devotional, Days of Heaven Upon Earth. We do not have to wait until we get to Heaven to enjoy the Father’s blessings, we can enjoy them now, right now! Remember in the Lord’s Prayer; “Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven!” If you read a few verses prior to Matthew 16:23 and go to verse 19 Jesus says, ” I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven…”

From God’s heart, to mine, to yours,
Ed Shagott