Forgive or Be Forgiven Satan Forgiveness and Repentance

Forgive or Be Forgiven Satan Forgiveness and Repentance

blog post by Mary Katherine May

Psalm 103:1

One of the most cruel punishments a person can impose upon their own self is unresolved conflict.  Sickness both mental and physical is wrought in the body.  Relationships with others are affected, even ended over something that includes involvement with another person, and that person is not them.

Bible teaching for Christians is clear that the issue must be brought to a close.  Do not go to sleep angry but repent and forgive those with whom you have disagreement.  Go to the person and deal with the problem.  If that doesn’t work, go to the church, etc.  Be loving because love overlooks a multitude of sins.

Here is the problem: Human resolution on worldly terms involves all parties involved.  What then is to be done if only one person seeks to end the conflict?  What is to be done if the conflict involves someone who is dead or whose whereabouts are unknown?  What then?

Caution on dealing with conflict is necessary because so often Christians believe they are acting in a Godly way when instead they are using  human, or worldly principles.

Please recall that the soul filled with the peace of God is not the ultimate goal, but the normal way in which Christians are to conduct their lives.  Without a doubt, handling unresolved conflict for which one-sided resolution is possible is really tough—extremely tough.  Yet as Scripture says, with God all things are possible, even this.

Conflict Resolution for Christians is mandatory.

When conflict resolution is only humanly possible on one side 

the other side of the resolution is occupied by God.

Ephesians 6: 12. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

 The first step, then, is to acknowledge exactly who is at the core of the conflict and that Who is Satan working concurrently with our free will.  Conflict like this is not the same as going through a time of testing which Scripture tells us is to be endured, the ultimate goal being strengthened faith. 

Pray as Christ taught in Matthew 6: …but deliver us from evil.  

Give marching orders to Satan by declaring by the power inherent in the name of Jesus Christ, our risen Savior, that he and all of his demons are banished from your space right now and for all time.

Whether or not the other person is involved, you have the power through Jesus Christ to forgive.  Recall that at the time of the most terrible sin, that of murdering the Messiah on the cross at Golgotha, our Lord pray, “Father forgive them, for they know not what they do.”  That forgiving power, at a time when forgiving seems impossible, comes from the Lord.  It is yours to claim. 

When forgiveness seems impossible then allow obedience carry you through to being able to truly forgive.  Jesus Christ told us that we must forgive and so we have to do it.  If for no other reason than this, out of obedience declare in faith, I forgive you.”  Each time the pain of the hurt comes to mind repeat, “I forgive you.  Through the power of the Name of Jesus Christ, I forgive you.”   From personal experience I know that this brings real forgiveness, and with forgiveness comes closure of painful past experiences.  This allows us to gain positively from a negative event.  

Q: Was I  too trusting because I didn’t base my trust on the fruits produced by this person?  

A: From this time on I will therefore be loving and compassionate while being cautious in trusting until there is merit to do so.  

Q: Did I place myself in a position where I was vulnerable? 

A: From this time on I will base what I do and where I go on biblical principles.  I will not go alone where I may be in harms way.  

Q: Did I say words that should not have been spoken which were responded to in like manner?  

A: In the future I will speak as Scripture teaches me to speak.  

Q: Why should I suffer when I did nothing to cause this problem? 

A: I will now live on the basis that when I have no responsibility for the harm caused I will not blame myself for the hurt, but instead recognize that people who offensively harm others reap eternal consequences on only themselves.  Justice will always be served even though not now.  I have the power to forgive even under these circumstances because without forgiving I am hurting myself. The peace of my soul in Christ will not be sacrificed for the sin of someone else.

The other side of forgiveness is the equally import act of repentance.  There are times when so much time has past that the person to whom we should go to repent cannot be reached, or as with forgiveness the person is dead.  In this case we must go before God with grief for our sin to confess and repent, knowing that within our human capability we have done all we can to remedy what happened.  It also happens that we may go sincerely asking to be forgiven and our request will be denied, and then we must believe that we have done what Scripture has commanded, entrusting final resolution to God.

Not that long ago I was in a situation where terrible things were said to me and it was made clear that I was not welcome at a certain church.  Later that same day I contacted the persons involved with the message that I had forgiven them to which I received no response. On my part, however, I had done what Christ told me I should do. My forgiving was sincere.  The hurt continued for some time, though. Each time the memory came into my mind I repeated, I forgive you. Though difficult, I continued to pray for them until I was able to pray with no malice in my heart.  Today I continue to pray for their ministry and my desire is for their ministry to prosper.  I can do it and have done it, and my experience tells me that with God's grace others can do it, too.

In the act of not forgiving and repenting Satan resides.  By not forgiving Satan’s residence in the heart grows from a tiny closet to a gigantic sports stadium the same as the Colosseum in Rome where Christians were sacrificed to wild animals. You are the Christian and Satan is the wild animal eagerly devouring your soul.  Like Daniel, however, you have the power to keep the lions away.

Amen.