I remember observing two people having an altercation in which one person became increasingly agitated, using a variety of provoking words, while the other person remained calm and quiet. When I asked her why she didn’t defend herself against such disrespect, she said, ‘You don’t have to dress up and show up to every party you’re invited to.’ This means that a person has the right to reject or decline an invitation he doesn’t want to attend. This expression is also used for arguments and altercations. Oftentimes, we get caught up in loud, heated arguments unexpectedly. We often get caught up in them and then wonder why we constantly have pounding headaches, we are on blood pressure pills, and sadly, many have even died prematurely because of these hidden tricks of the enemy that are often undetected. You see, God is not stressing the need for us to guard our hearts and protect our inner peace because He wants us to think that He is a cool God. He insists on these things because He knows all the negative effects that are tied to our lack of understanding. We get drained, frantic, sick, distracted, and disturbed when our inner peace is stolen from us. But all of that could have been avoided by simply declining or not accepting the invitation. There comes a time in life when you’ll realize that your inner peace is worth more than winning a gazillion arguments, especially the unnecessary ones. And if you have not reached this point yet, keep living, and you’ll feel the same way.
I have discovered that it doesn’t matter how long you’ve been in church and how much you know about the Bible; still, one of the easiest ways Satan can get to you is through an insult. All he needs to do is use a willing vessel to get under your skin. I used to be very angry at those who insulted me, and Satan strategically placed these people on my path. When I look back, I’ve realized that he really had an agenda for my life and knew exactly which button to press to turn me into one of his puppets. This happened so many times that I didn’t want to hear about forgiveness because I didn’t see the point of forgiving people. After all, the same thing would occur over again, even by those who said they were sorry the first time. God had to teach me how to forgive others, how to recognize an insult, and what to do each time it knocks at my door. I’m forever grateful to God for this revelation, and I would like to share it with you. You and I must know that the enemy is not smarter than God, and God loves exposing the devil’s stupidity, especially when Satan is convinced that he has us trapped. I can never thank God enough for opening my eyes to the devil’s schemes. You see, all it takes for the devil to attack you is an insult, and all it takes for you to deal with him is to deprive him of an audience. When you don’t give him an audience, there is no clapping back and no standing ovation. All that is left for him to do is to sit in a corner and die from starvation. And if you watch Jesus closely, you’ll see that’s exactly what He did from the time He was arrested until He won the complete victory (when He gave His last breath on the cross).
So, why is an insult one of Satan’s favorites, and what is it anyway?
We can be victims of many things in life if we’re not able to discern them with our spiritual eyes. An insult is not just an insult; it’s much deeper than that. I have learned that an insult is not used against you only to upset you on that particular day or for this specific reason. An insult is a powerful spiritual weapon that Satan uses against you to afflict you, causing you pain, distress, and wounding you. When someone is physically and emotionally broken, the first thing that goes out the window is his peace, then his joy, smile, confidence, self-esteem, and the like.
Since Satan can’t touch you, especially after you’ve worked hard on yourself to become a better person, and since he cannot remove the power that’s in you, one of the best weapons he will use against you to get you off track is insult. He will stop at nothing to get someone to insult you. That’s why wounded people walk around feeling guilty, ashamed, and self-condemned due to the negativity and the wrong that was done to them. Usually, these negative words play on repeat in their mind. That’s exactly what Satan wants, and his trick is to bring these people back to a cycle of self-condemnation, self-hatred, lack of motivation and compassion, and eventually the inability to step up to what they are called to do. In other words, they cannot see themselves properly, hence they cannot invade territories for God’s Kingdom. Ultimately, an insult is more of a kingdom thing. When you are being insulted and feel ashamed, wounded, anxious, fearful, and self-hatred, all you want to do at this point is to sit in a corner, but the truth is, Satan is the one who needs to sit somewhere. And the way to do it is by taking away his power when he tries to come for your inner peace. So, starve him and reject his invitation, which will then deprive him of an audience.
An insult may subtly knock at your door. It can come in the form of mockery (making fun of you in a hurtful way), jokes that belittle you, especially in public, disrespectful words, or unexplained behaviors. Most of the time, it will show up when you least expect it, usually when you are most joyful, bubbly, and peaceful. Satan will use anyone he can find to insult you, and that includes your loved ones. Whenever someone insults you, try to remember that it’s not about the insult or who he uses, but it is all about what Satan tries to do through it. Always remember that his goal is to do all he can to shut you down. So, he’ll use anyone to insult you, which means making you angry, with the hope that you’ll take the bait, which can also mean accepting the invitation. Though an insult is a powerful weapon, do not underestimate the smooth stone that God has given you to fight back because you are not wrestling against flesh and blood. “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty in God for the pulling down of strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.” 2 Corinthians 10: 4-5
Therefore, how does God view insults?
Jesus said a few things to help us understand His perspective on insults, such as, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” Matthew 5: 8-12
Jesus also said in Matthew 5: 44 -45; “But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven.” Jesus’ approach toward insults is not to promote them, but to view them from a spiritual perspective because that’s how we win. Jesus already knows the enemy’s tricks to cause God’s people to forfeit their destiny and block their blessings from God. That’s why He teaches us how to win life.
So, how does God want His people to handle insults?
Nowadays, if you can’t clap back or have some spicy words already lined up to defend yourself against whoever insults you, then you are weak and old-fashioned. However, unfortunately, this method is totally ineffective in the kingdom of God, and His method is the opposite of the world’s method. Therefore, the secret is in your silence, completely ignoring the insult. Your silence alone can render the enemy powerless, leaving him with no other choice but to flee from you. If you dare not give the enemy an audience when he uses someone to insult you, the party will automatically be over. This requires a lot of self-control and self-discipline on your part, but it is totally doable through Christ, who strengthens you.
Also, know that the flow between you and God can easily be interrupted when you take the enemy’s bait by accepting the invitation. Since the enemy doesn’t want you to remain connected to God, he will try everything to get to you. So, protect the favor of God on your life. It costs you too much to become better, so nobody has the right to block your flow. Let people win arguments and let them say whatever they want about you by trying to put you down, for at the end of the day, you know who you are. And the best way to win your battles is to be still and let God fight them for you. Therefore, ignore the insults and remain silent. If anything, just smile at them and keep your joy, peace, and smile, and keep moving forward. “For God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.” James 4:6. Therefore, do like Jesus did; remain silent and unbothered in the natural to keep the flow/connection in the spiritual and invade territories for your Father’s kingdom.
You got this in Jesus’ name because greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world!
SCRIPTURES
“In quietness and trust is your strength,” Isaiah 30:15
“Fools show their annoyance at once, but the prudent overlook an insult.” Proverbs 12:16
Leave a Reply