Forty rounds with the devil

“Etymologically, [the word daredevil] means to dare the devil.  And as such, it should be a defining characteristic of anyone who follows the One who went forty rounds with the devil in the desert. . . .  Jesus is the definition of daredevil.”- Mark Batterson, The Grave Robber (2014)

“All who seek me; they hurl insults, shaking their heads.  ‘He trusts in the LORD,’ they say, ‘let the LORD rescue him.  Let him deliver him, since he delights in him.’ “- Psalm 22:7-8 (NIV)

When I was ten or eleven, I loved playing the Jumping DJ Game, a surprise action game for 2-6 players.  Before play started, the dealer distributed all 44 cards, including the extra Dishonest John card.  Next, the dealer pushed down the Dishonest John spring loaded timer.  Then, the players took turns passing one card to the opponent on their left.  Your goal — to accumulate multiple cards of different ‘suits.’ But if you held the DJ card when the timer popped up, you lost thirty points.

Dishonest John functioned as the villain and main antagonist on the Beany and Cecil Show.  Dressed formally like a Simon Legree character, DJ constantly schemed to foil Beany and Cecil’s (the Seasick Sea Serpent) adventures.  Yet, DJ faced inevitable defeat at the end of each episode.  Above all, DJ’s catchphrase was his sinister laugh: Nya -ah-ahh!  He also carried a business card that read:  “Dirty deeds done dirt cheap.  Special rates for Sundays and holidays.”

When people mock us, hurl insults at us, and laugh at us, we need to follow and delight in Jesus.  The One who went forty rounds with the devil in the desert.  We fine tune our focus on our Deliverer as we take the first step.  Instead of worrying about falling.  Writing in The Grave Robber:  How Jesus Can Make the Impossible Possible, Mark Batterson relates what famed high-wire aerialist Nik Wallenda’s grandfather impressed upon him at an early age.  That safety nets give a false sense of security.

Consequently, Jesus displayed absolute fearlessness in the face of evil.  And, biblically speaking, love makes you stand firm in your faith, no matter what the circumstances (1 John 4:18).  Even when you come face-t0-face with the devil.  Yet, Pastor Batterson notes, we are born with only two fears: the fear of falling and the fear of loud noises.  Hence, we learn every other fear.  So, that also means that we can unlearn every other fear.  Thus, as you keep growing in God’s love, only one fear remains — the fear of God.

After the feeding of the five thousand, John’s Gospel specifically mentions that the disciples of Jesus rowed between three and four miles out in the Sea of Galilee.  In other words, they rowed far from shore.  Therefore, Mark exhorts:

“And that’s where most miracles happen.  They don’t happen in the shallow end of the pool.  They happen when you jump off the high dive into the deep end where you can’t touch bottom . . . no safety net. .  .  And that’s what happens when you follow Jesus.  You think you’re going someplace to do something, but God often has an alternative play you know nothing about. . . .  He tells us to set sail for Capernaum, and we naturally think that is the objective.  But you never know when or how or where Jesus might show up.”

In conclusion, Pastor Batterson encourages, when you go forty rounds with the devil you must venture into uncharted waters.  But after you take the first step, God may surprise you as He shows up in the most unlikely places.  At the most unlikely times.  Because that’s how God shows up and shows off His power!  In forty rounds or less.