Don’t let Satan steal your joy

“I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.” (John 15:11)

“Where are you on the joy-meter?” Our pastor posed this question to our congregation last week. I could only smile in response. My life verse has always been Nehemiah 8:10, which says, “The joy of the Lord is my strength.” Being joyful has never been a problem for me.

I’ve discovered that being perpetually happy in Christ puzzles and perplexes people. It’s a perspective, to me, more than an emotion – and I know how blessed I am. We all know how to be lighthearted in certain situations. Finding jubilance, however, can be elusive.

Satan hates the joy we feel as Christians. He wants nothing more than to steal our exuberance and hurt our witness. We must be conscious of this reality and remain strong in the power of God’s love to prevent him from harming us. While Satan can’t revoke our salvation, he will do everything he can to alleviate our joy and hurt our witness.

Let’s start with the definition of joy. According to Merriam-Webster, joy is “a feeling of great happiness or pleasure.” Dictionary.com defines it as “the emotion of great delight or happiness caused by something exceptionally good or satisfying; keen pleasure; elation.” FreeDictionary.com describes joy as “intense and especially ecstatic or exultant happiness, or an instance of such feeling.”

I love that people see the joy of the Lord in me. A few weeks ago, two of the executives I support said things that humbled and encouraged me. I strive to show God’s love in everything I do. It’s not always easy, but I never forget that I represent Christ in my actions.

To start the week, one of my executives posted the following note in our leadership team chat:

“Good morning and good Monday, team. I have to share a little sunshine with you this morning (which most of us are lacking). I started watching “The Sound of Music” with my family last night, not having seen it since I was little, and realized who Sara Olson reminds me of with her incessant spreading of joy and care for all in her orbit.” She then posted a link to Julie Andrews singing the theme song for the movie.

While I thanked her for her kind message, I also commented that I was glad she defined the similarity as stemming from my desire to share happiness and encouragement, and not because she was trying to “solve a problem like Maria…”

Since the dawn of time, humankind has sought to attain this ephemeral emotion. For fun, I asked ChatGPT how many books exist in the world that talk about finding joy. In response to my query, Google estimated that there are 130+ million unique book titles stemming from this aspiration. Volumes have been written across the following genres:

• Self-help
• Psychology
• Religion and spirituality
• Philosophy
• Memoir and fiction
• Poetry
• Children’s books

Of the millions of tomes examining this topic, only one true authority exists: God’s Word. Depending on which version one refers to, there are between 160 and 242 mentions of joy in scripture. The NIV Bible mentions the word 218 times. If we include derivatives, such as “joyful, rejoice,” and other similar words, one can find over 400 mentions throughout this holy book.

Are any of these facts surprising? As my pastor explained, “To know that our sins are forgiven, to know that we have a home in heaven, and to know that God loved us so much that He sent His Son to die for us should be enough reasons to always fill us with joy.”

And yet, most of us walk as if we’re stuck in quicksand, with little reason to smile, let alone be happy, grateful, and joyful. As Christians, we should be different.  People should look at us and see grins, not grimaces. They should see contentment, not complaints. We should emulate Christ and show compassion to others. We are heirs to the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. How can we be bitter about what others have done to us when we’ve been forgiven by the Almighty Creator, through no righteous acts of our own?

All that being said, in the midst of my writing this post, last week, the Devil attacked me. For two entire days, I was caught in his web of despair, desperation, and debilitating weakness. It took me until today to thoroughly shake off the dregs of his arsenal. Even now, I am still climbing out from under it.

How did this happen? How could I let it happen? I stay prayed up, embedded in scripture, surrounded by Christian music, and devoted to God’s Word.

And yet, out of nowhere, the attack came.

David and I spend 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, together. We hug, pray while embracing, and share everything. We have a picture-perfect marriage – until we didn’t. Just like that, my world shattered. What started as my voiced frustration at something David shared with a neighbor that I considered private quickly escalated into a monumental meltdown of words that kept us both on edge, with little sleep, eating, or talking. I can fully attest to the fact that there’s nothing that will steal your joy faster than relationship trouble.

Words, once wielded, are weapons that inflict deeper wounds than any two-edged sword. James 3:8 reminds us that “No human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.” Proverbs 13:3 says, “The one who guards his mouth preserves his life; The one who opens wide his lips comes to ruin.”

I can fully attest to the validity of both verses. My history of abusive marriages has led me to stay as silent as possible when tensions arise. David’s family history growing up in a house where no one talked about problems has led him to become frustrated with my silence. These differences only exacerbated our difficulties and left me with painful declarations on loop in my head and new fears in my heart.

When all is said and done, each of us has a choice to make: what power are we willing to give up to Satan? Are we willing to let the Devil win, or are we going to give it all to God? I, for one, want my joy back. And so, I’m giving it to God.

Am I 100% joyful today? No. But that’s okay. I’m getting there again, little by little, with God’s help.

There is a powerful stanza in the Christmas song, “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day,” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow that says the following:

“And in despair I bowed my head:
‘There is no peace on earth,’ I said,
‘For hate is strong and mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good will to men.’”

But the carol doesn’t end there. Longfellow continued by proclaiming God’s power over animosity and anger in the subsequent verse:

“Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
‘God is not dead, nor doth he sleep;
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail,
With peace on earth, good will to men.’”

Each of us has the power to focus on what is right in our lives or what is wrong. We all have trials. We all face challenges. We all must daily decide if we’re going to focus on God – or let the Devil get a foothold. Sometimes, doing so requires a strong will and determination. Philippians 4:8 reminds us, “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”

And so, I will not let Satan steal my joy. That is my choice and doesn’t depend on anyone but me and God. It may take a moment or two longer to get my joy-meter back up to where it should be, but my Heavenly Father is right here with me, reminding me that He loves me, and that means everything to me.

At Christmas and throughout the year, I won’t let Satan steal my joy. It’s my choice – and one we all must make. After all, “The joy of the Lord is my strength.” I want the world to see that joy in me – every day, all year long.