A fact is like a sack—it won’t stand up if it’s empty. —Luigi Pirandello
Satan is good at a lot of things. For one, he is the ultimate gunnysacker.
What is gunnysacking? It’s pretty simple, actually. When someone says something wrong or does something wrong to you, you don’t say anything about the wound. You just take the offense, and store it in a little sack, and go on as though nothing had happened. THEN, later, when you do something wrong and you are called on it, you pull out the painful events you’ve been storing up and use it to accuse your accuser. We usually do it to deflect responsibility when we feel exposed.
I think we are all pretty good at gunnysacking. But Satan? He’s the master.
Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right side to accuse him. (Zechariah 3:1)
He actually has a gunnysack for every single one of us. He’ll see you do something outside of what God has for you and he’ll take that thing and throw it in your gunnysack. Then, in a time of weakness, he’ll come after you and expose your naked guilt. Then, all of a sudden, the accusations start coming fast and furiously. It all sounds true, of course—because it probably is. But it’s not the full story.
There’s only one way to fight back: Get back in Satan’s face with the Truth.
Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. (Romans 8:1)
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)
Jesus is the one Who redeems you from the naked shame of sin. And you can celebrate that with all your heart when Satan tries to embarrass you. Don’t gunnysack others, and don’t take it when Satan tries it on you!
Jesus, I praise You for what You did on the cross. I thank You that I am not condemned, that You continually forgive, and that You have purified me. Thank You, thank You for covering my nakedness with Your righteousness! Amen.