"And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one ...,"

The small population of people who saw me play school athletics have never questioned my decision to enter the ministry. I have, however, received a letter reminding me of the time I deep snapped a football over the punter's head. Another former classmate reminisced with me about the fly ball which slipped out of my glove and allowed the winning run to score. And then there was the time my buddy scored a touchdown on an eighty-yard punt return only to have it called back because his buddy, yours truly, got penalized for clipping. Oh, the pain of such memories. They hurt, not just because I messed up, but because I helped the other team. It's bad to lose, it's worse still to help your opponent win!

My most blatant experience of aiding the opposition occurred in a sixth grade basketball tournament. I can't remember the exact score when I finally got to play, but I know it was close. I recall a loose ball, a scramble to grab it and complete surprise when my teammate on the bottom of the pile threw it to me. When I saw that no one was between me and the basket, I took off. With the style of an MVP-to-be, I made a lay-up worthy of air-time on ESPN. My surprise at the ease of the basket was surpassed only by my surprise at the silence of the crowd.

No one applauded! Rather than pat me on the back, my team buried their faces in their hands. That's when I realized what I'd done. I'd made a basket on the wrong end of the court -- I'd aided the enemy! I'd helped the wrong team. No wonder no one tried to stop me, I was helping their side.

Can you imagine how silly I felt?

If you can, then you can imagine how silly Satan must feel. Such is the pattern of the devil's day. Every time he sets out to score one for evil, he ends up scoring a point for good. When he schemes to thwart the kingdom he always advances it. May I offer a few examples from the Bible?

Backfires of Hell

How about Abraham's wife, Sarah? God promised her a child, but she remained childless for decades. Satan used an empty crib to stir up tension and dissension and doubt. Sarah would serve as his prima facie evidence as to why you can't trust God. In the end, she modeled just the opposite. The thought of this 90-year-old in the maternity ward has instructed millions that God saves the best for last.

Remember Moses? Satan and his hoard howled the day the young prince was run out of Egypt by the very people he wanted to deliver. They thought they'd derailed God's plan, when actually they'd played into God's hand. God used the defeat to humble His servant and the wilderness to train him. The result stood before Pharaoh 40 years later, a seasoned Moses who'd learned to listen to God and to survive in the desert.

What about Daniel? The sight of Jerusalem's best young men being led into captivity appeared to be a victory for Satan. The plan boomeranged. What Satan intended as captivity, God used for royalty. Daniel was soon asked to serve in the king's court. The very man Satan sought to silence spent most of his life praying to the King of Israel and advising the kings of Babylon.