Beware of the Devil’s “Flip Chart”

1 Peter 5:8 (NKJV)
8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.

Someone once said that one of the most effective tools the devil has to use against people was a flip chart. Most of us know what a flip chart is – a large tablet of paper on an easel where pages can easily be flipped. How does the devil make use of it?

These are some key phrases from multiple dictionary definitions of the word that can give us insight into the devil’s use of a flip chart: “a series of large pieces of paper (that can be flipped over) used to present information…one piece of paper at a time”; “set of sheets (of paper) …that can show illustrations in sequence”; “large sheets of paper…that you use to show pictures…when talking to a group of people.”

Combining those key phrases, we can see that the devil has a number of entry points into our lives using his flip chart:

 The devil uses his flip chart to present information. The information he presents will always be contrary to the Word of God. All faith failures come as a result of broken focus.  It will also be designed to promote fear. We can’t be in faith and fear at the same time, so if he can get us into fear our faith is contaminated.

The devil uses the flip chart to present multiple scenarios. Whatever the challenge, be it health, finances, relationships, etc., the devil will always try to pull us off God’s Word by creating a number of outcomes, none of which end well. The “what ifs” can seem endless.

The devil uses his flip chart to show pictures, illustrations in sequence. The devil will use his flip chart to detail exactly what is going to happen, step-by-step. “If you DO this…this will happen. And then, that, in turn, will lead to this happening.” It’s the same story when it starts out, “If you DON’T do this…this will happen…” If you don’t check your thoughts, before long you’ll have a full-length movie playing over repeatedly in your mind.

Finally, the devil uses “groups of people” in presenting his information.  Unfortunately, often it is the people around us who unwittingly help the enemy in his presentation. Either ignorant of what the Word says about the specific crisis or caught up in the emotion of the gravity of the situation, those closest to us will buy into the devil’s presentation and give it credibility.

How do we negate the devil’s flip chart when he starts making a presentation?  2 Corinthians 10:5 (NKJV) gives us a step-by-step response: It says, …⁵casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,”.  We first “cast down” arguments and every high thing; meaning, we must take all the information – the pictures, the multiple scenarios, the voices, that the enemy has presented to us – where??? – in our thought life and emphatically say, “No, I’m not going there.” Casting down can be as simple as saying, “No.”

Secondly, we must have a knowledge of the Word of God.  We must know who we are in Christ, and what belongs to us as a result of the finished work of the Cross. The more knowledge we have of the Word, the easier it is to say “No.”

Thirdly, our thought lives must be Christ-centered. We take every thought captive when we know and believe that through Christ’s sacrifice our victory was won. 

We can’t stop the devil from trying to present his flip chart when we go through a challenge, but we can walk-out on his presentation.  We do that by staying focused on the Truth of God’s Word and receiving His GRACE to see us through the difficulty.

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