Definitions from Oxford Languages
Monger: a person who promotes a specified activity, situation, or feeling, especially one that is undesirable or discreditable.
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Fearmonger: A person (or devil) who spreads fear by exaggerating potential dangers. Their job is to influence people’s decisions and actions based on fear. This is a tactic known as fearmongering.
The first time I heard the description of fearmonger I thought how perfectly it fit what satan is. He (and his minions) operates in fear not fact. Remember he is a liar. There is NO truth in him. (John 8:44, NIV)
Satan’s manipulation usually leads people to act out of fear rather than faith. He doesn’t want them to think about what God says about what he’s saying (God’s opposite). Fearmongering works by exaggeration when satan whispers that things are far worse than imagined.
Then he wants you to image HIM and his ways. He drops thoughts in our mind helping us imagine all those worst case scenarios. Satan especially likes to target our emotions. He pressures us to worry about what we’re imagining. Thoughts of negative outcomes made to seem real and far worse than they are.
Have you ever laid awake almost all night imagining all kinds of bad things only to wake up and find out none of them happened? None of the thoughts were real?
Congratulations. You just fell for one of satan’s wiles (tricks). All he did then was steal your sleep. If you keep listening to him or falling for his tricks, he will escalate. Once he’s got your attention, he’s got you. He will talk more and more, deceive you over and over.
BUT satan is limited in his tricks. There’s nothing new. He has his same old bag of tricks – sent to deceive you. That’s his main job – to deceive us into believing Jesus isn’t real and His promises are fake. Yep, a liar.
People who fearmonger often forget one thing. They want us to believe he is all powerful and can do anything. They never admit they are serving a defeated foe. Jesus defeated him once and for all on Calvary, With His shed blood. Finished it. Done.
Sure people believe he’s got power because he said he does and they listen. Most people get their ideas about him from books and movies. All lies. I’m not saying people can’t scare themselves serving a defeated foe. I’ve experienced things… until my mom said bluntly to me one time:
“Why are you listening to that defeated foe? Don’t you know he has no authority in your life? You belong to the most high God. Satan tries because people believe he can do things. Do you believe he has power over you? Nope. Why?
“Because you have been given all power and authority over him.(Luke 10:19) His minions, too (Luke 9:1). The monstrous devil with horns and a pitchfork is not biblical. It’s Hollywood.”
Remember he’s mascaraing as a powerful being. Jesus says you are more powerful than he is. If you can’t think of anything else when faced with people who think they’re all powerful, simply shout the most powerful word of all, “Jesus!!”
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