He walks the neighborhood. Wearing a hoodie.  In August. Doesn’t turn his head to look at the houses.  Just looks forward.  I’m assuming he lives in the neighborhood.  It’s not a big sprawling neighborhood.  It’s a walking neighborhood.  And he walks.  Hoodie up.  Moving forward.  Looking forward.

I’m suspicious of him.  He seems sinister.  Who wears a hoodie on a summer day?  With the hood up?  Oh, I know it may seem fashionable. I’m not convinced his walks are of a friendly nature, though.  His walk doesn’t appear to be for exercise.  He isn’t exerting himself.   He doesn’t even seem relaxed.  He looks stiff.  He’s walking at a slow pace.   Always looking forward.

He did turn his head once.  He waited as I backed out of the driveway.  He waved.  He turned his head to see if my garage door was going down.  Making me all the more suspicious.  Is he casing the neighborhood?  In my estimation of things, he is.  And I don’t like it.  I think he’s up to no good.

Here’s how my imagination works.  He lives in the neighborhood. He’s begun a walking ritual to appear normal while casing the neighborhood.  He’s memorizing routines.  Watching when people leave their homes in the morning.   He’s waiting to pounce on innocent victims.  Unsuspecting neighbors.  Waiting to break into someone’s home when they least expect it.

Here’s how reality works.  I told a couple of people about hoodie guy.  One laughed.  Made a comment about an old lady who doesn’t understand today’s fashion.  Says A&F is full of young guys wearing hoodies.  Wanted to know if I was stereotyping.

This guy.  I don’t know him.  I don’t know his name.  I don’t know where he lives.  I’m just making assumptions.  He hasn’t done anything wrong.  His actions seem suspicious.  I want to trust him.  I really do.  He just needs to prove me wrong.

So humble yourselves before God.  Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.   James 4:7

There’s someone else who is a suspicious character.  He roams the earth watching everything that goes on.  He notices everyone. He’s not only a watcher.  He’s a doer.  A wrong doer.  He masquerades as an angel of light. He’s known to invite himself to heaven’s staff meetings unannounced.

Yes.  It’s true.  God meets regularly with his angels.  And Satan will pop in at his own convenience.  Check out the story in Job 1:6-12.

But this guy.  Satan.  He has other names.  The devil.  Beelzebub.  Lucifer.

He’s a shady character.  He’s known to walk the earth watching.  People watching.  He pretends to be someone he’s not.  Oh.  He used to be someone.  He used to be God’s best angel.  But he thought he was better than everyone. He wanted to be God.  He was proud.  He was foolish.  He challenged God and God won.  This guy was thrown out of heaven.  So why should I trust him?  Why should I trust what he tells me?  He’s always up to no good.  He doesn’t ever want what’s best for me.  I know that.  Why do I let his voice get inside my head?

He’s described as a wolf.  A roaring lion.  Great dragon.  Serpent.  Sower of weeds.  He pretends to be what he isn’t.  Basically, he’s a liar.  A fake.  A troublemaker.  He distorts the truth.  Twisting words and thoughts.  He’s crafty.  He’s a tempter.  He’s a deceiver.  He’s a trickster. He’s an accuser.  He comes to steal, kill and destroy.  He’s evil.  All the way around.  Pure evil.

He pretends to be someone good.  He’s not your friend.  He’s worse than your worst enemy.  He is the enemy.  Don’t be fooled.

The good news.  God limits what Satan does.  God is more powerful than Satan.  God is bigger and better than Satan.  God is almighty.  God is everlasting.  God is love.  God is merciful.  God is just. God is omnipotent.  He is all-powerful.   God is omnipresent.  He is everywhere at once. God is omniscient.  He knows everything.  There is nothing suspicious or sinister about God.  Only God is God.