Proverbs 23:29 Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has strife? Who has complaints? Who has needless bruises? Who has bloodshot eyes?
I cannot think of a worse sore loser than Satan. He continually tries to give his slithering character to the human race, so that mankind becomes as miserable as he is. However, we have to make a righteous effort not to pick up his traits and methods. Sore losers always accuse others of their problems. Anything that goes wrong in their lives is a result of someone else’s actions. Their accusation of “The reason the country has gone to shreds is that – this or that political party is in power.” This rehashed complaint is their constant excuse for blaming all that is gone wrong for their own choices they made in life. The reason they can’t get ahead is because of them. Satan has been providing fodder for sore losers throughout history.
In the garden of Eden, Satan surreptitiously accused God of holding back knowledge from Eve. Gen. 3:5 For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil. Adam and Eve had all the knowledge they needed at the time to live a wholesome life. Satan tricked Eve into mistrusting the integrity of God, and she was deceived. The devil did this because he was and still is a jealous sore loser who wants to be greater than God. Isa. 14:13a You said in your heart, “I will ascend to the heavens; I will raise my throne above the stars of God. Thank the Lord for throwing Satan out of heaven forever. Luke 10:18 He said to them, “I watched Satan fall from heaven like lightning.”
One of the oddest conversations regarding Satan’s accusatory nature is found in the book of Job. We read the account of the devil accusing God and Job at the same time. The accusation claims that God is being unfair in how He protects Job from Satan’s attacks. Like all sore losers, Satan cannot succeed in being destructive because it is God’s fault. Job 1:10 Have you not put a hedge around him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. The devil truly has a pathetic existence. To choose a rebellion against God and lose, plus try and break everything God makes, then have a tantrum in front of God accusing Him of His goodness, is absolute insanity.
Maybe sore losers are, to a degree, insane. Was it sane for Cain to become a sore loser and lose all he had through an act of revenge because God looked favourably on Abel’s offering? Gen. 4:5 But for Cain and his offering He had no regard. So Cain became very angry and his face was gloomy. How had Cain’s poor choices in life become Abel’s fault? Like all sore losers, Cain had to find someone other than himself to accuse of the lack of character within his own soul.
In a slick way, the ten spies accused God of making them feel so small compared to the giants in the land of Canaan. They could not muster up the courage to go into the land God promised them. It was God’s and the giant’s fault the people of Israel could not fulfil their dreams. Num. 14:3a Why is the LORD taking us to this country only to have us die in battle? Even though God is for us, blaming all of our woes on Him is a way to deflect personal responsibility. The loser looks for excuses and says, “Why is God doing this to me? How can I ever get ahead if God is against me?” It sure sounds like something Satan would say.
So, let us answer the Proverb’s questions. Prov. 23:29 Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has strife? Who has complaints? Who has needless bruises? Who has bloodshot eyes? Who has all these problems? Those who do not take personal responsibility for their lives, and those who do not take the proper actions within life. God has said in His word, that He is for us and has asked us to choose life and not the things that lead to death. The devil, on the other hand, will help anyone choose every possible failure available to them so that they become a loser like Satan is. The devil is trying to reproduce after his own kind. Do we really want to help the enemy’s agenda? The choice is ours. How do you want to live? Josh. 24:15b But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD. Amen!
Great examples Norm. This is a good word.