His character is conspicuously absent in virtually every children's Christmas program. His figurine is not included in traditional nativity sets. Carols don't even make mention of him. Yet he is a central character in the Christmas story. In fact, without him there is no Christmas story.

We all know the hero in the story of Christmas: Jesus, the Son of God come to earth. But without a villain there can be no hero. We need to recognize the archenemy in the narrative of Christmas. His name is Satan, a.k.a. Beelzebub, the Devil, the Prince of Darkness, the Evil One.

We do ourselves a great disservice by ignoring the Enemy's role in the story of Jesus coming to earth. As captivating as the feel-good storyline is, what with the virgin birth, the Messiah in a feeding trough, and a sky full of angels, when we don't recognize the villain, the story of Christmas loses all dramatic impact. It's like Peter Pan without Captain Hook. The Wizard of Oz without the Wicked Witch of the West. Die Hard without Hans Gruber. Moby Dick without, well, Moby Dick.

Yes, it's true. God sent His Son to the world in the form of a baby to save us from our sins, to restore us to right relationship with Him. But we will never grasp the significance of God's generous gift to us until we identify the villain in the story and give him his due. 

We have a powerful enemy. We cannot ignore that. And he has but one objective--to keep us as far away from God as possible. He knows what God and us together can do. So he works long and hard to separate us from God, to keep us stuck in our sinful thoughts, behaviors, and addictions. He is cunning and smart. He knows everything about us--our weaknesses, our vulnerabilities, our blind spots. And that is precisely where he attacks.

The Bible warns us of the enemy's presence and offers this stern warning: Stay sober, stay alert! Your enemy, the Adversary, stalks about like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour (1 Pet. 5:8, CJB). What a terrifying and precise word picture. We must never forget that the Devil is always on the prowl, waiting to pounce when we least suspect it; seeking to rip from our grasp God's gracious gifts of love, joy, hope, and peace and force on us his onerous offerings of fear, shame, discontent, and hate, of which he has an endless supply.

Jesus was born to set us free, to release us from our sins and fears. But that is not to say that His coming into the world and into our lives has stopped the Enemy from carrying out his dirty deeds. We will continue to do battle with Satan as long as we are on this earth. Jesus didn't come to take our adversity away. He came to help us get through it and point us to a future life with Him where there will be no trials or troubles. His words recorded in John 16 are both frightening and comforting:  Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world (Jn. 16:33, NLT).

We need to recognize the presence of the enemy in the Christmas story and in our lives. But we must also stand firm in the truth that as powerful and persistant as he is, he is no match for Jesus. Our battles with him continue. But, thanks be to God, the war has been won!

Hail, the heaven-born Prince of peace!
Hail the Sun of righteousness!
Light and life to all he brings,
Risen with healing in his wings.
Mild he lays his glory by,
Born that man no more may die,
Born to raise the sons of earth,
Born to give them second birth.
Hark! the herald angels sing,
Glory to the newborn King.

If people laugh at you for taking a stand for God, you must remember that you're in good company. They laughed at Noah for building an ark when there was no rain in the forecast. They laughed at David when he squared off against a giant while armed with only a slingshot. They laughed at Jesus as He hung on the cross for referring to Himself as the Savior of the world.

When you get serious about being the person God wants you to be you shouldn't be surprised when you get opposition. In fact, you should expect it. As my mentor once told me, "If you're not getting friction, you're not moving."

You cannot settle for less than God's best for you because of what people might say. You must, as the author of the book of Hebrews writes, throw off everything that hinders you and especially the sin that so easily entangles you, and keep running with endurance the race set before you, fixing your attention on Jesus. (​Heb. 12:1, ISV)

Perhaps the first thing you need to do in taking a stand for God is learn how to stand up for yourself. Maybe you need to identify who or what is hindering you from reaching your spiritual goals. And then do something about it.

That may mean throwing off your crutches of addiction and leaning on God to see you through. It may mean cutting off relationships with people who, if you're really honest with yourself,  are holding you back. It may mean putting off for a time meeting the needs of others so you can have your own needs met. If it's any consolation, even Jesus did that. He didn't heal everyone who needed healing. He didn't encourage everyone who needed encouragement. There were times He went off by Himself to spend time with the Father to receive healing and encouragement. Caring for yourself does not mean you're being selfish. It means you're being responsible.

Don't let the opinions of people hold you back from being the person God wants you to be. His is the only opinion that matters. So keep moving forward. And keep your eyes fixed on Him.

It amazes me how many people have bought in to the notion that the only thing required to overcome adversity in life is more willpower. 

Struggling with addiction? Just say no. 

Traumatic childhood? Put it behind you.

Depressed? Think happy thoughts.

Grieving the loss of a loved one? Get over it.

Do better. Try harder. Dig deeper. All are messages that enforce the belief that sheer willpower is enough to conquer any emotional foe. But in most cases, adopting that approach to our problems will only set us up for more disappointment and heartache.

The late Dr. Alexander DeJong, my childhood pastor; authority on addictive behaviors; and, himself, a recovering alcoholic, suggested that those who believe that their difficulties can be overcome by exerting more willpower should try that approach the next time they have diarrhea.

Always had a way with words, that Doc DeJong.

But that image, as graphic as it is, proclaims a mighty truth: Willpower alone will never help us to master our misery. When seeking to conquer our problems we don't need more willpower. We need God-power. 

Self-sufficiency may be promoted by our culture but it is not a theme we will find in Scripture. Nowhere in the Bible do we read that we can do all things if we just try harder. Rather, in the book of Philippians (4:13, NKJV), we are offered this mind-blowing mantra: I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

Exerting more willpower puts the onus on us. That's probably why the word "onus" is spelled that way. But it is not our loving God's desire that we carry the burdens of life on us. So He has offered to carry them for us: Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you. (1 Pet. 5:7, NLT) ​We would be wise to take Him up on that.

When it comes to gaining victory over our troubles, we are power-less (hypen intended), no matter how hard we try. But God is power-full.  It is His strength, not ours, that empowers us to do all things. 

We all have problems in our lives. Every one of us. Even those who are always "fine" have problems. At the top of their list is denial.

We all have problems because we are all affected by sin in the world. No one is exempt. As a result, we all have "stuff" that we carry.

• Worry.
• Fear.
• Anger.
• Addiction.
• Health concerns.
• Financial concerns.
• Conflict with others.
• Conflict with ourselves.

Codependents have it even worse. They carry not only their stuff, they carry everyone else's.

We weren't meant to trudge through life bearing the weight of our problems. We have a God who has offered to take that load off our shoulders. Listen to the offer Jesus Himself makes to us: Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. (Matt. 11:28)

We have been invited to lay our burdens down at the foot of the cross. The Greek word used for "burden" is translated, the troubles of this life. 

To lay our troubles down at the cross is a conscious choice. It is an act of surrender--we are giving up the notion that we can handle them on our own. It is an act of faith--we are trusting that God can handle them. But laying our problems at the foot of the cross is also an act of worship. For when we look up we will see that the cross is empty. Jesus is no longer there. He conquered sin and death. The empty cross stands as as a symbol that we, too, can overcome. The same power that freed Jesus at the cross is available there to free us.

Jesus' triumph at the cross not only gives us life, but abundant, victorious, everlasting life; life to the full (Jn. 10:10). Nothing can make our lives more full than an empty cross.

​The boy knew he might be late for school but he couldn’t help himself. The sight of four black puppies in the pet store window stopped him dead in his tracks. It was only a matter of minutes after the dismissal bell rang that the boy was back at the window making sure all the puppies were still there. He then ran home as fast as he could.

“Mom, can I get a puppy?” The boy’s mother was skeptical. When he assured her that he would not only pay for the puppy himself but would care for it she relented.

The boy collected his savings and dashed out the door.

He counted the puppies in the window before going inside the store.  The pet store owner then took him back to the window to make his selection. The boy’s decision had already been made. “I want that one,” he said as he pointed to the smallest puppy in the corner.

“Oh, you don’t want that one,” the store owner replied. “He’s crippled. He’s got a problem with one of his legs. He can’t run and play like the other puppies. Choose another one.”

The boy lifted his pant leg exposing a metal leg brace. “No,” the boy insisted. “I think I’ll take the one in the corner.”

One of the most helpful things we can do when when our hearts are hurting is seek the companionship of someone who knows our struggle. God has a knack for bringing “kindred spirits” into our lives to help us to process our pain and restore our hope.

I feel a special connection to people with father wounds. A shared history makes me tender toward those deprived of a dad’s love. I have found healing through those whose stories parallel mine. 

When our daughter was struggling to weather the emotional devastation of two unsuccessful pregnancies, it wasn't her mother or father or pastor or doctor who brought her calm and offered her hope. It was women--young and old, some of whom she didn't even know--who felt what she was feeling. They knew first-hand the heartache, shame, and loneliness of miscarriage. And they made it through.

Where do cancer patients find the most hope? From cancer survivors. Who offers more support  to a person caught in the web of alcoholism than one who has been set free from the same snare?

More times than not, the person who lends the most comfort, understanding, and compassion when we're faced a gut-wrenching trial--whether it be depression, addiction, the loss of a job, or the loss of marriage--is someone who has walked that same road.

God shines brightest through people who have encountered suffering and have not only survived, but have come out of their ordeals with supernatural strength, greater love, and deeper faith.  

The truth is, when our storms subside, we often don't remember their severity or the even the depth of our struggle. But we never forget who was with us.  

There is incredible power in the words, Me, too.