The King of Assyria was a bully. First he extorted money from King Hezekiah, and when the money ran out, he threatened to conquer his land. Like all bullies he told Hezekiah about all his previous conquests to strike fear in Hezekiah’s heart. That’s what bullies do. They prey on your fears and insecurities.

Satan is also a bully. He threatens us with sickness, lack. He preys on our fears and insecurities. He says things like, “God will not heal you, remember so and so who died?” “God will not provide, remember that person who lost their house.” He is just a bully reminding you of your past mistakes.

We can learn from Hezekiah how to defeat the enemy when he tries to bully us.

1. Ignore him. Satan is like a child. He wants your attention. He wants you to be anxious and fearful. But we cannot allow him to steal our peace. So when he is lying to you and threatening you, your greatest weapon is your peace. Do not allow him to set your agenda.

2. Set your eyes upon the Lord. Trust in the Lord.

3. Hear the Word of the Lord. God either will speak to you before you entered the trial or while you are in it. Whichever the case, cling to that word. Hold onto it and trust it. That word will sustain you.

I love the word God gave Hezekiah through the prophet Isaiah. “Tell King of Assryia, I know where he lives.” God is so cool! This King was threatening God’s people. He was bullying God’s children. So God responses with the ultimate threat, “I know where you live.”

We have been given authority over our bully, Satan. All he has are lies and intimidation. So when he raises his ugly head and tries to threaten us, we can look him in the eyes and say what our Father said, “I know where you live Satan. And because of Calvary, it’s under my feet!”

“‘But I know your dwelling place, Your going out and your coming in, And your rage against Me.”
‭‭II Kings‬ ‭19:27‬ ‭NKJV