What I Learned from a Twenty-Year-Old Cat

by Konnie K. Viner

Be alert…your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 1 Peter 5:8 NIV

In 2020, my son accepted a job in another country. In preparation for the move, he asked if I would take their elderly cat; they were concerned she would not do well with the long flight and required animal quarantine. I agreed, although I already had two other cats.

Salsa is a tiny white cat; her name accurately describes her spicy personality. My cats did not accept her; they would hiss and growl loudly at every opportunity. However, Salsa instantly became the alpha cat which was surprising since she is 20 years old and half their size.

The key is Salsa is completely deaf. She is never threatened or intimated by the very loud verbal aggression of the other cats. She merely stops, makes eye contact (likely wondering why their faces are all squished up and their teeth are showing), and then calmly walks away quite disinterested.

Salsa taught me a few important spiritual lessons as I observed her interaction with the other cats. Their threats were intended to scare and intimidate her and convince her they were in charge. Isn’t this what our enemy the devil tries to do? “Be alert…your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8 NIV).

But the growls and hisses held no power over Salsa because she couldn’t hear anything! And, the truth is the devil has no power over us as believers. He tries to get us to listen to his lies and live in fear and defeat. But we hold the power in whether to listen or not. We know everything he says is a lie. “When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies” (John 8:44 NIV).

Salsa controlled the situation with the other cats because she wasn’t cowering in fear. She was the one in charge. We cannot stop the lies from entering our thoughts, but we can take control over their impact. “We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5 NIV).

The truth is we can turn a deaf ear to the lies of the devil. We can choose to affirm our power over his evil lies through the truth of Scripture. Salsa’s reaction and interaction with my other cats prompted me to write down some lies the devil had been speaking to me. Next to each lie I wrote a truth from the Bible and meditated on each reality and impact in my life. Soon the fears held no power over me.

The next time the roaring lion tries to plant one of his lies in your mind, remind him you are not listening and reject the lie immediately. Turn a deaf ear to the devil and claim the power of God’s truth in your life.

For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love, and self-discipline.” 2 Timothy 1:7 NIV

This article is brought to you by the Advanced Writers and Speakers Association (AWSA).

About the author: Konnie Viner is an award-winning author who writes to encourage women with the assurance of God’s faithfulness. She is the author of two novels: Blueberry Bungalow, (a Selah Mystery & Suspense award-winner), and Amaryllis Journey, (a Golden Scroll fiction award-winner). Her first book, Rested Soul Resilient Heart, Finding Hope in the Storms of Abuse and Betrayal is an eight-week guide to healing from the fallout of toxic relationships. Konnie has a Bachelor’s degree in Education and a Master’s in Business Management. She is a Certified Domestic Violence Advocate, a former secondary education teacher, tutor, Bible study teacher, and retreat speaker.

Join the conversation: What lies have you recently had to battle?