When we ask Satan to leave us alone, we to some degree acknowledge his authority or give him power – power he doesn’t have.

Oh, he definitely has power, and he will use it. But it is limited to the space we or God yield to him. The space God allows is always temporary and always purposeful. The space we allow is more haphazard, because we don’t understand all the pieces.

We need to stop placing Satan in a position of authority in our lives by asking or pleading with him to leave us alone. Not everything negative in our lives has to do with him, but some of it does. When we focus on him, our perspective gets distorted. Instead we can focus on God and access his power and authority.

We can focus on the light or the dark. Our focus, wherever it is, doesn’t mean the other doesn’t exist. It simply means we decide which is most important, which is our filter, who gives us purpose and significance and defines who we are and what we’re doing.

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. (John 10:10)