What possesses a man to open fire on thousands of innocent people; people who were out for an evening filled with music and fun?

For some, it was a bucket-list kind of evening of enjoying and living life to the fullest…until the gunfire started.

Shots. Rapid fire. Deafening, relentless shots filled the air; hundreds of life-robbing rounds piercing some, grazing some and sending thousands of others clambering for safety.

When the dust settled, at least 58 were killed and 500-plus were injured. The man responsible apparently turned the gun on himself before authorities reached him. There was no immediate clues as to what would possess him to commit such a senseless and heinous crime.

And, yet, I know exactly what possessed him. It couldn’t be more obvious than if he had left a note or pre-recorded video.

This is, without a doubt, the workmanship of Satan himself. His evil fingerprints are all over it. Not to say the man that pulled the trigger isn’t guilty. He is. Like far too many people living on God’s green earth today, he was a willing participant in Satan’s evil bidding. He had obviously checked out of humanity, surrendering to the wrong side of the continuing war between good and evil; a mere puppet whose monstrous actions will never make sense.

The only thing the rest of us can do is get on our knees and ask God to be with those affected by this evil deed and to remember that, while it may look dark and grim at the moment, the final battle between good and evil has already been won. We already know the ending; we already know the good guys win.

Our job is to not let Satan have even one day of glory. We must fight back.  We must pray harder and shine our lights even brighter than ever before knowing that God will turn what was meant for evil for good.  Be a part of that good.

Pray.  Pray as individuals. As the church. As a nation. As a world. As God’s creation.

Pray intently. Pray loud. Then, pray even louder. Pray until Satan can’t stand all the noise.

Go back to hell, Satan. You’re not welcome here.