This past Friday, our brother in Christ, Mike Cathey, lost his life to the brutal addiction to drugs and alcohol. Mike fought that battle for years but simply was not able to defeat it. All we can do now is mourn, not only the loss of life, but more importantly, the loss of a precious soul. This tragedy should help us to remember a few things.

It serves as a reminder that the devil is active. From an outward standpoint, Mike was fighting addiction to a physical substance. It is a battle that millions of people fight every day. However, behind the scene, it is a fight against Satan. Satan did everything he could to keep Mike a slave to addiction and, therefore, a servant to sin. Sadly, the devil won the battle. Let’s remember that Satan is not finished, and that he is not going to rest. Peter said, “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” (1 Peter 5:8). The devil wants to make us his slaves too. Maybe he will not be able to get us with an addiction to drugs, but there are plenty of other addictions in life (TV, money, popularity, etc.). The point of it is that Satan is alive and active and trying to ruin our souls. We must remember what we are up against. Paul said, “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12).

It serves as a reminder that God always gives us a way of escape. Mike was not the first child of God to lose the battle against Satan and sin. Sadly, members of the Lord’s church often fall from grace. But it does not have to happen, and one reason we can avoid it is because God gives us a way of escape from every type of temptation. Paul put it like this:

1 Corinthians 10:13 (ESV)

¹³ No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.

That is great news isn’t it? While Satan is alive and active, there is not any temptation that he hurls at us that cannot be overcome. The important thing to remember is that we must take the way of escape that God gives us. Tragically, Mike did not take the ways of escape that were given to him by God. He had many of them, starting with God and the help that He offers through His word and the avenue of prayer. But he had some earthly help as well. Ray and Carolyn Carlile were his best chance at escaping his troubled past. They gave him food and lodging and much, much more. Dewayne Easterling was a resource that he could have taken advantage of more. Paul Dietzel was one I encouraged him to speak to, but I don’t think he ever did. I bring this up, not to disparage Mike in any way, but to help us use his tragic end as a reminder of what we can do when Satan is pursuing us. We can turn to God and ask for His help and guidance, and we can turn to brethren who have the love and experience to help us escape whatever temptation is troubling us. What we should not do is try to overcome the devil all by ourselves when we are being tempted. He has too much experience, and we are too weak when it comes to the flesh. God has given us ways of escaping temptation and overcoming our weaknesses. Let’s learn from Mike’s unfortunate end and take advantage of the escape God gives us.

It serves as a reminder that life can end at any moment. Let’s be honest. Even though we knew Mike was going down a dangerous path, his death was still a shock. Death almost always is, especially when it seems to cut life short. The truth is tomorrow is not promised to us. Death is no respecter of persons. It often comes when we least expect it. Therefore, we must stay prepared to meet our Master in judgment. Jesus said, “Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming” (Matthew 24:42). Certainly, Mike’s sudden death reminds us of this truth. We must remain diligent.

Today we all mourn the loss of our brother Mike. There is not anything good about His passing from this life in the way that he did. There are no words that can comfort us or thoughts that can console us. The only thing left is to learn from his tragedy and do our best to make sure that the disastrous conclusion to his life is not repeated in any of us.