For yielding is sin’

And he’ll do it. That’s his job. See, the devil ain’t like us. No, he ain’t lazy. He don’t lay up in the bed to all hours of the morning thinking about what he’s got to do. He’s doing. He’s working. He’s always busy. And what’s he busy doing? Tempting. After your soul . . . Now you all help me preach this morning . . .”

. . . Go on ahead. Tell it . . .

“See, the soul is a valuable thing. And it’s our responsibility to keep it up, like a house. You got to repair it, clean it, redecorate it every now and again. You got to lock the door when you go to bed or you might find somebody there when you wake up that you didn’t leave there when you went to sleep. You all ain’t listening this morning . . .”

. . . Go ahead now . . .

“See, that’s what he does, Satan and his demons, they come around to taint the soul, to make it unfit, O yes he does, he come, come on in and he whispers, whispers, O yes in your ear, and he tells you—ha-ha—to do wrong. When you lets your guard down—oh, just a little bit—he’s waiting right there, O yes, to come in and set you on the way to hell, to the fire and brimstone prepared for him and his angels—my Lord! He’ll come for you in middle of the night . . .”

. . . Yeah . . .

“He’ll come for you when things get weary . . .”

. . . Yeah . . .

“He’ll come for you when you can’t find your way . . .”

. . . Yeah . . .

“He’ll come for you when things get kind of hard and you don’t know which way to turn . . .”

. . . O yeah . . .

“He’ll come for you when you on your knees crying . . .”

. . . Yes . . .

“He will come. O yes. He’ll come pretty. Yes he will.

“He don’t come with a frown and a leer. No, he comes with a smile. O my Jesus, see, the last thing the devil wants to do is scare you away. He wants to seduce you. And you weak . . .”

. . . Weak, Lord . . .

“. . . and troubled . . .”

. . . Troubled . . .

“. . . and you don’t know your way . . .”

. . . My Lord! . . .

“That’s why, beloved, we have to pray and keep watch over our souls and fear not. We have to pray that the Lord our God will deliver us from evil. Neither the terror that flies by day, nor the terror that walks by night shall overtake us. Be vigilant. Be steadfast. Be true.”

As the pastor closed his eyes and let his voice ring out in prayer, the voice whispered, Such a bore. Kill him.

What?

Kill him, now.

But I can’t.

You can’t? Or you won’t?

No.

Boy, what do you think this is? A bad dream?