I Now Know How the Devil Dances

I Now Know How the Devil Dances

By Kateb Nuri-Alim Shunnar.

There was a time when I didn’t even know the devil had a dance. I used to think it was this obvious thing you know, the kind of temptation you could easily recognize, something bold and loud. Turns out, that’s not really how it works. Now, I’ve learned the devil’s dance is much more subtle, creeping in through small decisions, quiet compromises, and the moments when you’re just too tired or frustrated to care anymore.

I see it now. And honestly, it scares me how often I didn’t.

It all starts so small. For me, it’s never been about those big, life-changing moments. It’s always the little things, like ignoring that voice inside that says, “Maybe this isn’t the right thing to do.” You know what I mean? You have that gut feeling, but you brush it off because dealing with the truth feels like too much work. You justify it to yourself, say, “Well, it’s not that bad, right?” But that’s where it begins. You’ve already taken the first step.

Looking back, I remember a time when I was consumed by anger. And not just any kind of anger the kind that lingers. The kind that, instead of motivating you to fix something, just festers. I justified it, convinced myself I had every right to feel that way. And in a way, I did. But what I didn’t realize at the time was that I was giving in to it. I was letting that anger take the lead, let it guide me through my days. I didn’t see it then, but that was the dance.

It didn’t happen overnight. It’s not like one day I woke up and decided, “I’m going to let my anger control me.” No, it’s way more subtle than that. It’s the little things the passive-aggressive comments, the silent treatment, the refusal to forgive, even when I knew that’s what I needed to do. It felt like I was in control, but really, I wasn’t. I was being led by something darker, something I didn’t fully understand. The dance had already started, and I was just along for the ride.

What I’ve learned is that the devil’s dance doesn’t need to be flashy to be effective. It works in the background, slowly pulling you off course until you don’t even recognize the person you’ve become. For me, it was easy to justify everything I was feeling anger, pride, jealousy. It all made sense at the time. But that’s the trick, isn’t it? The dance is all about making you believe it’s okay, that it’s normal to feel that way, to act that way. And by the time you realize what’s happening, you’ve already lost your way.

I think one of the hardest things to admit is that I let myself be manipulated by my feelings and my desires. The devil doesn’t have to force you to do anything. He just has to make it seem like a good idea, and you’ll take care of the rest. I hate admitting that, but it’s the truth.

And I’m not saying all this to be dramatic. This is just real life. We all go through it. We all have moments where we give in to something that doesn’t feel right, but we do it anyway. Maybe for you, it’s not anger. Maybe it’s something else envy, guilt, fear, shame. Whatever it is, it can pull you away from who you are, one small step at a time.

I didn’t recognize how deep I was into the dance until I was forced to stop and look at myself. I had a moment where everything I was holding onto came crashing down. And it wasn’t a big, dramatic breakdown either. It was more like a quiet realization that I wasn’t living the way I wanted to. I wasn’t the person I thought I was. That’s when I realized that I’d been dancing to someone else’s tune for way too long.

I remember sitting alone, trying to make sense of everything. All the anger I’d been holding onto, all the pride I’d been protecting it was eating me alive, and I didn’t even see it. And in that stillness, I realized I had a choice. I could keep going, keep letting the anger lead me, or I could stop. Just stop, step out of the dance, and choose a different path.

The thing is, when you’re caught up in the devil’s dance, it feels like it’s the only option. It’s like you’re stuck in this rhythm, and no matter how hard you try, you can’t break free. But once you recognize it for what it is, you realize you’re not trapped. You can choose to step away, to stop moving to that destructive beat, and start listening for something else something quieter but more peaceful.

I’m not going to sit here and say it’s easy. It’s not. It takes work to resist the pull of the dance, to stop following the path of least resistance. And even now, there are times when I feel that old rhythm calling to me, trying to pull me back into those old patterns. But the difference is, now I see it for what it is. I know what it looks like, and I know what it does to me. That’s what gives me the strength to walk away.

I think we all experience this in different ways. Maybe for you, it’s about learning to forgive when every part of you wants to hold a grudge. Maybe it’s about letting go of that need to be right all the time, or that desire for revenge, or whatever it is that pulls you away from your true self. The point is, we all have something. And the dance is always there, waiting for us to slip back into it. But we don’t have to.

I’ve learned that the devil’s dance is more about what it takes from you than what it offers. It steals your peace, your sense of self, your connection to the things that matter. It replaces them with temporary satisfaction, but it never lasts. Once you see that, once you understand what’s happening, you can choose to stop. You can choose to find a different rhythm one that brings you back to yourself, back to the Creator.

So if you’re feeling pulled in a direction that doesn’t feel right, take a step back. Recognize the dance for what it is. It may seem tempting, even justified, but it’s not worth what it takes from you. You’re worth more than that. And once you stop dancing, you’ll find something better, something that leads you closer to the person you were meant to be.