I called, You Answered, and you came to my rescue

Under Attack? Caught not paying attention

This week, I have been thinking a lot about "The Battle". I mentioned in the last post that I am not sure that Christians take Satan's attack on us seriously. The Bible refers to him as a prowling lion, looking for someone to devour. I found out 3 interesting things about how lions hunt. Today, the final interesting thing....

Antelopes, while physically fast, are mentally not quite so sprightly and pay perhaps too little attention to learning from their mistakes.

I read about a group of Thomson's gazelles crossing a patch of thick bush in order to drink. When they entered the thick bush, it was bristling with lions that instantly grabbed and ate one of the gazelles. Over the next two hours the same group of gazelles, having apparently forgotten the recent murder of one of their companions, tried not once but twice more to get to the water using the same route…with predictable results.

Oh my goodness! How many times do we walk right into Satan's traps?
Scripture warns us, even commands us what to avoid.....

We have witnessed friends and family, coworkers, and others get caught in the trap.....

Often we have been ensnared in the trap before....

and yet...

We go right back to the same spot where we KNOW Satan is waiting.

What are we thinking? Do we think that sin is a game? Something to tinker around with? Do we or do we not believe that God hates sin? Do we, perhaps, believe that "little" sins don't ensnare? Do we think that the only sins that God really hates are the ones that WE have deemed "terrible"? Scripture says plainly that God hates a proud look, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked imaginations, feet that are swift in running to mischief, a false witness who speaks lies, and one who sows discord among brethren. (Proverbs 6:16-19).

Scripture tells us to resist the devil, not toy with him.

I do not for one moment believe that a Christian should live in FEAR of Satan. I claim the promise that "He who is in me is greater than he who is in the world" (1 John 4:4) multiple times daily. I also know too many Christians that have fallen to Satan's snare. I know people who, while still very much have the promise of Heaven, are living hell on earth because of sin in their lives.

I do not fear Satan, but I am fully aware that he seeks to destroy me and the people I love. I do not take being under attack lightly. When I sense the enemy of my soul is near, I call on my prayer warriors and together we fight back. I can fight alone, and have, but there is great reassurance in knowing that my sisters and brothers in Christ are on the front lines with me.

It is my prayer that you will no longer absently say "that's Satan attacking", but that you too will sound the alarm, rally the troops, and wage war on the enemy of your soul!

After all, we are in the battle.

Under Attack? Easy Prey

This week, I have been thinking a lot about "The Battle". I mentioned in the last post that I am not sure that Christians take Satan's attack on us seriously. The Bible refers to him as a prowling lion, looking for someone to devour. I found out 3 interesting things about how lions hunt. Today, the second interesting thing....

If an ambush fails and they are forced to chase their prey, lions will separate the sick, the weak, or the young because they are easier to catch and kill.

Satan also separates the young Christian, the weak Christian, and the sick Christian.... from other Christians and the church in general...making them easier to catch and devour. Unlike the African Lion, Satan does not attack the physically ill, weak, or young. Rather, he attacks the spiritually immature, weak, or ill. He knows that, if he can separate them from other Christians, they are easy prey.

Those who have not yet matured in their faith are vulnerable to attack when they are separated from the church body. Just as we would not leave a toddler alone to fend for himself, neither should we expect a new Christian to be able to "raise himself" to maturity.

When we are spiritually weak or sick, either from our own sin or from being hurt by others, we are vulnerable to Satan's attack, no matter how mature we are spiritually. When we allow ourselves to be separated from other Christians and from God's church, we isolate ourselves and are sitting ducks for Satan's attacks. When we isolate ourselves from our church family, we become susceptible to Satan's lies.

I have seen this ugly pattern time and time again. A wounded Christian immediately separates himself from his church family. If not from the entire church family, then from his close Christian friends, the ones who will speak God's truth to him.

They are defenseless, isolated and alone with only their hurt, when Satan moves in for the kill.

Scripture is full of wisdom about choosing godly friends, surrounding ourselves with godly people and seeking godly counsel....and with good reason. There is strength in numbers.

Under Attack? The Ambush

This week, I have been thinking alot about "The Battle". I mentioned in the last post that I am not sure that Christians take Satan's attack on us seriously. The Bible refers to him as a prowling lion, looking for someone to devour. I found out 3 interesting things about how lions hunt.

They’re incredibly good at hiding and phenomenally patient.

Lions are opportunistic hunters, and, after a careful stalk, will take the closest animal regardless of its age, sex or condition.

Satan is also good at hiding, and has the utmost patience. He will lurk in the shadows until the perfect time to strike. He can catch the strongest Christian off guard and wreak havoc on his / her life.

Of course, Satan doesn't lurk behind trees or under the bed. Scripture gives us a warning in Genesis.

Then the LORD said to Cain, "Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it."

From the very beginning, Satan has been lying in wait. Patiently looking for the perfect opportunity to attack.

"It's only a movie"

"It's just a book"

"It's only flirting, we aren't doing anything"

"It's just business"

"It's my body"

"It's just one drink"

The list of things we say as we walk headlong into sin is endless, and Satan is waiting, wringing his hands in anticipation as we walk right into his trap.

Under Attack?

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Ephesians 6:12

It's early, but not early enough for me to have enough time to get all my thoughts in print. Last night I asked Calvin if he thought that people REALLY believe in Spiritual Warfare. We talked about it for a moment, but nothing really settled in my heart.

This morning I awoke before the alarm with the same question on my heart.
"Do people REALLY believe in spiritual warfare?"
More to the point, do Christians really believe what 1 Peter 5:8 says?

Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.

To prowl is to move about in a predatory manner...to hunt.

Devour is a graphic word! It means to destroy completely. Completely:to a complete degree or to the full or entire extent.

Satan is not just milling around hoping to stumble across someone that he can ruff up a bit. He is on the hunt, and he is hunting for someone to completely destroy.

And yet, we are surprised when we are attacked.

Even more disturbing to me at this moment is the casualness in which Christians will say "I am being attacked"....perhaps they do not realize that Satan's goal is NOT to cause them discomfort, but to completely destroy them?

I have to sign off and get the kids up and ready for school and myself ready for work, but before I do...

I noticed something for the very first time this morning....look back at 1Peter 5:8. What does the first of that verse say?

Be self-controlled and alert.

I believe that herein lies the battle. If we TRULY believed that Satan was hunting for someone to destroy, saying "I am under attack" would sound more like "HELP! SATAN IS DESTROYING ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! GET HIM OFF ME!!!! CAST HIM OUT!!!!!" If we truly believed that Satan was hunting for someone to destroy, we would not let our guard down and allow gossip, slander, lust, envy, hatred, unforgiveness, greed, jealously, and such to enter our lives. In fact, we would hate these things. We would love Self Control. We would be alert to any change in our environment that would indicate that the predator of our souls is near.

Instead, we casually say "I'm under attack" and go one about business as usual, allowing Satan to devour us at his leisure.

okay, i REALLY have to go to work,...

More on this later...

Trust You'll Treat Her Well

Dear World:

I bequeath to you today one little girl ... in a crispy dress ... with two brown eyes ... and a happy laugh that ripples all day long ... and a flash of brown hair that bounces in the sunlight when she runs.

I trust you'll treat her well.

She's slipping out of the backyard of my heart this morning ... and skipping off down the street to her first day of school. And never again will she be completely mine. Prim and proud she'll wave her young and independent hand this morning and say "Good Bye"... and walk with little lady steps to the schoolhouse.

Now she'll learn to stand in line ... and wait by the alphabet for her name to be called. She'll learn to tune her ears to the sounds of school-bells ... and deadlines ... and she'll learn to giggle ... and gossip ... and look at the ceiling in a disinterested way when the little boy across the aisle sticks out his tongue at her. And now she'll learn to be jealous. And now she'll learn how it is to feel hurt inside. And now she'll learn how not to cry.

No longer will she have time to sit on the front porch steps on a summer day and watch an ant scurry across the crack in a sidewalk. Nor will she have time to pop out of bed with the dawn to kiss lilac blossoms in the morning dew. No, now she'll worry about important things. Like grades ... and which dress to wear ... and who's best friend is whose. And the magic of books and learning will replace the magic of her blocks and dolls. And now she'll find new heroes.

For five full years now I've been her sage and Santa Claus and pal and playmate and mother and friend. Now she'll learn to share her worship with her teachers ... which is only right. But, no longer will I be the smartest woman in the whole world. Today when that school bell rings for the first time ... she'll learn what it means to be a member of a group. With all it's privileges. And it's disadvantages too.

She'll learn in time that proper young ladies do not laugh out loud. Or kiss dogs. Or keep frogs in pickle jars in bedrooms. Or even watch ants scurry across cracks in the summer sidewalk.

Today she'll learn for the first time that all who smile at her are not her friends. And I'll stand on the front porch and watch her start out on the long, lonely journey to become a woman.

So, World, I bequeath to you today one little girl ... in a crispy dress ... with two brown eyes and a happy laugh that ripples all day long ... and a flash of brown hair that bounces in the sunlight when she runs.

I trust you'll treat her well.