So, when any good defender goes into the game he has spent countless hours preparing their game plan. He knows his opponents' weaknesses and strengths as well as his own. He has prepared a game plan to accentuate the weaknesses of the opponent and his own strengths.
So, you may ask, what is my point. Well, we have an enemy walking among us. Working alongside us, eating at the same places we eat, and also living in our own houses. Our enemy has been around LONG before we were in existence. He was an enemy of all of our relatives and goes all the way back to creation.
Our enemy is Satan. There are many names for him, but Satan is perhaps the most universally used name for our enemy. So, my question for anyone reading this is this...
Are you ready to stand against him?
God calls us to stand firm in the faith against this enemy. He does not ask us to defend against him. He doesn't call us to fight Satan, but simply to stand and let God fight the battle for us.
But, in order to stand, you must know where this enemy shows himself in your life. You must be prepared to fight, knowing that you are really preparing yourself to stand up tall, to maneuver through this world different from those who have not chosen to believe.
Where is Satan moving his sneaky hand in your life? Who/what is he using as a temptation to get a hold on you? What have you let slip in your life? What truth are you questioning because of Satan.
For me, Satan is using this situation with my job and the lack of understanding His plan, the fear I have of the near future, and the sadness I feel as a result of these things to inch his way into my daily life. Satan has also used my desire to be a mother and the pain associated with not achieving that goal to chip away at my faith.
How does that help me? Well, I now know that this is Satan trying to pry me out of my Father's arms. I can prepare myself to stand against this tactic and strengthen my faith.
What areas of weakness in your life is Satan trying to get at? What are you going to do about that? Are you going to stand and stop allowing him to slide in? or Are you going to let Satan pull you one step at a time off of he Path God has led you to? Satan will never throw you off a ledge to get to Hell. He will escort you one step at a time.
I leave you with this.
"Be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.
"Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.
"And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints...." Ephesians 6:10-18
Stand firm Brothers and Sisters of Christ!
Father, We call upon you to create in us an awareness of the places Satan was found as our weakness. We ask that you will hold us up when we are weak and fill us with your TRUTH so that we can stand with you against this enemy and remain strong. Help us to dress each day with your armor and to prepare ourselves for this battle we face each day. It is only through your Son, Jesus that we can come to you. Amen!
