How
do we combat the things in our lives that try to pull us away from God? Do we
hurry without lingering to obey God’s commands instead of allowing ourselves to
be swept away by the world? It’s so easy to go with the flow.
Until
the flow turns into a waterfall. A whirlpool. A steep drop-off. Sometimes, the
flow ends abruptly and we end up sitting in the middle of a desert.
In
each of these scenarios, we are at the mercy of whatever swept us away. Who
knows what the end point will be?
Satan
attacks God’s strongest warriors, I’ve learned. Those who have strong faith are
constantly under spiritual attack from the devil’s schemes. An army of heaven’s
soldiers is always fighting for our souls. It’s an abstract thought for a very
real world.
The whole business wears me out. I don’t have the
strength to stand on my own. I rely on God’s army to back me up, but sometimes,
I’m too overwhelmed to fight or to hurry to obey God’s commands. Evil comes too
fast, and I always seem to have one hand tied behind my back. So I sit down and
wait for the danger to pass.
The
thing is: the danger doesn’t pass. It is always there, inching its way closer until
it takes control.
We
all have areas of weakness where the enemy takes aim. Physical or mental
health, relationships, personal tendencies – we all have soft spots. Sometimes
they change or multiply. None of us is fully shielded from danger all the time.
I
have to assume that not one person on this earth is immune to the strength of
Satan’s attacks. None of us is God, after all. Even Jesus was tempted to stray
from God. The stronger we are in faith, the more underhanded are the techniques
used to fight against us. Satan can even use our own perceived strengths to
make us blind and arrogant. We don’t even know that we are being overtaken.
“Put
on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all
strategies of the devil,” says the Bible (Eph. 6:11). God’s armor: his word,
Jesus’ blood, the Holy Spirit, our faith.
At
times I find myself – like the psalmist – pondering the direction of my life.
Am I going in the way that leads to the Lord? Or have I become tired and
complacent, allowing the world to sweep me away? Worse – am I relying too much
on my own strength to carry me through the battle, becoming blind to my own
weaknesses?
Only
when I am fully anchored to God can I live a holy life. From the smallest seed
of faith, I have learned that I can do nothing on my own accord to live the
life God intends for me. My weaknesses are too great – I am only one soldier
fighting against Satan’s army of evil. But with God’s word, Jesus’ salvation,
and the Holy Spirit, I can be victorious, refreshed and ready to fight without lingering.
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