Satan's Disguise
...A continuation of Miss Grumble Bug and how I was caught off guard.
"Even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light." 2 Corinthians 11:14
The day began joyfully, but two hours into it the content of text messages from three totally unrelated situations took me off my guard. You know, when you find yourself saying, "People! Are you kidding me?"
"Let us not sleep, like the rest, but let us stay awake and be self-controlled." 1 Thessalonians 5:6
In the same book mentioned yesterday, Awaken, Priscilla Shirer describes certain times when we feel the schemes of the devil breathing down our necks. We run for our spiritual armor and begin to battle.
She writes: "But at other times, when you're feeling steady and secure in your faith and the cloud cover of good times has lulled you to sleep, you no longer sense the need to do as much proactive safe-guarding. Your marriage is reasonably strong, your finances steady, your children are safe, your own hang-ups somewhat silent for the moment. So, you relax your pursuit of holiness and the priority you place on spiritual things. But the smokescreen of happier times, even just normal times, shields the brazenness of his strategy, hoping to catch you unaware. You may not hear the clink of weapons being aimed your direction. You may not think the situation requires as much preparation and protection. You may be too tired or too comfortable to be concerned about being overly watchful. That's when he'll burn you.
So today, plan ahead and pack spiritual supplies to keep his intentions at bay."
Have you been there? Me, oh my, I have.
What does the dad say in "Meet the Parents"..."I'll take you down to China town."
The devil wants to take you out! Ruin your reputation as a child of God. Weaken your witness.
The battle is so real. Surround yourself with wise friends/family who recognize the battle and can see attacks coming when you are blinded. Keep close those brothers and sisters in Christ who will lift their swords and fight for you through prayer. I thank God for our daughters and granddaughters who do that time and again for me.
"Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour." 1 Peter 5:8
The thought provoking questions in Priscilla's book concerning this topic were.
1) "What kind of situations cause you to become less watchful and alert?"
2) "What do you need to put in place to keep from being susceptible to sneak attacks?"
