Overcoming a Relentless Enemy

“Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.” (1 Peter 5:8-9, NIV)

 

These days call for true fighters of the faith.

 

The photo I have included here was taken while on a church missions trip to Costa Rica in the summer of 2014.  My church is currently building an orphanage there called The House of Hope, and while we were there, we visited The Abraham Project, an orphanage near San Jose.  At The Abraham Project, we were given a tour of the homes where the house-parents raise the children until adopted; we also toured their school and play yard, which was nearby and in walking distance.  Next to the school play yard, they kept piles of materials (as shown here) for the continual building that seemed ongoing and constantly in progress. One house-parent shared how someone had stolen the metal from their pile of building materials.  Because of limited funds, resources, and storage, the materials were vulnerable to thieves. I wanted to remember what this meant for us spiritually as Christians and how vulnerable we are if the proper protection and guarding are not in place.

 

After talking to just two families within a couple of days of our missions trip, theft seemed to be the concurrent problem for those we had met living in Costa Rica.  Not only had The Abraham Project’s building materials been stolen, but also a landowner’s hired-help had stolen from him, causing him to fire his dishonest employee.  I could hear the disappointment in their voices as they expressed their loss so openly with us. Very quickly, I came to be one with the people of Costa Rica. We may feel like our experiences are unique to us, but we should take comfort: we have all suffered that kind of disappointment and that feeling that something was stolen from us.

 

As I reflected on these stories of loss and the photo of the piles of scraps and materials that had been vulnerable to thieves, this scripture came to mind:

“Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings” (1 Peter 5:8-9, NIV).

 

We can forget that we are constantly susceptible to enemy attack. We cannot think that the devil will take things out on us lightly or that he will let up when we would wish him away.  With him, there are no negotiations. If Jesus was a target, we are too:

“When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left [Jesus] until an opportune time” (Luke 4:13, NIV).

 

This word until reminds me of the two different occasions the Lord asks Satan in the book of Job, “Where have you come from?” Satan answers both times the same way: “From roaming through the earth and going back and forth in it” (Job 1:7 and Job 2:2, NIV).  We may overcome one moment with Satan, but he restlessly doesn’t stop and returns again.  We have to be ready and alert for the next time, that next opportune time when we are most vulnerable.

 

We can all recall those past vulnerable moments that stand out in our minds where we will never forget that, to our surprise, the unimaginable and unthinkable would or could even happen through us or to us.  Maybe it is because we were distracted, we did not heed the warning signs, or we didn’t expect it in the form that it came.  (I will be addressing this further in my next blog entry.)

   

After visiting The Abraham Project, I also studied this Scripture, paying close attention to the grammatical structure of John 10:10a in the NIV: “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy.”  The repeated use of the conjunction “and” reminded me that the enemy doesn’t come and do some damage.  He intends to do all the damage that he can!

 

I don’t want people to read this and have a sudden fear that the devil is out to get us (2 Timothy 1:6-7, NIV).  But the truth is, he is! He wants to steal your life of all its past memories of joy and kill your present dreams and destroy your hope for the future. If we allow him, he wants it to go on and on until he takes it all.

 

But here is our hope, which is greater than any plan the enemy will try to orchestrate against us:

He may come as a thief but look at the second part of the verse: “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” (John 10:10b, NIV).

“The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth…”  (Acts 17:24a, NIV).  

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33, NIV).

“You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world” (1 John 4:4, NIV).

“I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come.  And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way” (Ephesians 1:18-23, NIV).

He is the Lamb who was humbly slain for our sins, but He is also the Lion of the tribe of Judah who has triumphed and rules all the earth! (Revelation 5:5-6, NIV).   

 

And He has not left us without protection and a defense:

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 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.  Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.  Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints” (Ephesians 6:10-18, NIV).    

 

Satan is limited, whereas we are not!  Satan may have power, but we have power and authority: “I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you” (Luke 10:19, NIV).

 

This calls for our most active faith! We fight in prayer continually, we stand firm in faith unwaveringly, and we rest in Him when we have done everything we know to do. I don’t know about you, but to rest is active work for me! To rest means not doing something when you want to do something, but the Holy Spirit says, “Not now!” or “Not that!” or “Not yet!”  Remember, it is ultimately His battle. Take up your position and stand your ground! He promises that we will see the deliverance of the Lord (2 Chronicles 20:15-30, NIV).     

 

Someone is tired of fighting the good fight. The battles have been long and hard, and you may even feel like you are losing the battle and are down for the final count. You are thinking, I will just lie here and take it, and let the enemy win.  This is when you know you have reached the end of your own strength.  Be encouraged!  You are weary and tired, but His power is made perfect in your weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9-10, NIV).  Rest in His power! Resting requires activating your faith and trust in Him; having this kind of faith can be hard to understand because it is like a secret that we stumble upon as we stumble along the way.  He loves you and is not put out with you (Psalm 22:24, NIV)! Rest, beloved one of His! Your hope will break forth like the dawn (Isaiah 58:8, NIV).  Your strength will be renewed (Isaiah 40:27-31, NIV).  You won’t be able to understand the logistics of how, when, and what (Hebrews 11:1, NIV).  But believe your breakthrough is coming!

 

There will be a continuation of this blog entry.  As I hope to have established in this entry that you are the target of a real enemy, I pray you also grasp the life and the hope and the power you have in Jesus!  My next entry on this topic will be on how the enemy weasels in and how to reinforce change against similar, future attacks.     

 

Photo by Melanie Marimberga