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Throughout history, many battles have been won because defending troops anticipated the time and location of an enemy attack. In the Battle of Gettysburg, a key turning point in the American Civil War, a contingency of Union soldiers defeated a much larger Confederate troop. Their success came, in large part, because Major General George G. Meade and the Union leadership anticipated that the Confederate army would try to advance to northern territories through Gettysburg. It was a decisive victory, the beginning of the end of the war.
As children of God, we are in a daily battle. Our enemy is Satan and he is poised with a contingent of soldiers ready to attack us:
“Your enemy, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8).
Satan is joined by rulers and authorities, powers of this dark world and spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places (from Ephesians 6:12).
The location of the battle is our mind. Satan’s weapons are lies:
“I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your mind may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ”
(2 Corinthians 11:3).
Satan’s goal is to lead us away from Christ. We position ourselves for victory by anticipating these attacks, and arming ourselves with our God-given weapon, the Word of God:
“We demolish every argument and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take every thought captive and make it obedient to Christ”
(2 Corinthians 10:5).
Don’t be taken by surprise. Though your enemy seeks to devour you, the contingent of One on your side is far greater than any troop Satan may send against you. Resist him by standing firm in, believing, God’s words of truth. And be encouraged, you are not alone. Your brothers and sisters in Christ throughout the world are undergoing the same battle.
“The God of all grace, who has called you to His eternal glory in Christ…will make you strong, firm and steadfast. To Him be the power forever and ever. Amen.”
1 Peter 5:10-11
