It’s about time we all said, “forget you” (F-U) to the devil. It’s time we bring the fight right to the devil’s doorstep and crush him like the little evil twit that he is.
This is not a history lesson, but a quick story from history may provide some perspective. During his tenure as Prime Minister during World War II, Winston Churchill became increasingly impatient with the Germans as the war progressed. At first, he was committed to the idea of fighting a “gentlemanly” war but as he saw more and more of his civilian countrymen killed indiscriminately from aerial bombing, he eventually asked why the British should not take the same type of fight to the Germans. He became very angry that the enemy was brutalizing innocent non-combatants and laid plans to fight back in an ungentlemanly manner. This proved to be a decisive factor in the eventual defeat of the Germans.
Today, our biggest enemy is not the Russians or gas prices or COVID or supply shortages or a falling stock market. The enemy is today, as it has always been, the devil. That brings us to today’s scripture, which is from Ephesians 6:11-12:
Put on all the armor that God gives, so you can defend yourself against the devil’s tricks. We are not fighting against humans. We are fighting against forces and authorities and against rulers of darkness and powers in the spiritual world.
Like Churchill, as I continue to see the news of the day, I get angrier and angrier that the devil is trying to trick us. He wants us to surrender to anxiety, worry, doubt, and distress. He wants to break our spirit and separate us further and further from our love for God and our love for people.
To be clear, the world is in turmoil, and there are reasons for concern. There are more reasons today than in recent memory to be stressed out and anxious. But this is exactly the time when we need to laser-focus on putting on the armor that God gives us so we can defend ourselves against the devil’s tricks.
Today we need to fight our version of an ungentlemanly war against the devil. We absolutely need to recognize that a lot is wrong, but we will not cower, we will not slink away, we will not cave in to the pressure. Instead, we’re coming off the top rope like Jimmy “Superfly” Snuka!
We’re claiming God’s promises. We’re putting on His armor and saying “no” to the tricks. We’re doing it for our family, for our loved ones, and for everyone around us. We’re doing it to take the fight to the devil and to glorify God by doing the exact opposite of what he devil hopes for.
Questions:
- What are some of the devil’s tricks he uses to try to deceive us?
- What does it mean to put on the armor of God?
- In what areas do you personally need to put on the armor of God?
- Call to action: What are you personally committed to doing this week to take the fight to the devil?
Below is a simple prayer to get us started and you can personalize it to your own experience:
God, this is a challenging time in the world and I come to You to claim your promises. Help me understand what it means for me personally to put on Your armor so I can defend myself against the devil’s tricks. I am particularly concerned about……, ……, and …… but please help me be settled and at peace as evil and disorder swirl around me. Help me to be a source of light and encouragement to everyone around me to give them a thirst to know You better. Show me how I can personally take the fight to the devil today and lift up & glorify Your beautiful and holy name in the process.
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