Stop! Before you start thinking this is going to be a blog on how God knows and cares about you, it’s not. Even though those things along with many more are true of His Goodness towards us, that isn’t what this blog is about.
This blog is about something that really got my attention this morning (Tuesday) around 5:10 a.m. I was on my way to walk with my walking partner. I turned the radio on to listen to a little praise and worship as I drove to our walking area. Immediately, I was caught up in the middle of a conversation where a man (a believer now) was sharing about how he grew up in Palestine. He ended up joining the Hamas Palestinian Islamist militant group. As he and the talk show host talked, the host asked him how many people he had killed. He stated he didn’t really like to talk about that but he remembered the first time he had ever killed someone and how he felt. The announcer went on to encourage him to discuss how he had actually become trained as a sniper for the militant group. As the man told his story the thing that grabbed my attention was listening to him share how as a sniper he came to know the person (his target) better than they knew themselves. He learned everything about them - their habits, where they worked; where they went; and their friends, family, and schedules.
Then a passage spoken of so often in the church realm came to my mind in a whole other perspective. The thief comes to kill, steal, and destroy - John 10:10. Satan and his demons are trained snipers. Wow! They know us better than we know ourselves. They know our habits; where we work; where we go; our friends, family, and schedules; what is coming out of our mouths; lies we believe; things that discourage us; things that cause us to have fear/anxiety; things that cause us to doubt; the people we are leading and or following; our ministries, etc. Like a sniper he and or his demons are just waiting to take us out!
One might say, “Well great, Vickie, thank you for sharing that with us.” You’re welcome. Because the truth is we do not take seriously enough that we have an enemy who is stalking us daily and wants to destroy us. The good news is that in the spiritual realm we have a better chance of distinguishing the sniper (enemy) than in the physical because God’s Word exposes the workings of him and his demons. The following are just a few of the verses that speak to the identity of our sniper. He is crafty, a deceiver, prowls like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour, masquerades as an angel of light, and is a liar.
Genesis 3:1 (ESV)
Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?”
2 Corinthians 11:3 (ESV)
But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ.
1 Peter 5:8-9 (ESV)
Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.
2 Corinthians 11:14-15 (ESV)
And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds.
2 Corinthians 11:3 (ESV)
But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ.
John 8:44-45 (ESV)
He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.
How do we overcome this sniper? John tells us we overcome Satan when “the word of God abides in you”. Jesus cited scripture in Matthew 4:1-10 when the enemy addressed Him in the desert. Paul tells us in Ephesians 6 that the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God, is our only offensive weapon against the enemy.
I say this all the time and I say it again today. My precious sisters in Christ you must be in the WORD! The Word must be in you! There is no other way to Overcome and have Victory in your life!
Love you all,
His,
Vickie
James 4:7 (ESV)
Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
2 comments:
Thank you for sharing just exactly what I needed to be reminded of today. My mind has been in the sniper's cross-hairs lately...after losing my mom to dementia/Alzheimer's there has always been that latent fear bubble that I would have a genetic predisposition to suffer the same way. The last few years have been very challenging for my husband and I in our health as we age. Because he has been disabled so long I must keep working (now 62) but have struggled so much with my ability to multi-task, focus, higher math skills, feeling overwhelmed, then panic attacks when I make too many mistakes at work, which inevitably spiral into hopelessness and complete despair. I tend to shut myself away from friends and family...your post has just given me a weapon of self-defense - knowing my enemy has inside info on my weaknesses may be the goad I need to be more vigilant of my thought life and to instantly capture those thoughts that begin the next downward trend of fear/failure. Two days ago, life was unbearable. Yesterday after I opened up to a close friend, prayers for me found me having the best day in months at work and at least for today I am telling myself to turn my back on fear and to choose joy. God Bless You and your ministry in this season of miracles.
John 1:5 "The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overpower it."
In my recent study of John, a well-known theologian said, Light is not the absence of darkness, but the ENEMY of darkness. Darkness is not the absence of Light, but the ENEMY of light.
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