Everything was going so well, then the bottom seemed to fall out and everything you attempted went wrong. That describes last week and the weekend for me. My son was here helping me catch up on some needed house maintenance. A lot of hard work, but no major setbacks, and I enjoyed a good time being with him. But then, the day after he left, everything started going downhill. Worst for me, I lost my internet service until midday Monday. My wife came down with a cold and sinus infection. Everything I picked up, I dropped. My goats butted their gate down and got out. My wife’s barn cat lost use of her hind legs and I had to put it down. Need I keep going? I’m sure you get the idea and may be saying, “Yeah, sounds like my day.”
We all encounter days like this. Breakdowns, accidents, frustrations, aggravations, and mishaps will happen as long as we live on earth. Nothing extraordinary about any of the problems I encountered over the weekend. However, when the typical inconveniences turn into a prolonged bombardment of one problem after another, it may be time to stop, take stock, and pray for discernment. Most often, we recognize if Satan comes at us like a roaring lion. However, we can miss the accumulating subtle attacks he uses to destroy our peace, and overwhelm us with frustration until we become irritable or discouraged or explode with emotions.
I’ve ministered in the area of demonic activity since the time I first arrived in Africa over thirty years ago. I have discovered two extremes people take regarding the work of Satan. First are those who refuse to see the devil working against believers in our present day. They perceive major problems and persistent difficulties as mere coincidence. On the other hand there are those who see a demon behind every bush. They remain in a constant tense state of spiritual warfare believing everything negative is demonic. As with all Biblical teaching, there is a balance.
We must first recognize and accept the fact we have a spiritual enemy who is warring against us. Satan began his battle with humanity in the Garden of Eden with Adam and Eve. Jesus encountered the devil and the New Testament makes numerous references about his aggression toward believers and warns we must be vigilant. Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour (1 Pet 5:8). For we wanted to come to you–I, Paul, more than once–and yet Satan hindered us (1 Thess 2:18). Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil (Eph 6:11).
Sometimes Satan makes an all-out assault on believers as Paul often encountered. But Jews. . . stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing him to be dead (Acts 14:19. Remember our struggle is not against flesh and blood but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places (Eph 6:12). The devil brought about the stoning of Paul through the Jews as his instrument of attack. Satan utilizes multiple tactics to fight believers. In contrast to an onslaught like this, he also comes at Christians through less conspicuous tactics as discouragement, irritation, distractions, interruptions, frustrations, etc. If we compare his major assaults to a rock, we know if he drops a huge boulder. However, his subtle attacks are more like tiny sand pebbles slowly falling, which we might disregard until we realize we are immersed.
After we recognize and acknowledge this is one of those days of his devious ambushes, we are on the road to victory. Paul makes a statement we can miss concerning our defense against Satan. For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light . . . Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them (Eph. 5:8, 11 NIV). The key phrase is ‘expose them’. In our compound in Africa, thousands of rats would come out at night. However, when we turned on the security lights they scattered. They hated the light. This illustrates the imagery behind this phrase. The devil is darkness and when we expose him, he flees. When we discern a deluge of difficulties might not be coincidence but Satan, then we are shining a light exposing him. I have witnesses this simple principle work repeatedly in our life. I also ask the Lord to bring the fullness of His light to the darkness around us. My early training taught me to fight the devil by speaking directly to him and binding and rebuking him. I realized I spent more time talking to the devil than to the Father. After the Romans arrested Peter, the church didn’t go into a rant directed at the devil, rather they prayed unto God for him (Act 12:5).
Sometimes Satan’s aggression becomes more than just ‘one of those days’; it carries over to one of those weeks or months. Yet, the principle remains the same, expose him, pray unto God, and then stand against him. He will flee. Resist [literally stand again] the devil and he will flee from you (Jam 4:7). Paul writes, having done everything, to stand firm. Stand firm (Eph. 6:13, 14).
Sustaining Word for the Week: On ‘one of those days’, take stock, pray for discernment, expose the devil, ask God to shine His light, and then stand firm.