The Battlefield
Today’s Truth
“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” (Ephesians
Friend to Friend
In my early years, I was a rough and rowdy tomboy who climbed trees, skipped rocks, and made skid marks on the asphalt with my pink banana bike. My backyard was the envy of every kid in the neighborhood. It came equipped with a drainage ditch that ran across six city blocks and culminated in a large ditch we dubbed “the canyon.”
On one particular afternoon, our drainage ditch served as the barrier over which a great battle occurred between our neighborhood boys (of which I was included) and an opposing neighborhood down the street. Dirt clods were the weapon of choice. However, the rumble was cut short when someone cheated and threw a brick that landed square in the middle of my forehead. Blood poured down my ten-year-old face as I screamed, “You cheated!” The enemies scattered like flies and I was rushed to the hospital for stitches. I wore a patch on my forehead like a badge of courage for several days and my hair never grew back in that spot.
I learned some great life lessons from that dirt clod fight.
- The enemy cheats.
- The enemy slings more than just dirt.
- The enemy has great aim.
- The enemy’s attacks sometimes leave scars.
- The enemy is not playing a game.
I don’t fight with bullies anymore – at least not the human kind, but I do have one opponent that challenges me quite regularly. The Bible calls him the great deceiver, the accuser, the devil, the evil one. Interestingly, the same lessons I learned from the dirt clod fight still apply to him today. But we never have to be afraid, because the One who is in us is greater than the one who is in the world (1 John 4:4).
Let’s Pray
Dear Lord, Your word tells us to be on guard, to put on the armor of God, and to stand against the enemy’s schemes. Help us to be on the alert and to stand our ground. Thank You for Jesus Who defeated the enemy on the cross. Help us to walk victoriously through life and not cower at the enemy’s toothless growls.
In Jesus’ Name, Amen
Now It’s Your Turn
Go back up to the five things I learned about the enemy. Can you think of situations in your own life when Satan has operated like the bully in this story?
Go back and read Ephesians 6:12-18 and note everything you learn about spiritual warfare. Note how many times Paul tells us to “stand” and to “pray.”
More from the Girlfriends
Today’s devotion was taken from
Seeking God?
Click here to find out more about
how to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
Girlfriends in God
Matthews, NC 28106
info@girlfriendsingod.com
www.girlfriendsingod.com
Originally published Monday, 14 July 2008.
SHARE
