Psalm 144:1 “Blessed be the Lord, my rock, Who trains my hands for war, and my fingers for battle.”

Throughout life we will all face many battles. Often we will know what we need to do to fight. But what do we do if the enemy is unpredictable and doesn’t fight fair?

In American history the British redcoats came to the new world to subdue the colonists, force them to pay taxes, and make them submit to the king of England. As they prepared for battle the soldiers took their formation and marched proudly into the war.

Much to their surprise they ran into an unlikely enemy. The American minutemen did not fight with the typical warfare of the day. They did not have uniforms that made them stand out. Instead they wore clothes that blended in with the landscape. They hid in the trees and behind rocks and pelted the British with bullets from their hiding places. The King’s soldiers were unprepared for this guerrilla warfare and suffered greatly for it.

The Bible tells us that our adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. He does not fight fair and it is very easy to fall prey to his schemes. He comes disguised as an angel of light, and often his attacks come from places that are least expected.

Sometimes the fiery arrows come hidden in the disguise of personal misunderstandings, even between those who have loved and trusted each other. Satan can manipulate circumstances to get those who are not aware to look at each other as the enemy when really he is the instigator behind the struggle. When we lose sight of the real enemy we turn on each other instead of standing together.

In the book of Job we find that Satan was behind the tragedies and the health issues that this Godly man experienced. The unhelpful comfort of his so-called friends and the discouraging and faithless advice of his wife only added to the pain Job experienced because of Satan’s attacks. Through the constant barrage of accusations leveled by those closest to him, doubt penetrated Job’s mind and he felt the need to defend himself.

Satan uses these and many other unlikely ways to attack those who are truly seeking to follow God. He is the accuser of the brethren and the father of lies. But it is only when we recognize that he is the true enemy that we can fight him as God has equipped us to fight.

Thankfully, we are not alone in our battles. The Lord is the One Who is our rock and our trainer in warfare. He trains our hands for war and our fingers for battle. He gives us spiritual armor to put on daily, and he trains our minds, reminding us that we are to be sober and vigilant as we heed His call to be good and faithful soldiers of Christ.

Satan is a deceiver and a cheat, and he is our true enemy. I fully expect him to do anything he can to try to disrupt us as we seek to live lives that are pleasing to God. But unlike the British redcoats, we know what is coming. Let’s be armed and ready to be the warriors for God that He has called us to be. After all, we know that our great and mighty God will ultimately win the war! — Love, Mama