THREE
ENEMIES
Part
four of five in Serving God Series
Ephesians
6:10-13
“Finally,
be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power.
Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the
devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against
the rulers, against authorities, against the power of this dark world and
against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”
Donna
drove her car to the shoulder of the road.
The sudden BANG, followed by rumbling and jerky steering, indicated that
she had a flat tire. “Oh no,” Donna
groaned. “Just what I need today!”
Donna dug out a spare tire, car jack
and lug nut wrench from the trunk. She
glanced at her watch and sighed. She was
now officially late.
There are three enemies that attack
people. An internal enemy is the human heart—that does not naturally seek God. But,
Donna loves the Lord. She understands
that just as easily as God blesses, He can take blessings away. She chooses to not become angry over situations.
Donna called into her
interview. “I’m sorry I’m late. I just got a flat tire…Really? Thank you!
I’ll be there as soon as I can!” After
changing the flat tire with the spare, she took off.
The external enemy woos people with the world’s values. Donna could have wailed her misfortune. Instead of complaining--or cursing--she patiently changed
her tire. She chose to apologize immediately for her
lateness and gratefully accepted a later appointment time. Donna showed God’s light by calling in with phrases like (I’m sorry…Thank you!) then preserving
her interview with salt (I’ll be
there as soon as I can!).
Donna arrived at her job interview smiling and with another apology, “I’m
sorry for messing up your agenda today.” This
showed Donna’s sensitivity that her being late affected others. This softened the interviewer's heart towards
Donna.
“That’s okay. Your trouble this morning showed me first-hand how you solve problems. You're the
right person for this job.”
“Oh, thank you!” Donna blushed. “I promise that you won’t regret hiring
me.” She left the realtor’s office
praising God.
Take
Home Nugget
The infernal enemy (Satan) enjoys driving people away from God. But Donna never blamed God for her trouble. She never dishonored God by her attitude or
speech.
Donna’s struggle today showed that
we must all prepare for battle against the three enemies every day. Don the
full armor of God: helmet of Salvation, belt of truth, breastplate of righteousness,
gospel of peace (Scripture), shield of faith and sword of the Spirit.
Satan’s raging tug-of-war affects
everyone until he eventually loses the ultimate war in Revelation 20:10.
Let us battle for daily victory.
J.D.
Griffith
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