A Mouse or a Warrior?

Read:  Ephesians 6:10-18
           1 Peter 5:6-9
 
Most days at our house are pretty quiet.  You could say downright boring.  But last week, we had some excitement.  The first mouse of the fall season found its way into our house.  That’s when my Musophobia kicked in.  You can pretty much tell when I’m having a full-blown attack by the screaming.  The mouse ran behind a bookcase in the bedroom.  My mom went to set a trap while I kept my eye on our little intruder.  (I don’t set traps. Yuk!)  Every time he would come out, I would scream, and he would run back behind the bookcase.  Finally, mom got the trap set and put it next to the bookcase.  This time I controlled my phobia and waited–silent and still.  It only took two or three minutes before WHAM!  He was caught.  My mom emptied the trap.  (I don’t empty traps. Yuk!)  The end of his reign of terror.
 
Later I got to thinking about our little intruder.  There was really no reason for him to have gotten into that trap.  All he had to do was use what God gave him to get out of such situations: his speed and size.  He could easily have run right past me and been gone.  The fact is, the noise I made that scared him so badly was not the danger.  The danger came with the silence.  The trap was set, and I no longer needed to distract him.
 
Satan uses similar tactics in our lives.  He loves to distract us with problems, noise and busyness.  Things that keep us so focused that we fail to see the trap he has been setting for us.  Busyness that says, “you’ve got too much to do to spend time with God.”  Finances that scream out, “there’s not enough!”  Children that have drifted from God, and we hear, “they will never come back!”  Illness that says, “if God loved you, He wouldn’t allow this!”  The list goes on and on because the truth is, Satan is very good at what he does.  Once he has the trap set, we may no longer hear the “noise” and think all is well.  The fear is gone.  It’s safe.  But watch for these traps: Do we find that our peace is gone?  Our faith is weak?  We have allowed things to come into our lives that have moved us away from God and sin has become a dividing wall?  There’s no hope in our situation?
 
God has given us what we need to stand against Satan and his tactics.  It’s full-on, battle-proof armor.  Not only has God given us this armor, he tells us exactly how to use it in the above passage of Scripture.  You see, Satan does go about as a roaring lion, making a lot of noise.  He wants to devour us!  He’s powerful and will certainly “devour” us if we try to fight against him in our own might.  But the armor we have as God’s children is completely trustworthy.  God never meant us to go into battle with Satan alone so He provided all we need to be overcomers.  To stand firm as the battle heats up.  Each piece of armor has a specific use and when all six pieces are in place, there is no area of your life where Satan can gain the victory.  We are protected against his traps.
 
Are you tempted to believe his lies?  Put on the belt of truth and the helmet of salvation.  Is he attacking your faith?  Pick up the shield of faith.  Is he trying to steal your peace?  Put on the shoes of peace.  Is he tempting you live an unrighteous life that doesn’t line up with God’s expectations for us?  You need the breastplate of righteousness.  And don’t ever go without the sword of the Spirit.  Always keeping your armor shined up with prayer.
 
The war rages.  The traps are set.  So, keep that armor on and never forget that as adopted sons and daughters in the family of God, we stand firm in VICTORY!

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