I've always been a big fan of stories. When I was little, the bests stories were the ones about knights and dragons and wizards and kings. Great battles were fought, fancy balls were held, and history was made in their castles. On the playground, I always wanted to be a knight setting out on a great quest. Of course, all of my friends were boys and I, being the only girl, was always the princess instead. What? You're probably scratching your head right now, thinking I've whacked my head a couple times to many with a toy sword. I probably have, but that's besides the point.
Little did I know that quests and battles weren't just a thing of fairytales. They happen in modern times, too. As a Christian in the modern world, we are constantly surrounded by sin and temptation. It seems like the world strikes against us with alarming accuracy and strength.
Yeah yeah, I've talked about it before. It's called Spiritual Warfare, and it's a doozy. I've talked about it before, but that doesn't mean it's stopped happening in my life, or yours. So let's start out 2017 with another discussion on this modern warfare.
The World Is A Sniper
What do I mean, the world is a sniper? Think about it. Right when you think something is going great in your life, that's when the world comes tumbling down, isn't it? When you're at your weakest, that's when the atomic bomb of bills, illness, stress, and fear strike you.
That's the world at it's finest. We walk in a world that is not our friend. But God made this world, right? Yes, He did, and He intended it to be perfect and wonderful. That all changed when sin entered the world. From that moment on, the world was against us...literally. You aren't wrong when you feel like the world is out to get you. It is.
John 15:18-19 warns Christians of this very fact. “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you."
As Christians, we have shunned the world and its sinful goods. We have chosen to follow the path of the Father and thus the world will target us.
The World Is Satan's Playground
The answer is pretty simple: Satan enjoys making us miserable. His goal is to destroy as many relationships with the Lord as he can. He wants to corrupt and destroy as many of God's children as he can. He revels in our pain and suffering.
Satan uses the world against us. Have you ever noticed how much strife things of this world cause? Think of the stress you put yourself through to get more money...think of the pain you go through in a relationship after a lustful stare at a stranger...think of the fear that you feel when bills roll in. Satan knows how to weaken us. He knows our fears and our desires. He uses everything he can in this world to draw us away from God.
Not even a week after New Years I ended up back in the E.R. You know what? They didn't have any answers again. All I knew was that a very expensive bill was about to come in the mail, and I felt anger and frustration and fear. The whole trip to the E.R. had been pointless--and I felt as though I had just earned myself debt and stress and pain. My husband didn't see it that way. But I still felt burdened with these things. And then I remembered that the world strikes us at the most opportune time.
Spiritual Warfare Is Eternal
Seven years is a long time, but "Satan's Siege" has been going on for thousands of years. It began with a bite of fruit and has been going strong ever since. I thought I'd catch a break after the hellacious year of 2016. But Satan doesn't like to give breaks. He doesn't honor the call for time outs or give a dang if you need a breather. He'll work twice as hard when you're twice as weak.
Yeah. It's utterly exhausting.
The "Safe Zone"
You know in elementary school when you'd play tag, there was always the "safe zone" or "base" where you could go to hide out and the tagger couldn't get you? We have one of those during these chaotic times, too.
God isn't just a referee up in the sky. He doesn't watch Satan attack us and wait to call a red card. No, He fights for us and protects us. God is the fortress we rally from. He is our strength and our deliverance.
Even King David, the man who took down a giant, needed a break now and then. The world was just as cruel to him as it was to us. He struggled guiding his people, he fell prey to lust and jealousy. Satan enjoyed smacking him around as much as he does you and I.
What did David do? The great King of Israel turned to the Lord.
"For you are my rock and my fortress; and for your name's sake you lead me and guide me;
you take me out of the net they have hidden for me,
for you are my refuge.
Into your hand I commit my spirit;
you have redeemed me, O Lord, faithful God." (Psalm 31:3-5)
you take me out of the net they have hidden for me,
for you are my refuge.
Into your hand I commit my spirit;
you have redeemed me, O Lord, faithful God." (Psalm 31:3-5)
David prayed and opened up his heart to God. Even a great king needs the protection and guidance of the Lord.
When the siege proves too much for you, it's okay to ask for help. Armies call on allies for aid. So can we. The Lord is always there for us. He doesn't want us to drown in the army of the world. He wants us to stand tall and face Satan head on, with the power of God behind us.
War & Peace
Despite the harrowing struggle against the world, we can find blissful calm. We need only ask.
Ask for what, exactly?
Well, two things come to mind.
First, ask for help. The Lord fights for us when we seek His aid. Remember that He toppled the walls of Jericho. Do not forget that God parted the Red Sea for Moses and brought His people out of slavery. Remember that through God's aid David felled a giant.
"“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you.” (Isaiah 43:2)
God will protect us and fight for us. He is the greatest warrior and the strongest of castles.
The second thing we must do is pass our anxieties on to the Lord...and then let them go. This is the part I struggle with. I pray and pray...but I can't forget my fears. It's hard, knowing that I can leave these worries in the Lord's hands. I want to take them back and handle them all myself. But I don't have to...and to be honest, I really don't want to. These worries and fears are greater than my personal strength. Through the Lord I can find purchase and new energy. I just...I struggle with letting Him guide me. I guess it's the stubborn redheadness... It is a weakness in my relationship with God.
When I am struggling with letting go, my Mother in Law (the greatest spiritual warrior in my life,) reminds me that it's okay to let it go. I don't have to control everything. I can let the Lord take care of me.
I constantly remind myself of this with John 14:27 which says,
"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid."
Do not be afraid. It isn't the easiest thing to do. But you know what? It's easier to do now, when I know there's a fortress for me to return to, and a mighty warrior to stand beside me. We do not face spiritual warfare alone.
The New Year's Resolution
"Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." (Phillipians 4:6-7)
(Photography and artwork created by other artists with much more talent than me...)
