Battlefield Protection

WHEN THINKING ABOUT THE SCHEMES OF THE DEVIL DID YOU KNOW THAT ALL THE WARNINGS IN THE NEW TESTAMENT ABOUT CONFLICTS WITH SATAN AND HIS DEMONS ARE ADDRESSED ONLY TO CHRISTIANS?

WHY? BECAUSE JESUS SAID THAT HE IS THE ONLY WAY TO GOD. SINCE JESUS IS THE ONLY WAY, THE ENEMY WANTS TO DO EVERYTHING POSSIBLE TO KEEP PEOPLE FROM BELIEVING THAT THIS REALLY IS THE TRUTH.

OUR ENEMY IS COMMITTED TO DOING EVERYTHING POSSIBLE TO MAKE US INEFFECTIVE IN OUR PERSONAL LIVES AND IN OUR MINISTRIES FOR OUR LORD AND SAVIOR. IF WE ARE INEFFECTIVE THEN WE HURT GOD AND HELP THE DEVIL!

THE REASON FOR COMING UNDER SO MANY DEMONIC ATTACKS IS TO GET US TO BE POOR WITNESSES TO THE WORLD ABOUT THE CHARACTER OF THE GOD WE SERVE.

SATAN KNOWS FULL WELL THAT HE HAS ALREADY BEEN DEFEATED AT THE CROSS AND THAT HIS TIME IS LIMITED. BECAUSE HE KNOWS THIS HE WILL BE USING EVERY MEANS HE CAN TO KEEP THE BELIEVER FROM BELIEVING THIS TRUTH.

ONLY ETERNITY WILL REVEAL THE NUMBER OF CHIRSTIANS WHO HAVE LED UNPRODUCTIVE, FRUSTRATED AND FRUITLESS LIVES BECAUSE OF THEIR UNWILLINGNESS TO FIGHT SATAN.

ONLY ETERNITY WILL REVEAL THE NUMBER OF CHIRSTIANS WHO HAVE BEEN FORCED TO FORSAKE THEIR MINISTRIES BECAUSE OF ATTACKS OF THE ENEMY.

1 PETER 5:8-9, "BE SELF-CONTROLLED AND ALERT. YOUR ENEMY THE DEVIL PROWLS AROUND LIKE A ROARING LION LOOKING FOR SOMEONE TO DEVOUR. RESIST HIM, STANDING FIRM IN THE FAITH…."

WHEN IT COMES TO DEALING WITH SATAN THE PROBLEM WE ARE HAVING TODAY IS THAT TOO MANY PEOPLE HAVE THE WRONG IDEA CONCERNING THE WORD RESIST.

SOMEWHERE ALONG THE WAY RESISTING SATAN GOT CHANGED TO THE WORD IGNORE SATAN! WHERE DID WE EVER GET THE IDEA THAT THE BEST APPROACH TO DEALING WITH THE ENEMY IS TO DISMISS AND IGNORE HIM AS NOTHING MORE THAN PURE FANTASY OR THEOLOGICAL MYTH?

PASSIVE NEGLECT IS A POOR TACTIC TO USE AGAINST AN ADVERSARY WHO BLATANTLY AND FREQUENTLY REFUSES TO BE IGNORED AND WHO REFUSES TO GO UNRECOGNIZED.

SURVIVING THE ENEMY’S CHALLENGE TO COMBAT IS NOT A TASK TO BE TAKEN LIGHTLY. SATAN IS A CUNNING AND RELENTLESS ADVERSARY, A DEVIOUS WIZARD WHOSE MASTERY OF EVIL ENABLES HIM TO FASHION LEWD TEMPTATIONS OR FLING FIERY DARTS WITH AMAZING ACCURACY.

JOB, JOSHUA, DANIEL, DAVID AND THE APOSTLE PAUL WERE MEN WHO HAD REAL AND CONVINCING EXPERIENCES THAT PROVED TO THEM THAT THEY WERE NOT IMMUNE TO THE WILES OF A REAL DEVIL.

IF THESE GREAT SAINTS OF THE BIBLE WERE VULNERABLE TO THE TROUBLE CAUSED BY SATAN THEN WHY SHOULD WE THINK THAT WE ARE TO EXPECT ANY LESS TROUBLE?

THE GREATEST EXAMPLE OF ALL IS THE AUDACITY OF SATAN TO EVEN TEMPT THE SON OF GOD IN THE WILDERNESS. IF SATAN IS BRAZEN ENOUGH TO GET IN THE FACE OF CHRIST WHY SHOULD WE EXPECT HIM TO STEER CLEAR OF US?

SATAN WANTS TO KEEP YOU FROM FULFILLING THE PURPOSE FOR WHICH YOU WERE CREATED. HE WANTS TO KEEP YOU FROM USING THE POWER OF GOD TO OVERCOME HIS ATTACKS SO YOU WILL STAY IN BONDAGE AND DEFEAT.

SINCE BELEIVERS ARE THE SPIRITUALLY COMMISSIONED AND EMPOWERED ARMY OF GOD, DEMONSTRATING THE POWER OF GOD BY LIVING VICTORIOUS, FRUITFUL AND GODLY LIVES SATAN MUST SEEK TO NEUTRALIZE THEM AT ANY COST.

THIS IS THE WHOLE REASON WHY SATAN IS ON THE ATTACK AGAINST CHRISTIANS, ESPECIALLY THOSE WHO ARE PRESSING THE SPIRITUAL BATTLE ON THE FRONT LINES.

ALTHOUGH WE WILL NEVER BE IMMUNE FROM THE ATTACKS FROM THE ENEMY THERE ARE THINGS WE CAN DO TO KEEP OURSELVES FROM BECOMING A "BULLS-EYE" FOR ONE OF SATAN’S TARGETS.

THERE ARE SIX THINGS WE CAN ADAPT TO OUR LIVES THAT WILL PROMISE BATTLEFIELD PROTECTION TO HELP REDUCE OUR CHANCES OF BECOMING VULNERABLE TO SATAN.

FIRST, WE MUST CULTIVATE HUMILITY. SCRIPTURE PRESENTS HUMILITY AS A DIVINE REQUIREMENT AND AN ENDEARING CHARACTERISTIC FOR THE CHRISTIAN.

MICAH 6:8, "…THE LORD HAS ALREADY TOLD YOU WHAT IS GOOD, AND THIS IS WHAT HE REQUIRES: TO DO WHAT IS RIGHT, TO LOVE MERCY, AND TO WALK HUMBLY WITH YOUR GOD."

PRIDE WAS THE LETHAL POISON THAT SENT LUCIFER FALLING FROM THE SKY LIKE LIGHTENING. THIS IS WHY, ACCORDING TO 1 PETER 5:5, GOD ABHORS PRIDE AND IS DRAWN TO HUMILITY.

THIS IS WHY IT IS SO IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER THAT IF WE WANT TO RESIST THE DEVIL WE HAD BETTER FIRST MAKE SURE GOD IS NOT RESISTING US!

HUMILITY COMES FROM SEEING GOD AND THE DEVIL FOR WHO THEY REALLY ARE. HUMILITY COMES FROM ACKNOWLEDGING THAT SATAN’S POWER IS SUCH THAT WE CANNOT DEFEAT HIM IN OUR OWN STRENGTH - EVER!

HUMILITY COMES FROM ACKNOWLEDGING THAT CHRIST’S POWER IS SUCH THAT SATAN CANNOT DEFEAT HIM IN HIS OWN STRENGTH - EVER! UNDERESTIMATING ANY OF THESE TWO SUPERNATURAL TRUTHS WILL LEAD TO CERTAIN DEFEAT. THE FIRST THING WE CAN ADAPT TO OUR LIVES FOR BATTLEFIELD PROTECTION IS TO CULTIVATE HUMILITY.