Evening 12/03/2021
“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.”
I Peter 5:8-11 NKJV
Vigilance
One thing that we all desire is to have time or place where we can simply be quiet. A place or time when we can let our guard down and not have to worry about day to day trials, about issues that we may have with people, or the unseen things, the what ifs that haunt us.
To be a human is to be encumbered with concerns about everything, especially those tangibles that can have a profound effect on our lives. Most of the time we pay attention to those things the most. There are other concerns that we often neglect. There is a spiritual war going on around us, with forces of good and evil battling for influence in our lives.
In the life of the follower of Jesus, the evil one has his minions attacking, hoping to cause a person to stumble and cast shade on the Son of God. It is easy to forget about that invisible battle going on in the unseen realm, as the actions of the devil are insidious and crafty, often masquerading as worthy things.
“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.”
Ephesians 6:12 NKJV
The evil one is good at launching missiles of flesh and blood at us, in the hope that we strike out against those who are in opposition, and destroy our testimonies. He is constantly on the lookout for that opening, that opportunity to hit us with the sucker punch.
I have learned that I can withstand the wiles of the devil by drawing as close to the Lord as I can. I have found great protection in the word of God. I keep bible software on all of my various gadgets, so that I may have a way of escape with the evil one is making his move.
I remember years ago, being bed bound at the Mayo Clinic, with a big tumor pressing on my spine. The devil was there too, poking at me. I had many interactions with faithless doctors, sent to test me. But I had made sure I had the word with me. I still have that bible, which I call the Mayo Bible. I remember when I encountered Proverbs chapter two back them.
“My son, if you receive my words, And treasure my commands within you, So that you incline your ear to wisdom, And apply your heart to understanding; Yes, if you cry out for discernment, And lift up your voice for understanding, If you seek her as silver, And search for her as for hidden treasures; Then you will understand the fear of the Lord, And find the knowledge of God. For the Lord gives wisdom; From His mouth come knowledge and understanding; He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; He is a shield to those who walk uprightly; He guards the paths of justice, And preserves the way of His saints.”
Proverbs 2:1-8 NKJV
The Lord preserved my way, and opened opportunities for me to share the Good News like I had never before. I witnessed to everyone I encountered, including the faithless doctors.
By His word, I knew the heart and mind of God, and He placed a guard on my heart, leaving no space for the evil one to attack and bend me to his will.
Brothers and sisters, we have a God who truly loves us, and is aware of the wiles of the devil. He has given us the victory ahead of time. The only battle the devil can win is that for our testimony. We have been saved to be messengers, bring the Gospel message in vessels of flesh and blood. We bring the story of this great salvation, of lives transformed and hearts made clean.
Jesus left us His Helper, the Holy Spirit, to guide us, to show us how we should live, and convict us when we stray.
In the future some of us are going to feel the onslaught of the evil one, and we will have focus on the Lord to survive. It is all about our testimony. Let us be vigilant, seeking after the Lord moment by moment.
Many of us have a quiet time in the morning. Let us also consider visiting with the Lord at the end of the day. The evil one is lurking, waiting for our weakness. By spending time with the Lord in the twilight, we can buttress our faith, that we leave no place for the devil.
Sleep well, my brothers and sisters! Don’t let the demon bugs bite!
Musings from an idle mind 
These are my battle verses. The Lord has made them so close to my heart that they even come out in my sleep. So thankful for the word of God, and for this blog, my friend. After a few years of quoting these verses, just realized how powerful verse 12 is, so I will memorize that and add it to my list.
“How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word. With my whole heart I seek you; let me not wander from your commandments! I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you. Blessed are you, O Lord; teach me your statutes!”
Psalm 119:9-12 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/psa.119.9-12.ESV
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That’s hilarious, “don’t let the demon bugs bite.” My mom and dad would share that with us kids often as we were growing up, with the obvious “bedbug” version. 🙂 I love you brother and I’m thankful for you!
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