This week’s devotions are based on this week’s message: Key #2: Be Ready for the Battle! (WATCH HERE)
The morning of December 7, 1941 was a day that left the Pacific Fleet vulnerable in Pearl Harbor. There were three key warnings that indicated an attack was coming, but each was dismissed individually without connecting the dots as to what was about to come. Earlier that morning, a scope of a Japanese submarine was spotted and eventually the submarine was destroyed, but no broad warning was sounded. Before the main squadron of planes came, two Japanese planes flew into US air space to test the readiness of the air defense. No shots were fired at them. Finally, the individuals on radar duty indicated a large group of planes coming toward the island, but a new lieutenant dismissed it as a squadron of US B-52’s that were expected to arrive that day.
Hindsight put all the pieces together, but in the moment, the watch of those who encountered the enemy did not sound an alarm loud enough and wide enough to protect the 100s of lives and naval equipment destroyed by the bombing of Pearl Harbor. The US was not ready to fight the fight that day.
Military journals are filled with surprise attacks, warnings left unheeded, and individuals who failed to sound the alarm of an impending attack. Really it is the enemy’s tactic to find their foe with a lack of preparedness and a watchfulness that is waning.
Satan is no different. He wants to attack our souls when we are least expecting it and around the defenses we have set up.
The hard thing about watching for the enemy is you DON’T know when he is coming so it takes a constant watchfulness to ensure your heart is protected.
When Paul encouraged Timothy to “fight the good fight,” he was saying to “soldier as a good soldier” and a soldier in Paul’s day would never leave his post. A Roman soldier was to remain at his post until the commanding officer relieved him of his duty. It was for the protection of the soldier and really the whole company of soldiers for him to be vigilant and watching for the enemy to attack.
As Paul writes to Timothy, he indicates that people don’t always intentionally allow the enemy to attack them, they just see or hear something that intrigues them and they “wander” away. a few individuals throughout the letter that have “wandered from the faith.”
1 Timothy 1:3 As I urged you when I went into Macedonia, stay there in Ephesus so that you may command certain men not to teach false doctrines any longer 4 nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies. These promote controversies rather than God’s work—which is by faith. 5 The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. 6 Some have wandered away from these and turned to meaningless talk.
Satan loves to lead us to think that the latest teaching is better than the Gospel of Jesus which communicates grace and forgiveness. False teaching can sound very good. False teaching we can dismiss as well-meaning teaching. Engaging conversations that move a heart away from the Lord can be intriguing. But in the end, all that teaches contrary to grace is a teaching that is false and leads to damage to our soul. Satan loves to test our defenses and then when weakness is determined, he brings an all-out attack to bring demise to our faith and good conscience.
So, when we see a blip on the radar that doesn’t correlate with God’s truth…sound the alarm. When we see Satan’s periscope poke up and see if we are paying attention, we have to blow it out of the water. When we sense we are vulnerable to a large attack, we must ready our defenses and strengthen our resolve to take out Satan’s attack.
Don’t leave your post!
Apply: How does Satan sneak up on you and attack your faith? What can you, with God’s help, do to destroy the attack before it creates harm to your soul?
Prayer: Lord give me the resolve to never leave my post so that I can always be ready to fight the attacks that Satan sends my way. AMEN.