Attack!

Have you ever had that period in your life when it was going beautifully? Smooth sailing. And you express it to someone, or yourself…then within days everything has gone to pot. It happened to me a few years ago. I had been reading my bible, I was on a one year plan…it was going so well. I had persevered for ten months or so, and I was getting close to the end, when a friend asked me how my spiritual life was going. I told him it was going really well, I was on track to have the whole bible read through. I was so excited about this, and bragged how well I was doing. God and I were tight!! Within A DAY I stopped reading the bible and went through some strange period where I couldn’t even pick it up!!!! What happened??? An attack! In hindsight I can see it, but at the time I didn’t even notice it.

This is what happens a lot in the walk of a Christian. The enemy does not want us to be effective witnesses, or even in a place of peace. He wants us to be confused, tired, bitter, busy people. We are no use in the kingdom of God then, and we are no threat. He uses the distractions that we are most vulnerable to. It can be general busyness, family issues, work, volunteering….! Yes, even using the “good” things in our life. Either way, if we are busy ignoring God, we are just where he wants us.

I don’t know how to always effectively ward off the attacks. I have become more aware of them in a shorter period of time…and that helps. They can be so subtle. So insidious. So effective. What has helped is noticing when I am in a “good place”…then I start to watch for the little things that go wrong. When I can see them coming head on, I know where they are coming from and how to fight them. I use the word of God to fight, and lots of prayer. Immerse yourself in the Word. Learn and see the signs around you.

Psalm 121 – I lift up my eyes to the mountains; whence will my help come?
My help is from Yahweh, maker of heaven and earth. He will not allow your foot to be moved; he who protects you will not slumber. Look, he will not slumber and he will not sleep, he who protects Israel. Yahweh is your protector; Yahweh is your shade at your right hand. The sun will not strike you by day, nor the moon by night. Yahweh will protect you from all evil; he will protect your life.