When The Enemy Comes

(8) Be sober, be vigilant; because of your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour. (1 Peter 5:8 KJV)

The month of August I experienced a lot of attacks from the enemy. From being spiritually attacked fighting depression and discouragement. To being physically ill. I’m still getting over a head cold and an ear infection. In the midst of all that was going on I wanted to give up. Things were not happening as fast as I wanted. I was tired of praying and I was in a place where I could barely concentrate on the word of God. As I was going through this spiritual and physical trial God begin to speak to me about the attacks of the enemy. You see when he comes he comes with a plan and that plan is to make you give up your belief in God. The scripture says because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Get this it says that as a lion he walks around seeking those in whom he may devour. First of all, he’s not a lion he’s just masquerade around as one. In other words, he tries to appear to be more menacing than he actually is. The scripture says that he walks about seeking whom he may devour. The word seek means an attempt to find and the word devour means to consume someone or something destructively and recklessly. I want for you to note something else in the scripture. It says seeking whom he MAY devour. I put may in all capital letters so that I may highlight it. In this case, the word may means to have permission to. So when the enemy is seeking whom he may devour. He is attempting to find someone who will give him permission to consume. When the enemy comes he comes to devour. He comes to devour our faith, our beliefs as well as our walk with God.

The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. (John 10:10 KJV)

In John chapter 10. Jesus was letting his disciples know that a thief when he comes he doesn’t enter in through the door. He finds another way. So when the enemy comes he has to sneak in. In other words, when he comes we may not always see him coming. Think about it like this. When a burglar breaks into your home it’s usually at night or if it’s in the day it will most likely be when you’re away. Just as a thief will wait for an opportune time. So does the enemy. Just as the burglar needs only one small crack to gain access such as an unlocked door or an open window. The enemy also looks for cracks in our lives so that he may enter. He will look for the spouse with the wandering eye so that he may tempt you to step outside of your marriage. He looks for the single person with no self-control so he’ll send around Mr tall dark and handsome or the woman who you would consider a dime. He won’t show you that tall dark and handsome is a womanizer who’s had more STD’s than one could count or that Ms. Dime piece is going to take you for all that you have and will leave you with nothing but bitterness and regrets. When the enemy comes he comes with the intent to destroy. We may not think much about those cracks in our lives but the enemy he sees it as an opportunity to wreak havoc. When the enemy comes he comes with a purpose to STEAL your hope; to KILL your destiny and to Destroy your walk with God.

(4) And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: (5) For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. (Genesis 3:4-5 KJV)

When the enemy comes he comes to deceive. In the Garden, he told Eve that if she ate from the tree of knowledge of good and evil that she would not die. It was in direct contradiction to what God told Adam in Genesis 2:16. Satan comes to deceive. He comes to make us question did God really mean it when he told us to abstain from fornication and adultery. When he told us to get rid of all uncleanness. You see the enemy will deceive us into thinking that just because the consequences has not happened yet then it would not happen. Don’t be deceived into thinking that you can continue to dip your toe into those things that God has forbidden and think that you will come out unscathed.

So when the enemy comes. We know that he comes to devour, to destroy and to deceive. The thing is that we can’t stop the enemy from coming. He’s going to come but we can arm ourselves to prepare for battle in Ephesians 6 it tells us to Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having to do all stand. (Ephesians 6:13 KJV) So the attacks are going to come but we are to put on the whole armour of God. We are to put on the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness our feet shod in the preparation of the gospel of peace. We carry our shield of faith and we put on the helmet of salvation and the sword of the spirit which is the word of God. The scripture says after we put on the whole armour of God. We simply just stand. We’re not just standing on anything but we’re standing on the word of God. The belt we put on represents his truth so that we won’t easily be swayed by Satan’s lies. The breastplate protects the heart it’s our righteousness which is pure towards God. Our feet represents the gospel of truth we should always be on the go spreading God’s word. Our shield of faith quenches the fiery darts which is Satan’s lies to get us to relinquish our relationship with God. Our helmet of salvation is the renewing of our minds constantly the meditating on God’s word. Last the sword spirit which is God’s word. A sword was meant to both defend and to attack. We both defend ourselves against the attacks of the enemy with the word of God but we can also attack him with the word as well. In 2 Corinthians 2, it says Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices (2 Corinthians 2:11 KJV) the only way that Satan can get an advantage of us. Is if he catches us without our armour. When he catches us slacking on our private devotion and our prayer life begins to slack off. Remember that I mentioned earlier that he looks for cracks so that he may enter but we also know that we are not ignorant of his devices either!

When the enemy comes. He comes to stir up trouble and to get you off track. He comes to make you doubt. When he comes it’s so that you may lose faith and give up. Don’t be ignorant of his schemes. When the attacks come. Stand firm on the word of God!

 

God’s blessings,

Aqua.