The month of April 2022 has certainly been an unusual month, hasn’t it? Lots of rain but thank goodness no extremely destructive storms to speak of. It seems the past few years that the spring storms have been exceptionally destructive. So, a reprieve during this spring of 2022 is certainly welcomed and appreciated.
That said, I’ve been thinking about the “storms of life” which we all face from time to time. It seems that the old devil has really been pulling out all the stops to torment our church folk and their families. It is certainly true for your parsonage family, and from all I have been told, it is certainly true for many of you.
How do we deal with the attacks of the devil? I think the answer to that question is rooted in something Jesus said in John 10:10, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy.” Who is he coming after? Obviously, it is those who are a part of Christ’s kingdom. He really doesn’t bother the unsaved that much. Frankly, it could be said that he has them right where he wants them. This frees up his time to come after God’s people.
Dr. David Jeremiah, pastor of Shadow Mountain Community Church in El Cajon, California is one of my favorite authors (even if he is Southern Baptist – LOL). He is one of many writers who call this “spiritual warfare.” I’ve got to be honest with you, my dear parishioners and friends. This month of April has felt a lot like warfare. Old Satan has pulled out lots of weapons from his arsenal against many of us in and outside the church. It seems we overcome one attack and along comes another.
So how do we deal with these attacks? There is no one single answer to that question. But let me share just a couple of ideas with you.
First, we should pray and read scripture regularly. Spending time with God and His Word will help you know Him better and be assured of His love for you. Psalm 91 is a good place to start. It really is a covenant prayer – that assures us of being confident in the Lord’s sheltering care.
Second, remember that God is stronger than the devil. Christ defeated Satan on the cross, so He can deliver you from Satan’s traps and keep you in the protection of His grace. That’s what the apostle James had in mind when he wrote, “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (James 4:7).
Obviously these two brief observations are not the “end all be all” answer to the attacks of Satan. But they are great place to start.
Let’s band together in prayer for one another as we fight the fight with the devil and his tricks. There is strength in numbers.
In closing, I am reminded of the words of the Apostle Paul in Romans 8:38 and 39. “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Pastor Tim