“Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand firm against him and be strong in your faith. Remember that your family of believers all over the world is going through the same kind of suffering you are.” 1 Peter 5:8-9 NLT
My husband serves on the board of a ministry that serves the people in Rwanda. At the end of his first trip, the team went on a safari. He came home and said,
“I learned something about lions. They have a loud roar and they’re fast but only for a short distance. They don’t have endurance. That’s why they rely on their ability to prowl, strategize, and intimidate.”
In other words, the fear-lion slinks around in the shadows. He relies on surprise attacks and his loud roar. The fear-lion prowls around and looks for an opening in our lives, an opportunity to at least disrupt our peace, at worst, to bait us into sin, ruin our lives, and rob us of our influence, perspective, and joy.
“Our fear gives Satan a geographical presence that he doesn’t deserve.” Nik Ripken
The scrawny, emaciated fear-lion finds an opening in our lives where he knows he’s already planted fear. He knows us well. He’s studied us for years. He remembers well the traps he set for us when we were just children. He knows what lies he fed us when life let us down. He watches our response to certain triggers. And as long as we react to our fears instead of responding to God’s promises, the enemy’s strategy against us will continually be successful.
But fear is a liar. The enemy is a liar. He’s the author of confusion. And his threat against us is directly connected to our threat to him. Consider the way the enemy relentlessly comes against you. Now turn it around and ponder what mind-boggling call God has in mind for you! Yes, you need healing to walk out this calling. But don’t we all?
Jesus knows the layers of your pain, hurts, and traumas. And He knows exactly how to unearth them without destroying you. He’s wonderfully careful with you. And He’s ruthless with your enemy. He will in due time heal and restore you. And make no mistake about it. He will also destroy the works of the enemy in your life.
Recently on Middays we did a Songs & Verses show on the topic of fear. It was powerful! We played our favorite songs for putting fear under our feet. And, we talked about fear’s impact on our health and perspective. Grab a cup of coffee and let this show encourage your soul and speak to your heart.
Remember, the devil fights dirty. And life is just plain hard sometimes. Even so, may we stay determined and grab hold of this truth: God has made promises to us that He intends to keep.
Let’s fight for our freedom so we can know the flourishing Jesus offers us. When we flourish, others flourish as well. Our life, our freedom matters so very much in the greater Kingdom story. We can do this.
*Adapted from Susie’s book, [amazon text=%title%&asin=B07D6XSMZP].