Identify the Enemy

Last week or so, I was visiting on the phone with my friend, Cindy. She lives south of Houston along a bayou and was talking about snakes. I do not care for snakes; they creep me out. I shivered just writing that line. I never found the fascination some people have with them. Cindy, for instance, used to attend rattle snake round-ups. Why??!! Why would people seek them out on purpose? That’s creepy. Cindy doesn’t ‘like’ snakes and she's proactive in guarding against them. She's been known to sit outside a hole in the ground where she believed one lived so she could shoot it to protect her animals and neighbor kids that come to play in her yard. To me, that’s just crazy. I say lock the animals up and send the kids home! In our conversation, she was saying she heard a warning on the news to be careful because, due to the drought, snakes were out seeking water and could be lurking in flower beds, gardens, etc. She knows about my morning gardening.

A couple of days after that conversation, I wanted to retrieve a bird cage I have stored under our front deck. I went down there but stopped short just outside the door. Cindy’s talk of snakes had ‘rattled my cage’! Thanks, Cindy! I was fearful to the point of inaction. I could not make myself move into the storage area. I envisioned snakes lying in wait. I didn’t see any snakes but they camouflage extremely well. They aren’t always easy to find, but once you spot one and recognize its markings it became much easier. I wasn’t planning on hanging around long enough to spot one and I certainly wouldn’t recognize its markings.

The Bible speaks of the enemy as a serpent, and he’s also camouflaged very well. He’s lurking in unsuspected places waiting for an opportunity to strike! I know it would be so much easier if Satan just came out and said, “I’m here to destroy your life!” but it’s just not going to happen that way. He’s sneaky. He’s coming to rob, steal and destroy — and most of the time when he does, people don’t even realize he’s doing it! We need to be aware of how he’s trying to enter into our lives, so that we can spot his markings and remove ourselves from the danger!

At the same time, we do not have to be fearful to the point of inaction as I was outside my storage area. We don’t have to give the enemy an opportunity for either deception or the chance to strike by failing to spot his camouflage! Remember, this master of disguise comes as a ‘minister of righteousness’ or an ‘angel of light’ who easily blends into the background of the world. We can become skilled in discerning his subtle serpent wiles through prayer. We don’t have to go by feelings alone, letting fear lead us, when we let God’s Word dwell richly in us. We are filled with His spirit! We’ll be well defended and equipped to stand against the serpent and finish the work God’s called us to!

Now, about that bird cage….any volunteers?