Be self-controlled and alert.  Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.  Resist him, standing firm in the faith.

(1 Peter 5:8, 9a NIV)

I once happened upon a situation where a person was extremely angry with their dogs.  They were yelling and hollering and chasing after the dogs in a threatening manner.  They were trying to get the animals to move from one area to another.  The dogs were terrified and had scattered in different directions, desperately trying to flee from this bully’s path.

One of the frightened creatures, spotting me, ran to my side and huddled against my leg.  Having viewed where their owner wanted them to go, I spoke calmly and quietly to the little canine and began to walk toward the designated area.  The pup followed, as I approached the assigned area, I called the other dogs over to me as well, speaking in a positive voice.  All of the dogs responded and were soon safely out of the bully’s way.

Fear kept these dogs from hearing their owner’s loud and angry voice, as dogs respond to tone and attitude, more than words.  When the right tone and attitude was introduced, their ears were alert and they were thus able to listen and obey.

Just as this person’s dogs, were scattering and running in fear, our enemy, known in the Word as Satan or the devil, also seeks to put us on the run, as God’s people, by bullying us with fear tactics.  Satan wants us to doubt God and His truth.  He wants us to rebel against God, just as he did and he seeks to cause doubt in our lives, in regard to our faith, often when we are most vulnerable. When sickness, sorrow, economic crisis, natural disasters, relational difficulties and the like assault us, the enemy of our souls roars in with his lies seeking to steal the truth from our hearts. He desires to crush our view of God, bombarding us with doubts and fears concerning our situation. Amidst his rampage and our resultant fear, it becomes hard for us to hear the calm voice of our Lord as He seeks to remind us of His ability to use all things for our good and grant us strength and wisdom to endure amidst it. 

Let us therefore learn to recognize our enemy and his tactics, by studying the Word and committing it to heart.  So that on the day of attack, amidst the lion’s roaring, we might be able to tune our ear to God’s still quiet voice of assurance and hope, for He is, “… able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us.” (Ephesians 3:20 NIV)

Prayer: Father God, when the enemy roars into our lives, teach us to stand firm and listen to Your still, quiet voice of hope, wisdom and safety.  In Christ’s name.  Amen.

Lynne Phipps
Tawatinaw, Alberta, Canada