Facing Danger, from Any Direction
Posted by: ba <ba@...>
http://www.forthright.net
Straight to the Cross
COLUMN: Field Notes
Facing Danger, from Any Direction
By Michael E. Brooks
"Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be
able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For
we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but
against principalities, against powers, against
the rulers of the darkness of this world, against
spiritual wickedness in high places" (Eph.
6:11,12).
The Sunderbans, which lies partly in Bangladesh
and partly in India, is the world's largest
mangrove swamp. It is a true jungle environment,
and contains many of the few remaining wild Bengal
tigers. These tigers continue to be extremely
dangerous, and every year several woodcutters and
fisherman are killed by them. The tigers are
protected by law and the jungle people are rarely
armed, so are forced to find other means to defend
themselves from attack. One means that is
effective is to wear masks resembling human faces
on the back of the head. The tiger is by nature an
ambusher, relying on stealth to creep close to his
intended victim before rushing to the kill. If he
believes he is being observed by the victim he
often will not attempt an attack, thinking the
prey will be able to escape. Thus the mask
deceives the tiger, making him think he is being
watched, and danger is averted.
The Bible reminds us that Satan is a clever and
powerful foe, able to attack from any direction
and through a variety of means. We must be
prepared for all of his wiles. It is not
sufficient to simply wear a mask. He is not that
easily fooled. But we are to wear the armor that
God provides that is truly able to protect us.
Faith, peace, truth, and righteousness not only
give us warning of Satan's advances, but also help
us to repel his attacks. Our sword, the word of
God, is the weapon which allows us to do more than
just stand him off. With it he is truly and
finally defeated.
No one with any wisdom goes into the Sunderbans
unprepared to avoid the attack of tigers. In the
same way, no one in this world should be unaware
of, and unprepared to face, Satan. He is by far
the more powerful and dangerous foe. His attack
leads not just to physical death but to
"everlasting destruction from the presence of the
Lord, and from the glory of his power" (2 Thes.
1:9). Put on God's armor. Enlist the help of Jesus
who "bruised his (Satan's) head" and defeated him
for all time. Through him we too are more than
conquerors over Satan. We will reign victorious
eternally, while Satan perishes in the pit
prepared for him and all his followers.
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