There’s an enemy!

I’ve recently experienced someone gaining access to my Facebook account and sending out what’s described as a ‘scam’ message to all my contacts with the intent of defrauding them of money. For some time, an unknown person or remote hacking system has been repeatedly trying to gain access to my Facebook account. Their eventual success means that my account is now scheduled for deletion. Even though the ‘break in’ I’ve just described was dealt with by a change of password, I am still receiving up to four emails a day from the Facebook security system indicating that someone is still trying to get into my account. I’m counting the days until it’s finally closed.

The persistent attempts of someone trying to gain entrance to my Facebook account has reminded me of the way that our spiritual enemy, Satan, is forever looking for an entrance into our lives. Our verse today describes him as a roaring lion seeking to get some hold on us so that he can devour and rob us of our spiritual life in the Lord. You can imagine a hungry lion outside a village looking for unwary villagers who move beyond the village boundaries, or perhaps a darkened corner where it can enter unseen within the village to attack from within. Our spiritual enemy too, looks for ways to wear us down or attack us when we are unaware of his schemes, perhaps through the darkness of unconfessed sin in our lives or through areas of personal weakness or unhealed wounding.

Even as I wait for my Facebook account to be closed, the barrier to my unknown attacker gaining access to my account is to guard my password. Of far more importance is to know that the barrier to Satan gaining access to my life is the blood of Jesus and His victory on the cross, but I must make sure that I’m living my life under the protection of that blood and in the power of that victory. I need to be willing to come quickly to the Lord in repentance and confession when He reveals sin my life and to receive His forgiveness and cleansing. I also need to bring my areas of weakness and unhealed pain to Him to receive His healing grace and mercy and to know His power made perfect in my weakness. And, really importantly, I need to remember that He who is in me (Jesus) is always greater than he that is in the world (Satan).

There’s an enemy that seeks to kill what it can’t control
It twists and turns, making mountains out of molehills
But I will call on the Lord, who is worthy of praise
I run to Him and I am saved
(Godfrey Birtill)

Prayer: Lord Jesus. When I feel besieged and under spiritual attack please help me to always run to You, my strong tower and refuge. In Your powerful name I pray, Amen.