Understand the Attack

If ignorant both of your enemy and of yourself, you are certain in every battle to be in peril. - Sun Tzu

Understanding how your enemy will attack you is one way to win the war. We are in this world, not by ourselves but with others who may hate us, want to hurt us, or want to see us stay down. The Bible tells us to be on guard for the lion is watching. You are a child of God, so no matter what you are already hated by the devil himself. This is a conversation that not everybody wants to talk about because getting into the core of understanding the devil, and that he actually does attack us is something that’s not always talked about. But it’s true. He has different ways of attacking us. Some of them are evident in the Bible. And that’s why it’s key to understand that when someone is coming after you don’t look at the person but understand that it’s the devil using that person to try and hurt you.

He brings confusion. You can’t make a decision with a lot of noise around you. So if you have voices telling you to go left and right and up and down, how are you going to know which direction to actually take? God speaks in a whisper. But the devil shouts all around you. It’s best to have moments of silence with God in order to hear His voice. Our thoughts can get in the way. Other voices can get in the way. The world gets in the way. But as much as God is seeking you, we also need to seek him. Only then will you get the clarity that you need and the answers that you’re seeking.

He brings fear. In the story of David and Goliath, David’s enemy was bigger and scary, he brought fear into the camp of Israel. Your problem will always seem bigger and harder and faster. As long as we keep looking at it, the bigger the fear will grow. The crazy thing is that all we need to do is to look up in order to remember that God is bigger, and that God is faster and that God has it all under control and he is our help. 

He brings pain. The widow had prayed to God for a son, and he passed away and they gave her great pain. Especially because she was told that she would get this blessing, and suddenly this blessing was gone, and now it was messing with her faith. How can you trust in one who tells you you will be blessed and that blessing is also taken from you. The pain can have you doubting God and doubting in life and doubting yourself. Elijah was there to reminder that no matter how big the pain or how hard the loss, God will still breath life into it. He breathes life into her son, and he came back. Showing that God will always have your back. (1 Kings 17: 8-24)

He brings deceit. This was the first attack in the Bible. The snake lied to Eve in the garden. This changed our lives forever. Just had them banished from the promised land. Having discernment is key here. To be able to recognize the lie will help you dodge the hole. But discernment comes from closeness with God. Because the spirit he blesses you with will give you the gift of discernment.