Keep Your Enemies Close

Satan has a way of sneaking into our lives. He hides in the thickets and bushes of our world waiting until we are unaware and then he strikes. Attacks come as a surprise and we’re left wondering how we had been so vulnerable.

The lioness, despite her beauty, is a shrewd hunter hiding in bushes when she’s hungry. She finds what she has a taste for and waits. She’ll sit in a bush for hours waiting for an unexpecting zebra to pass by and there she goes—pouncing on her prey suffocating it until she has dinner.

Zebras are an amazing animal as well. They have an innocent way about them as they graze and stop for water, minding their own business on the plain. But when a predator like the lion is spotted, they face her, staring intently, watching her every move—always knowing where she is.

You’d think, though, the zebra would have immediately run away when the lioness was spotted, but no. Zebras watch their prowler. Every zebra is on the lionesses radar to become the next guest to join her for dinner. And zebras know the lion scans the herd lunging on the injured or faint or unaware.

Awareness of our enemy is crucial in our life. Knowing where the enemy is and watching for an attack is a wise practice. If we are not constantly watching, waiting for movement, we could get caught and dragged into something that we may not be able to get out of without serious harm–harm that could maim or even destroy us.

Once a lion has her prey in sight she focuses intently on her target. She will not kill something that is too much for her needs, and she also won’t waste any part of the tragedy. Her prey is unaware, weak enough, easily distracted, the right size for her need and conquerable.

Likewise, Satan has his focus on those who are not wary and haphazard. He won’t attack someone who is aware of him, he sneaks in and takes over. He knows your weaknesses and capitalizes on them. His imperfect plan distracts you from your Christian walk filling his need to find just the right person to fill a dirty job and he knows he can conquer you. If he knows you’re going to beat him at his own game, he won’t waste his time…he will just scare you.

I Peter 5:8 says: “Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.” We even get a warning from the Bible…Satan is like that lion looking for dinner–aka YOU!

Friends often pour warnings into our lives. They may see danger in our Christian walk that we ourselves do not see. Be open to the life giving advice of other Christians who warn about situations that may be dangerous and could lead us into something or somewhere we shouldn’t be. A wise woman, when she speaks, her words are wise and she instructs with kindness (Proverbs 31:26). Listen to those wise women God has placed in your life.

And be watchful of the enemy. As beautiful as the enemy looks, hiding is his game plan and being aware of the tactics of his game is a command from our Lord. Check out I Thessalonians 5:6: “…be on your guard, not asleep like the others. Stay alert and be clearheaded.”

Keep your enemies close by being alert–aware of where the enemy is, listen intently to the advice of others you trust and be watchful, thinking things through. Have a gameplan in mind when an attack comes so you can overcome your enemy!