We started church today with “Never Lost a Battle” with Taren Wells.  The title says it all.  It was interesting week as we prepared to get ready for Kids Bible Camp.  Satan was in full out run at us.  We were called names in ignorance.  I was even called a racist after being an EO Advisor for the Army for 13 years until I retired in 2021.  Things were stolen and blame was everywhere to include our church account credit card.  Anyone who knows me knows I drank all the kool-aid at West Point and don’t tolerate well those who lie, cheat, steal. I can forgive but it is not an instantaneous process no matter how hard I pray.  It took a while to realize that the devil was trying to lash out at us before camp.  We are so excited that that means it will be a grand event for all the children. 

They say that by using something’s name that you give it power.  I won’t mention his name but there is someone out there who relishes it when you stumble.  The evil one loves detached believers, unplugged from the life of the family that your church body provides because he knows those who are alone are defenseless and powerless against his tactics of deception.  God has a permissive will that He allows your choices to happen.  Without guidance, love or insight from others, your will to make proper choices may waver against his evil tactics.  You can fall to anger or hate or any of the ravages of sin.  To fight this, God keeps it simple and gives us a standard that He wants us to follow.  That standard includes the 10 Commandments and loving God before all others. The choices that we make to glorify God and the ones that do not honor him are all part of His will.  Only the first, to glorify God, follows God’s will.  The evil one will use your right to choose to trick you into choosing the ones that tarnish your honor.  Think about this.  You know that it is easy to see past mistakes that do not follow God’s will when we look back in time.  You also need to see how God has helped you when you followed him and pushed the evil one out to allow you to follow the standard and make the right choices.  

How can you know God’s will to follow and to make decisions?  The simple answer is scripture.  That is God’s word in the purest form.  If you pray and study scripture, the Holy Spirit will help you open to it.  Of course, the evil one will try and distract you from prayer and study.  That is spiritual warfare.  Every time, that you drift away, the evil one will try and drag you farther away.  This never ending fight between light and dark will continue to tear at you.  In Act 26:17, Jesus provided an answer to this in scripture.  It says ¹⁷ I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them ¹⁸ to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’

You see just like the lioness will try and separate animals from the herd, Satan will try and do the same to you.  Your church family is your herd.  None of us are immune to temptation. Given the right situation, any one of us is capable of any sin. God knows this, so he has given us a duty to help and protect others in our church family and help them to live by the standard.  The Bible says in Hebrews 3:13-14, ¹² See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. ¹³ But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. ¹⁴   If you know someone who is wavering spiritually right now, it is your duty to go after that person and bring him/her back into the arms of their family.  The Book of James also tells us in 5:19-20: ¹⁹ My brothers and sisters, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring that person back, ²⁰ remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins.

Because Satan loves detached believers, unplugged from the life of the family herd because he knows they are defenseless and powerless against his tactics.  But you can strike out against the evil with the help of the Holy Trinity.  If you find yourself struggling to resist the temptations of life, you need to first confess your sins.  That takes away the power from the evil one.  Then you need to fortify your mind.  That is much easier said than done.  Or is it?  If you are thinking loving things, you can’t think about bad things at the same time.  Good things are easy.  Walk outside and look at God’s wonders around you.  Look down at the child or puppy dog that loves you unconditionally.  Listen to the laughter of children playing.  When teaching about dealing with stress or bad things in life, we have something called “Hunt the Good Stuff”.  It can be as simple as I didn’t have to skip breakfast today or I am glad that I woke up and no one was yelling at me.  Every tiny thing that is good is good stuff.  If you look deep enough into anything, the glass is also half full.  Hunt the Good Stuff to fill you with loving things.  No matter how bad today has been, there is something good there too…. That is something that the evil one can not take away from you.  Continue walking along the loving path and it is easy to follow the standard.  Walk the path within the herd, you are protected. 

And the last step?  Get dressed for the day.  Ephesians 6:10-18¹⁰ Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. ¹¹ Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. ¹² For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. ¹³ Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. ¹⁴ Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, ¹⁵ and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. ¹⁶ In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. ¹⁷ Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. ¹⁸ And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.

Scripture is God’s word.  I hope this was that word for you.