Hello Friend!
April 1st fell on a school day this year. As I dropped my kids off at the bus, I told them, “Be wise. It’s April Fool’s Day.” And as the bus drove away I realized how crazy it was to encourage someone to be especially wise on one certain day of the year.
We need to be wise every day, don’t we? We have a real enemy, wanting to engage us and fool us, and it’s not the kid sitting next to us in class.
Conversations from over the past few months are flooding my mind right now. So many were tied to difficult things people were facing, their battles, their encounters with our enemy. The majority of those battles found their fighting ground on the acreage of their minds. Some people were immediately aware of what was going. Others had unknowingly swallowed lies and made them a part of their life. Be wise is what I had told my children…
Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. Matthew 10:16 ESV
Get wisdom; get insight; do not forget, and do not turn away from the words of my mouth. Do not forsake her (wisdom), and she will keep you; love her, and she will guard you. Proverbs 4:5-6 ESV - Parenthesis - my addition
Looking back on my life and those conversations with others, I realize the attacks we face are often aimed at certain targets. Now this isn’t an exhaustive list, but I’d like to share a few of the main ones. Before I begin, there is something that a friend and I discussed that I’d like to share first.
During the battle, the enemy may use numerous arrows and a variety of kinds shot from different directions. We can get distracted by them as our attention is drawn to each one. But what is their target? My friend and I discovered we need to focus on where they are headed and protect the target instead of trying to stop each individual arrow. (How exhausting!) Now back to those targets...
A few basic targets:
Our Identity: Our enemy wants us to identify with our “old man” (who we were before Christ) or any identity that doesn’t line up with who God says we are. Christ died and rose again to provide us with a new identity among other things. (Galatians 2:20, Romans 6:6, I Peter 2:9) We are no longer identified with our sin but with His righteousness. We need to remind ourselves we are new creatures in Christ. (II Corinthians 5:17) Our behavior grows out of our identity, so WHO we believe ourselves to be is HUGE!
Our Future: God has good plans for our future. (Jeremiah 29:11) He created us and has things for us to do. (Ephesians 2:10) The enemy will try to steal or destroy our future. He will try to distract us and get us to disqualify ourselves, or shrink back from what God is calling us to.
Our Past: Our enemy loves reminding us of every wrong we have ever committed. It’s hard for us to move forward with God when we are constantly looking backward, mourning our mistakes. (Philippians 3:13-14) If this is an area you are struggling in, ask God to help you fully receive the forgiveness Christ paid for you to have. (Isaiah 1:18, Psalm 103:12, Ephesians 1:7-8) Also, ask Him to help you forgive yourself.
Our Relationships: God refers to us as sheep in the Bible numerous times. Sheep are better protected when they stay with the flock. Don’t let the enemy convince you to battle alone. He wants to separate and isolate us from those we draw strength, encouragement, and wisdom from. He may tell you that you are just trying to draw from their strength and faith, and you really need to rely on yourself. Don’t fall for it. (Hebrews 10:24-25, I Thessalonians 5:11, Romans 1:12)
Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. I Peter 5:8 ESV
Not sure if you are in a battle? Here are a few clues:
Fear: This is a big clue. Are you feeling a paralyzing or underlying fear? Or maybe you are being driven by it? It doesn’t matter what is the reason or cause of it, fear is not from God. If you are living under it, ask a friend to pray with you and thank God that His desire is to free you from it. (II Timothy 1:7, Isaiah 41:10, Philippians 4:6-7)
Condemnation: Another one of his calling cards is condemnation. Are you weighed down by shame? Our enemy loves putting shame on us for ANYTHING and EVERYTHING. Watch for it. He will give a good argument why you should feel bad - we did, afterall, do those things. But Christ! His blood washed us clean. (Romans 8:1, John 3:18, Ephesians 2:8-9, I John 1:9)
Confusion: The enemy’s presence breeds confusion, not clarity and peace. Don’t exhaust yourself trying to clean up the confusion by attempting to figure everything out. Kick out the source of the confusion, the enemy, and let God’s peace guard your mind in Christ Jesus. (Isaiah 26:3, I Corinthians 14:33a)
Like my children, I want to give you a hug and tell you to be wise continuously. Don’t put it on for one day of the year and walk around unaware the rest of the time. The enemy is going to try to fool you. Might we remember to be wise,...
“...so that we would not be outwitted by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his designs.” II Corinthians 2:11 ESV
We aren’t ignorant anymore, are we, my friend?!!
Candace
P.S. And for the record - both my kids have got me on April Fool’s Day. One had me experiencing fear for a moment. (There may have been a fake spider involved.) And the other one made me mad. (My computer and what I now know to be a dried paint blob. Nuff said.)
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