I enjoy watching college football, especially our in-state teams. It seems that every week there is an “upset” where teams that were projected to win actually lose. Sometimes there is even a “major upset” where a team that was suppose to get beat by several touchdowns wins the game. The reason offered most of the time is that the better team took the other team too lightly. I always thought that was a lousy excuse because after a few plays into the game the players should be able to realized they should play harder. Right?
But it finally dawned in my thick skull that it wasn’t that they took them too lightly in the game, it was that they took them too lightly as they practiced! Because they thought it was going to be an easy game, they didn’t prepare themselves properly; perhaps they didn’t listen to their coaches or pay attention to the instructions. They simply did not prepare themselves for the game and when the game started they paid the price.
I feel that we Christians do the same thing in our battles with Satan. Through the power of the Holy Spirit we are stronger than the devil: “Greater is He that is in you than he who is in the world.” (1 John 4:4). Then how does he win so many battles? We take him too lightly as we prepare. We are pretty good at looking at the wicked thugs napping in our nation and we have honed our complaining to razor sharpness. But what about in our personal lives? Are we on guard against temptation and sin? Do we recognize the devil in our anger, jealousy, selfishness, and lackadaisical attitude toward spiritual matters?
We are indeed in a large scale battle for the soul of our nation but there are battles in our own life for which we need to be prepared. Satan may want to corrupt our nation in general, but he wants to hurt and destroy you in particular. Study the word of God. Bathe your family, friends, and church in prayer. One day in your future will be “game day”. Are you prepared?
Say good things about you church and about your Savior.
Bro. Tony