Rat Attack

“We are familiar with Satan’s schemes.” (II Corinthians 2:11)

Thoughts… Early in the morning on September 11, 2001, I was driving from the Bay Area to Sacramento when I turned on the radio and was stunned to hear the news that planes were crashing into some of our landmark buildings across America. We were being attacked!

At that time, we didn’t know who it was, or how extensive the attacks would be. We didn’t even know who to retaliate against. We were unable to respond initially. The newscasts blared that day, and for the months to follow, this headline: America Under Attack!

I suppose if the Apostle Paul were alive today, he would sound a similar warning: Christianity under attack! The truth is, you and I are under attack. Our faith is being assaulted daily. Our church is in the crosshairs of some pretty big guns. We’re being hit by an invisible enemy, and the devastation is obvious: Broken marriages, ruined families, moral filth, widespread anger, pandemic depression, spiritual anemia, weakened and divided churches, and the list goes on and on.

And here’s the scary part: For the most part, Christians are not striking back. In fact, we don’t even seem to know where being attacked; we haven’t even identified our enemy, much less mount a counter-offensive against him.

That kind of mindset was foreign to the New Testament church. The Apostles made the reality of spiritual warfare quite clear to the early Christians, and they directed a great deal of their teaching to expose the strategy that Satan used against the people of God.

Are you aware of Satan’s strategy? What he used to defeat the first century believers he is still using against believers today, and if you are going to live the victorious Christian life, you need to become familiar with it. I would challenge you to take some time to list out the variety of schemes the Enemy uses against you, your family, and your church, so that as the Apostle Paul says, you can be very familiar with them.

In his commentary on the book of Ephesians, Pastor John MacArthur lists Satan’s nine-fold plan to cause your defeat and the defeat of Christ’s church:

First, Satan attempts to impugn God’s character and credibility. (Gen. 3:1,5; I John 5:10)

Second, Satan undermines the victory that Christ has secured by making life difficult and thereby tempting us to forsake obedience to God’s standards and calling. (Hebrews 10:32-29)

Third, Satan attacks believers through doctrinal confusion and falsehood. (Eph. 4:14)

Fourth, Satan attacks God’s people by hindering their service to him. (I Cor. 16:9; II Cor. 12:17)

Fifth, Satan attacks believers by causing division. (John 17:1121-23; Matt. 5:24; I Cor. 1-3; Eph. 4:3)

Sixth, Satan attacks believers by getting them to trust in their own resources. (I Chron. 21:1-8; Prov. 3:5-6))

Seventh, Satan attacks believers by leading them into hypocrisy. (Ezek. 33:31-32; Matt. 7:6; Titus 1:16))

Eighth, Satan attacks believers by leading them into worldliness. (Ro. 12:2; II Tim. 2:4; I John 2:15-16)

Ninth, Satan attacks believers by leading them to disobey God’s word. (Matt. 7:21)

Perhaps one of those nine is the area where you are being hit the hardest, or maybe even being defeated. But here’s a bit of good news: You don’t have to be defeated any longer. God made you to win, and he secured the victory for you when Jesus defeated Satan at the cross.

So if you are on the losing end of Satan’s schemes right now, how do you turn the battle around? If you’re willing to come to Jesus—who has been there and won—he’s willing to help. The writer of Hebrews reminds us,

“Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.” (Hebrews 2:18)

“So let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” (Hebrews 4:16)

Come up into God’s presence and get help!

I once read the story of a military pilot who climbed into the seat of his jet and took off, soaring high above the clouds. After he reached cruising altitude, the pilot heard a strange and disconcerting noise. It sounded like crunching of plastic. When he looked below the instrument panel, to his horror he saw a rat, out of reach and eating through the electrical wire between the controls and the engine. If the rat were to eat through it, he would lose any ability to control the jet and it would crash.

His first instinct was to descend but he’d flown so far that there wasn’t enough time to land. So instead, he ascended. He figured the rat couldn’t survive at a higher altitude. He put on his oxygen mask, boosted power and climbed as high and as fast as he could. Suddenly the gnawing ended, and when he landed safely, he found the rat—dead.

In a spiritual battle right now? Soar up to God’s throne. That’s how you kill the rat!

Prayer… Dear Father, I come into your presence with boldness because of the way into your throne room that was paved by Jesus’ death. I come to find grace and mercy that I need to strengthen and help me in the battle against Satan. I ask that today, you would lead me away from temptation and deliver me from the evil of the Evil One. Help me to stay alert to the Enemy’s schemes and ready for his attack. Remind me to stay suited up in the armor of God. And grant me spiritual victory I pray. Amen.

One More Thing… “God is not against us because of our sin. He is with us against our sin. So if God be for us, who can be against us?”