The
Arms Dealer
For our struggle is not against flesh
and blood…
Ephesians 6:12
The two Generals met at the middle of
the battlefield to discuss the terms of a peace treaty. Unbeknownst
to them, an arms dealer lay hidden in the bushes, rifle at hand,
ready to make sure peace did not prevail.
As the Generals were about to shake
hands the arms dealer took aim at an unsuspecting infantryman and
squeezed the trigger. Assuming the other side had fired the shot, the
man standing next to him opened fire on the opposition. The
battlefield erupted in gunfire, both sides believing the other had
violated the cease fire agreement. They had no way of knowing they
had been used as pawns in a chess match. Sneaking away under the
cover of gunfire and foliage, the arms dealer retreated to safety.
The war would last four years and claim
the lives of more than ten thousand men and women. During that time
the arms dealer sold more than three hundred thousand weapons to both
sides, making millions. His plan had worked perfectly: get the
soldiers to fight amongst themselves for as long as he could. He
couldn’t have cared less about casualties, or the lives of
countless families that were destroyed. All he cared about was making
money…any way he could.
†
By means of deception, Satan gets us to
fight amongst ourselves, carrying out his schemes of destruction.
Instead of waging war against the unseen manipulator, we are lured
into fighting an opponent who appears to be our antagonist,
never realizing we’ve become tools in the hands of a cunning and
vicious enemy, an enemy who wants to sow discord in our families, at
our workplace, and especially in the Church. He will manipulate
anyone, in any situation, to achieve his goal of chaos and
destruction.
Paul tells us that by recognizing this
ploy as an attack from the enemy, and refusing to take part, we can
demolish the devil’s schemes.
Next time, before lashing out, look for
the ‘arms dealer’, then take up the Sword of Truth, the Word of
God, and engage the real enemy.
Prayer
“Show me when the enemy
is scheming against me, Holy Spirit. And help me recognize the ‘arms
dealers’ Satan sends my way so I can take appropriate
action. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”
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