When Evil Knocks
August 5
Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion…resist him, standing firm in the faith.
1Peter 5:8, 9
The heavy tapping sounded odd. With the shades drawn, Nora couldn’t see who was at the door. Getting out of the recliner, she drew back the curtain to get a look. Surprised by what she saw, she involuntarily jumped back, ripping the curtain from the window! Standing at the front door was a full-grown, Herford bull!
Regaining her feet, Nora shoved the recliner in front of the door and headed downstairs to alert her mother.
Her abrupt arrival in the kitchen startled Jane, “Honey, what’s wrong?”
“There’s a bull at the front door!” took a moment to register.
“A what?!” Jane asked.
After assuring her mother she wasn’t joking, they ascended the stairs. The bull was nowhere in sight. That was when they heard the commotion downstairs. Descending the stairs, they found the huge bull shoving at a storage bin on the back porch!
Realizing it was the neighbor’s bull, and he not having a telephone, they weighed their options, anxiously discussing what they should do. Finally, Jane snuck out the upstairs door to her car, and went to get the neighbor. After what seemed like forever to Nora, Jane returned. As the man got out of the car he cautioned Jane to wait in the car until he got the animal back in the pasture, because as he put it, “That’s one evil bull!”
†
It would be great if everything dangerous to our spiritual well-being could be identified this easily. If so, we could imitate Nora’s response by barring the door, refusing danger easy access. Then we could discuss our options with God.
But, for the most part, Satan does not roar; he prowls silently, using more subtle approaches that we fail to recognize. And once inside the door, he is relentless.
Peter says to be alert in our efforts to recognize Satan’s schemes, and to resist his tempting offers.
The only way to recognize such deception is through a constant connection with the One Who reveals evil’s true nature. Then when evil knocks…we’ll know to bar the door.
Prayer
Lord, teach me to discern the enemy’s subtle temptations, and give me the faith to resist his lies. In Jesus’ Name, amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment