Warfare

Have you ever felt like Satan was after you? It seemed things were going along so well and you were in a good place, when all of the sudden, things start falling apart. He seemed to attack you where you were least expecting him. Whether it is emotionally, spiritually, financially or physically. I have often thought about why he waits until things are going well to come after us? He did the same with Job and of course, like Job, he knocks us down and continues to kick us until either we yell "uncle" or we are able to convince him we will never do so.
When these attacks come, we are often surprised, shocked and unprepared. I believe that is why the battles are so intense and so disturbing. We are caught unarmed and resting on our laurels, so to speak. We must scurry to put on our armor, pick up our sword, and ready for battle--- after the battle has already started. This gives Satan a slight advantage---not one that, with God, is insurmountable, but an advantage nevertheless.
Satan is a crafty warrior---he likes to catch us unprepared. He likes to catch us when things are going well. He likes to catch us when spiritually we appear to be on track. There is no prestige, no bragging about winning someone who is already lost. The lost already belong to him---why should he exert effort on them? He is after new territory---territory that is valuable.
It seems we are unprepared because we forget we are at war. We have become short-sighted and have forgotten that there is more than this world we live in and there is time beyond our years here on earth. This short-sightedness handicaps us. It causes a false sense of victory, a false security. It makes us vulnerable.
We are at war!!!! We do not fight alone--God and His entire army are fighting with us. We must be good soldiers, ever ready, ever watching, always armed. The war has already been won, but the battles still must be fought. Since the war is won and God declared the victor, the only fact still up in the air is whose camp will we be in when all is said and done? We will either be victors or spoils of war. We get to decide. It is time to fight, review the war plan, arm ourselves and ultimately wear the victory crown.

I Timothy 6:12 "Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses."

Neva