8 Dec, 2008
When attacked by a knife wielding, intoxicated man, one neighbor fought back with the only "weapon" he had: an over sized, plastic candy cane! The drunken man showed up and began waving a knife at a group of individuals who were celebrating the holidays on an outside lawn. The attacker cut several people's clothing before one man grabbed the two foot lawn ornament and fought back. Neighbors were able to subdue the attacker until police arrived.
Story from allheadlinenews.com
Photo from Google Images
Back Off!!
Ephesians 6:13-17
13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted withe the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. (NIV)
What does today's God's Story scripture teach us about being prepared to fight off Satan's attacks?
Of course the poor, unsuspecting victims of this story had no idea that they would be attacked that day by a man with a knife . . . If they had, I'm certain they would've armed themselves with something other than a plastic candy cane! Likewise, we have no idea when each of us will have to defend ourselves against the evil schemes of the devil. What we do know is that he is out there, prowling like a lion (1 Peter 5:8), waiting to pounce on us in a moment of weakness, and God wants us to be prepared!
Today's scripture makes it clear that preparing ourselves to fight against the devil's schemes means taking an active role. God calls us to "put on" the full armor of God - we must clothe ourselves, daily, with Truth and righteousness. We have to know the Gospel and rest in its promises, stand strong in our faith, and fight the lies of the devil with the Truth of scripture. For without these things, we will be caught off guard, swinging the equivalent of a silly plastic lawn ornament in the face of Satan and hoping for the best.
How can we connect today's God's Story scripture to our lives?
- Be Prepared! Start by praying and asking God to help you better understand your areas of weakness - these are the areas where Satan is most likely to attack. If you can be honest enough with yourself, you'll be able to see the places in your life that may give Satan a foothold.
- Make a plan! Remember that putting on the full armor of God requires you to take an active role, on a daily basis! Make a plan for spending time in God's Word and memorizing scripture (after all, it is the sword you will use to fight with!), and look for ways to strengthen your faith.
- Pray!! Pray for God to help prepare you for Satan's attacks. Pray through each piece of armor as you get dressed in the morning (ex. As you put on your shirt, pray that God would clothe you with the "breastplate of righteousness," your belt that you would be wrapped in Truth, etc.).
How can we connect today's story, God's Story and our story to others?
- Share a story about a time you were caught off guard by something or someone . . . what was your reaction? Talk about how you could've or should've been more prepared. If the conversation lends itself, share how you and God are preparing you for tough times that may be coming.
- Pray for your friends who have been caught off-guard and are currently suffering through a tough time. Ask God to give you opportunities to encourage them and to help you respond to them in love and grace.
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