The Battle ~ by: robin moroney

“I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, but you have kept My word and have not denied My name.” Revelation 3:8
When we were on vacation last week, we were at the tennis courts and heard quite a ruckus coming from one of the trees. When we looked up we saw a big, powerful hawk perched on a limb. The ruckus was coming from a bunch of smaller birds who were dive bombing the hawk. They were making quite a stink and were constantly trying to beat up on the larger hawk.

Under normal circumstances, those birds would probably pay very little attention to each other. They would just coexist peacefully. But there was a very precious treasure in that tree ~ a nest. And that hawk was very determined to get to that treasure. But the smaller, weaker birds were just as determined to keep the hawk away.

And under normal circumstances, the bigger, stronger hawk could have probably put a pretty good whoopin' on those smaller birds if he needed to. But because the treasure was so precious, the smaller birds had the courage to band together to fight off the enemy that wanted to destroy their nest.

Isn’t that how Satan is? Satan has no interest whatsoever in non-Christians. He knows that there is no precious treasure to be had in a non-Christian. John 10:10 says, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy.”
Satan’s sole mission is to try to remove us from our rightful place beside our Lord. And he is relentless and insanely determined in his pursuit of that goal. The biggest threat to Satan is when we have a close relationship with God. So Satan will use whatever method he can to convince us that our Father is wrong or that He lies or that He wants to confuse us or harm us. Satan will try to convince us that what we want to do is always the right thing instead of us doing what we know is right and what we know God wants us to do.

When I moved to Atlanta, it took me three months to find a job. This was very frustrating for me. One day I had an appointment with an employment agency. The woman who interviewed me wasn’t very nice. She was condescending and rather rude to me. I took all the administrative tests they gave me and I pretty much aced them all. After that interview, I didn’t hear from the agent for a couple weeks. Then one day I got a call. She had a job she wanted me to interview for. I was very excited. Then she told me that the job was as an accounts payable clerk at a very small church. Ok, I don’t mean to brag or be prideful but I aced all the administrative tests. I have many, many years of office manager/executive assistant experience. I have just a little more experience than would be required for a clerk at a small church. And I didn’t take one single accounting test. I gave no indication whatsoever that I do accounting. Math is not my thing. So I politely told the lady that I wasn’t interested in that position. And she said, rather condescendingly, that she thought I would like the job because it was at a church. And for some reason, with those few words, I just got the sense that she didn’t like me because I wore a cross to my interview with her. I don’t know why I got that sense but I did.
A few days later, I got a call from someone completely unrelated. Several weeks prior, I had answered a teeny, tiny ad in the paper. And that company wanted me to come in for an interview. As I pulled into the parking lot of the office building, the words from the other lady came to mind. And I decided that if wearing my cross would hinder me from getting a job, then I better put it out of sight. So I tucked my cross into my sweater. But just before I got out of the car, the Holy Spirit pressed on me that this was not right. And I thought that if there was a company that didn’t want to hire me because I’m a Christian, then I just didn’t want to work for them. So I took my cross out of my sweater and laid it at its rightful place on my chest and I went into the interview.

Well, guess what happened? I got the job. This is one of the best jobs I’ve ever had. And without a doubt, I work with some of the best people I’ve ever worked with before. Many of whom are Christians ~ including my boss and the other owner of the company. I have never talked openly at work about my faith. But I certainly do here. I have had some great “God talks” with several people. God is a constant presence in my life at work and I don't try to hide it.

Satan wanted to take my past experience and convince me that it would be a good idea to deny my faith. But God sent the Holy Spirit to help me fight Satan and his lies. And when I chose to fight Satan and not listen to his lies, God blessed me with an awesome job that I love.

Satan can put thoughts in our heads that really seem to make a lot of sense. He twists God’s word and he plays mind games with us all the time. Satan is very powerful and he can be very alluring. But, like the little birds fighting off the hawk, we can not fight Satan alone. The good news is that we don’t have to. Because we have God and His angels on our side. Psalm 91:11-12 says, “For He will command His angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.”
I think that some of the angels that God sends to us are our Christian friends who will pray for us and with us when we are feeling tempted and low. That’s why I think it’s so important to surround ourselves with other Christians. A single small, little bird in that tree could not fight off the hawk. But when they banded together, they were a force to be reckoned with. And we can not fight Satan alone. We need God’s strength and the strength of the people He puts in our lives to help us.

The closer we get to God and the more we proclaim our love for God, the harder Satan will work to separate us from God. So if you feel that Satan is on your back; if there are people in your life who are trying to pull you away from God or who are ridiculing you because of your faith, congratulations!!!!! That means that Satan is very threatened by your relationship with God. And it means you are getting closer and closer to God and that you have inherited the kingdom of Heaven. Alleluia!!!!

This is the most important battle we’ll ever have to fight. Are you willing to fight this battle? Will you fight Satan to protect your most precious treasure? Will you band together with your fellow Christians to fight Satan? And when your fellow Christians are weary and so tired of the fight, will you stand strong with them and pray that God will give them His strength and endurance? I hope so, because I’m counting on your help.

Remember: “Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven.” Matthew 5:10
Precious Father, we thank You for sending Your angels to help us fight Satan’s immense power. We are so grateful to know You and to know that You are more powerful than Satan. Help us have the strength to never deny Your name no matter how tired and weary we are. We are so thankful that You are our God. And we praise You and give You glory. Amen. ~Robin