Here you go: via Frank Telford LIONS WOLVES AND GREAT WHITE SHARKS--EXPOSING THE DEMONIC REALM I had a very informative dream not long ago. I was floating out in the ocean on some ship wreckage with someone close to me. We were waiting to be rescued. It was not a great situation to be in to say the least but I was confident at any moment a ship or boat would come and help us. But I saw something rising up from the deep. To my horror it was a great white shark. It was huge and fierce looking. The thought occurred to me that this situation just got as bad as it possibly could get. In our most vulnerable moment the biggest threat we could face just surfaced and its eyes were black and focused on its prey. What could I do at that moment to defend us? Man has a very serious and deadly enemy. Many of us have seen images of Jesus fighting the devil. But this is not the case. Satan is our adversary. He is our enemy. We are warned about him repeatedly in the Bible. Here Peter gives us a visual representation of how deadly he can be: Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 1 Peter 5:8 Consider for a moment the description of Satan being a lion. One that is active and roaring with distain. He is hungry and will stop at nothing to get his meal. I believe here in the US the image of the lion has lost its true meaning. We think about lions in several different ways. We see them caged in the zoo or being filmed on television. Who hasnt seen the Lion King? But when Peter wrote that verse I imagine there was little that was more threatening to an individual than to come across the path of a hungry full grown male lion. Those folks didnt have guns and cars. They didnt go on safaris and get thrills from seeing these animals like we do. Many were shepherds and farmers. The only protection they had was a staff or their bare hands. The last thing they wanted to deal with was a lion. The image Peter used was to show us how serious the situation really is when we are faced with our enemy. He tells us to be sober and watchful. I once believed and was taught from the pulpit that the devil cant do anything to a Spirit-filled Christian. But this verse in 1 Peter and others directly contradicts that deception. Many of us now-a-days have our guard down. If we are not involved in some type of church leadership we figure its ok to go have some drinks, party and live it up. We are not taking our enemy seriously and many are paying a very steep price for it. Who in their right mind would get intoxicated and wander out into the forest with a blind fold on knowing that lions are out there? Let me ask that question a different way. What believer would wander into a bar and start drinking it up with the world while Satan himself is the bartender. In both cases the answer is foolish ones. We are not called, nor have been redeemed to be so foolish have we? What does the Word say about that? “Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. Matt 10:16 In this verse we are sheep and the demonic forces we face are wolves. A sheep cannot do battle with a wolf, it is no contest. The wolf will always win especially if there is more than one. Wolves attack in packs and so do demons. But we are not alone in this battle. We have a shepherd looking after us. But what happens to a sheep that wanders off away from its protection? It is vulnerable to attack. Again we see foolishness at work here. To be wise as a serpent one must have an understanding of the way Satan will intend to attack us. Paul says, 11 in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes. 2 Cor 2 If we stay sober. If we stay watchful. If we remain innocent and walk like Jesus did avoiding sin, forgiving one another, being grounded and rooted in love. We will avoid the schemes of the devil. But if we take part in the world and live to fulfill the lusts of the flesh. We become deaf, dumb and blind to our surroundings and it wont be long before our lives will bear the scars from all the attacks we face. One thing I gleaned from the dream I had, was at our most vulnerable and weakest state Satan will attack. The dream ended immediately when I realized I could not fight the shark by myself. I started to pray and as soon as I cried out, O Father I need you! I woke up. We can not face such a formidable enemy with out our Protector. But He is not only our Protector but our Healer, Teacher and our Comforter. We need Him more than ever today! Let us no longer be fools and live our lives for Him. This battle rages on everyday so we have a choice to make. Listen to the Shepherds voice. He will keep you safe! See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Eph 5:15-16
Posted on: Wed, 23 Apr 2014 19:31:45 +0000
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