Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your
adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to
devour. 1 Peter 5:8
Snakes in our
paths
As I was leaving
for work this morning I was surprised by a Copperhead that slithered up on the
driveway underneath my car right in my path.
It unnerved me so terribly that I froze.
I finally realized I could get in my car because he was closer to the
other side of the car and then I could run over it. I jumped in my car, all the while thinking
that this snake was going to race over and attack my ankles. I started the car, backed up and tried three
times to flatten him like a pancake but to my utter dismay, he slithered off
the other side of the driveway and into the tall grass, right by our trash can
– and the bag of trash I had tossed outside so I could put it in the trashcan
when I left. Needless to say, the trash
bag is still lying outside and will probably be covered with ants when I get
home. But I was not going anywhere near
it. My skin is still crawling and my
whole day has been knocked off kilter.
This experience made me stop and think about snakes and
their representation of Satan. Snakes
are just so creepy. They are sly and sneaky. If you aren’t paying attention,
you might not see them before they strike.
You have to be mindful and always looking closely where you step. The snake that was in the garden with Eve has
been connected with Satan and it was very sly, cunning and tricky. He knew exactly how to captivate Eve. After all, snakes are not supposed to
talk. He laid it all out for her in the
most appealing way and that is exactly how Satan still works on us today. He knows how to captivate us, distract us
from God, and he tells us exactly what we want to hear. He is sneaky, sly, cunning and waiting to
strike. Even when he crosses our paths
it can shake us up and throw us off just like the snake did to me this
morning.
Be Vigilant
When you know the snakes are there, you have to be vigilant
and you cannot let your guard down.
Earlier this spring we killed another copperhead on our front
porch. Right after that happened, I was
extremely vigilant, always looking where I was stepping and all around the
territory. Then after a while, I didn’t
see any more snakes and I stopped being so careful. I let my guard down and then today I was
taken off guard. I was lucky. I could have been bitten by that snake
easily. I was in a rush, not paying
attention and talking on the
phone.
We have to be the same way about snakes in our spiritual
life. Satan likes for us to let our
guard down so he can take us by surprise.
Sometimes we expect an attack from him and we are ready but the
dangerous moments in our lives are when we are caught unaware. The verse above says the devil prowls around like a roaring lion
looking for someone to devour.
He is waiting and watching for our weak moments so he can attack. He
could also show up when we have had a really great event or victory in our life
and we are celebrating. He can also use
our thoughts or get inside our heads and hearts if we are not careful to keep
him out.
Satan not only wants to cause us to stumble, but he wants to
do anything possible to cause us to be ineffective for the kingdom of God. If we are hurting others and making choices
that do not glorify God, not only are we are ineffective for God’s kingdom, but
we are helping Satan and his cause.
Satan is cunning and crafty. He
is a relentless adversary and not to be taken lightly. We must not bury our heads in the sand and
wish him and all his demons away. He is
real and he is on the move and he is dauntless enough to even test the Son of
God himself. Be vigilant in everything
you do.
Scripture to Claim:
Therefore
submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. James 4:7
