BE PREPARED FOR BATTLE
Matthew 16:22-23
Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. "Never, Lord!" he said. "This shall never happen to you!" Jesus turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns."
It was late morning and we were high up on the mountain. The weather was perfect, sunny, warm, calm... beautiful. We were ready to call it a day and we were heading off the mountain. Suddenly a deer jumped out next to us and bounded up the hill above us. I began making a distressed call of a young deer. The response was instant, a deer ran right to me. Exactly what I had expected. I made another call, what I least expected happened next... a giant Kodiak Brown Bear! He came full speed ready to devour whatever was making that noise. Luckily we stopped the Bear at 15 yards and we made it off the mountain safe... shaken, but safe.
That bear attack came when I least expected it and it nearly cost me my life. I should have been prepared ans aware. Every day life can be like that. We need to be ready for an attack at any moment.
Have you heard the old saying, "when you least expect it, expect it"? Well that was the case when Peter rebuked Christ in the scripture above. Jesus knew what He had to do.... And Peter said, No Way. Although God being all-knowing, He knew it was coming and He knew where it was coming from.
I've often wondered if Peter thought Jesus was calling him Satan? What a crushing blow that would have been to Peter. But I believe that Jesus was actually rebuking Satan himself for using Peter in this way.
Satan knows exactly how and when to attack us. He's worked hard to learn all he can about God's children.... He knows our weaknesses better than we know them ourselves. We need to be on guard at all times to deflect the attacks he sends against us.
Some of the times and ways that Satan attacks....
FROM THE MOST UNLIKELY SOURCE, i.e. when he used Peter to rebuke Christ... he will use those closest to us if they aren't protecting themselves against him as well.
WHEN BELIEVERS ARE PHYSICALLY OR EMOTIONALLY WORN DOWN. He temped Jesus when He had fasted for forty days (Jesus withstood.... Satan knows that we are vulnerable when we don't have the strength to fight.
WHEN WE'RE ALONE. He attacked Jesus when He was alone in the desert. He knows when we're alone we will find it harder to stand against attacks... We have no immediate support.
WHEN WE'RE STARTING A NEW MINISTRY OR WORKING ON A THRIVING MINISTRY. When Jesus was baptized He was preparing to start His ministry, Satan attacked Him then and all through Christ's ministry, over and over again... as you prepare to go to work for God, or when your building a strong ministry... expect to come under attack.
BE PREPARED. Satan will come on us when we least expect it. He will attack our ministries, our marriages, our families and even our health. Be prepared... with a godly stance, he can be driven back. But know this, he will not give up. He will come back time after time. His goal is to destroy all of God's work... AT ALL COSTS.
If we allow God to fight for us, we can be victorious against satan's attacks...
2 Timothy 4:18 "The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and save me for His heavenly kingdom. To Him be the glory forever and ever. Amen"
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