Daily Power #170

Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. (1 Peter 5:8)

About ten o’clock one night, my kids came to tell me that our dog was freaking out outside. “Daddy! We think Sadie has caught something in the back yard!” Hmm, maybe a cat? I thought and smiled to myself.

Now you may not know this about me, but cats don’t like me (probably because I rarely have anything nice to say about them). And besides, Scripture says that the devil roams around like a lion—linking him directly to the cat family. So the thought of our dog treeing a cat brought a little spark of joy to my otherwise quiet evening.

“I’ll go check on her,” I said, reassuring them.

Arming myself with my nunchucks and my iPhone flashlight, I headed out for search-and-destroy maneuvers. Once I had assessed the situation, sure enough, Sadie had treed not our neighbor’s housecat—but a bobcat!

Fortunately, my ninja training kicked in, and before I even realized what was happening, I was back inside my house, with the doors locked and the blinds closed and all the lights on. Then I remembered that Sadie was still out there. Thankfully she survived and lived to hunt wild cats another day.

It’s funny now, and maybe I’m exaggerating (just a little). But what’s real is the fear I felt in that moment with that beast snarling at me. We need to remember that we have an Enemy every bit as real and lethal as any wild animal. If we’re not armed with prayer and God’s Word, then we leave ourselves open to a major attack.

Never let down your guard spiritually. Be alert.

Power Lift

Lord, help me to take the Enemy seriously and to remain alert for his snares. Protect me so that I may continue to serve you and grow in my faith.