LENT WEEK 1: DAY 6

Life they say is a constant battle and every day is a new challenge. It is even more real for Christians who at the example of their master, have to go through serious persecution for his name (Matthew 5:11). The battle is even more intense because we are attacked on every side and persecuted (2 Corinthians 4:8-9) both physically and spiritually. This is thus because the Christian fights not only to save himself but also to save his soul. The enemies of our soul are numerous and among them are three major enemies every Christian must fight with their whole life.
The first of these enemies and the weakest of them is the devil or again Satan. Many people have laid all their focus on fighting this ancient enemy who has been a murderer and liar from the very beginning (John 8:44). From the very dawn of creation, he has worked to seduce and deceive man from the right path (2 Corinthians 11:3) and cast him into a path of suffering. Jesus affirms that the devil only comes to steal, kill,, and destroy (John 10:10) which in other words means that there is nothing good in him. He is therefore an enemy to be avoided and not to befriend. St Peter on this note will invite all Christians to be on guard because their adversary the devil is going around looking for someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8). The devil I must tell you is no respecter of person or anointing. He doesn’t care how holy you are or how powerful you are. Job was a holy man but that didn’t stop the devil from messing up with him or again, peter was so close to Christ but that didn’t stop the devil from seeking permission to mess him up (Luke 22:31). Jesus himself was not exempted (Matthew 4:1). Being the ruler of this world (John 12:31), he can manipulate things to suit his plans against you. The call of God for me and you is to be alert and know that we are not fighting against flesh and blood but against the powers and principalities and rulers of this world (Ephesians 6:12). This means that the enemy is not the neighbor next door but the spirits that attack us from the shadow. The time and energy we waste fighting our fellow brothers and sisters should be invested in fighting the true enemy who manipulates everything from the shadow. A clear example of this is Judas Iscariot; everyone notes that he betrayed his master but no one remembers that the devil entered him (Luke 22:3) and led him to go discuss with the chief priest. The real enemy that causes the fights with our brothers is sometimes just in the shadow and that’s why St James will invite us to resist him so that he will flee from us (James 4:7). The battle is to resist him and all his seduction and plans. You can’t kill him, you can only chase him away. Every Christian has to make it a point of duty to fight against the devil and his manipulations so as to live in peace and harmony with their neighbors. Think of this story of the red and black ants who both lived in a glass peaceful and cohabited without attacking each other. But one day, someone came and shook the class and mixed them up and they began killing each other. The shaker of the glass in this story is the cause of the problem but he stays off the battle and watches how they kill each other but notices that no one attacks him. So, it is, with us and the devil, if we lose focus that he is the cause of the problem and rather start fighting our brother or sister because he is not like us, we shall both destroy each other while he will come out victorious. May we today direct our battles where the real enemy is and expel him from our midst. May our good lord and our guardian angels give us victory over him. Remember the real enemy isn’t your brother but the devil who manipulates everything in the dark.

Resolutions

I resolve to resist the devil and all his seductions.
I Resolve to focus my battles on the right enemy.
I resolve to hold firm unto God and build my prayer life.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, I thank you for the gift of your beloved son to us and for the victory he has won over the devil and his agents. Teach me the resist the devil and overcome all his evil plans. Help me to fight every battle that comes my way with determination and not stop until I have destroyed the work of evil around me. Amen.