Know The Enemy During The Pandemic

“Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” – I Peter 5:8

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” – John 10:10

"Woe to the earth and the sea because the devil has gone down to you! He is filled with fury, because he knows that his time is short" - Revelation 12:12b

Know our enemy so we can know what to expect

And be armed

Equipped to do battle

For we are in a spiritual battle

Especially during this pandemic

For Satan is whom he is

Prowling around like a roaring lion

Seeking to steal

Kill

Destroy

And to ensnare as many as he can

For he knows his time is short

Before the pandemic

Poor communication with our significant others

Idiosyncrasies annoying to us

Patterns of behavior of our loved ones we did not like

During the pandemic

Communication breaks down to nil or assumptions being made

Idiosyncrasies are blaringly irksome to us

We find ourselves quick to assign negative motivations to behaviors

Quarantine life makes us feel

Bored

Restless

Listless

Stifled

Pent-up

Fed-up

Angry

Walls closed in

Shut down

Depressed

Desire to isolate

To break out

To act out

To take out

our anger and frustration

This death-drive of not being able to live normally has contributed to

Patience gone

Tempers flare

Unforgiveness rampant

We become stubborn and recalcitrant

Ready to fight to syphon off our pent-up anger and frustration

Patience to better communicate is gone

Peaceful protests turn into riots

Playing right into Satan’s hands and schemes

To steal

To kill

To destroy

To turn husband and wife against one another

To turn family members against each other

To turn the protector into the aggressor

To turn the powerful into the oppressor

To turn temperance into exaggeration

To turn tolerance into hatred

To turn society into chaos

But we are not unaware of this spiritual battle

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood

But against the rulers

Against the authorities

Against the powers of this dark world 

Against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms

Therefore

Put on the Full Armor of God

So that we may be able to stand

Stand against the evil schemes of the Enemy

Stand together

Stand with one another

Stand side by side

With linked arms

Not fists

With tender hearts toward one another

Not iron hearted toward each other

May we go down on our knees

In humility

In repentance

In forgiveness

To seek God’s forgiveness for our wrongs

To forgive those who have wronged us

To forgive ourselves for our wrongful acts

To humble ourselves

So that God may lift us up

And to embrace the “Life Drive”

To have life abundantly

Through Jesus and what He has accomplished for us on the cross

Our punishment in His body on the cross

Our sins forgiven and washed

Our stains cleansed

Death turned into life

Life abundant

For Jesus has come to give us

Life

Abundant life

Despite the quarantine

Despite the circumstances around us

LIVE

Life

Fully

In Jesus

Through Jesus

BE His witness

BE His voice to speak up against wrongs and to admit our wrongs

BE His heart to grieve wrongs done by us and by others

BE His arms in embracing others

BE His hands to reach out to others

BE His feet to go reconcile with others

BE the bridge between all opposing parties

Starting in our family

Then in our neighborhood

And in our community

That the Name of Jesus might be lifted up

As a shining beacon

In this dark and depraved world

May His Kingdom come

May His Will be done

On earth

As it is in Heaven

Even in the midst of this pandemic

 Especially during this pandemic