The Battle Is Real
Imagine you are on a battlefield. On your left, you see many fall. On the other side, you see yet more crumple to the ground. But in the midst of the danger, you are kept safe from harm.
This is what today's scriptures from Psalm 91 illustrate. Now, I know not all of us have had to experience the horrors of being in a physical combat zone, and our hearts and prayers are with those who have undergone or are in the midst of such a conflict. Still, not being in a physical battle does not mean that we are not under attack, nor does it mean that we do not see death claiming its victims all around us.
We are assaulted daily from all directions by tragic newsflashes, by doctors’ reports, and by attacks of the devil launched at us. And every day, we see casualties around us as we read about people dying in accidents, in attacks, or of diseases.
Please understand that I am not in any way suggesting that such occurrences are equivalent to the experiences of those who may have been in wars. What I do want to establish is that believers are in a spiritual war, and we should not be ignorant of the enemy’s tactics.
When the enemy attacks you, do you recognize his weapons? The projectiles he shoots may not come with arrowheads or be filled with gunpowder, but they are no less deadly.
His weapons come in the form of crippling thoughts and crushing fears. When you hear about a plane crash and are paralyzed by the thought that your next plane ride might be your last, you have been shot. When you read about a shooting at a concert venue and fear going near one in case the same thing happens to you, a “bullet” has been lodged in your mind.
I want to teach and equip you to combat these oppressive thoughts. Unfortunately, many believers who may experience these dark thoughts allow them to take root and grow. They water them with worry, fertilize them with anxiety, and allow them to sun for hours in their mind.
How? By replaying the bad thoughts over and over again and letting them go on and on like a broken record. As a result, these believers can’t sleep, they suffer from chronic panic attacks, and they might even develop autoimmune and psychosomatic conditions.
What begins in the mind can take root in your heart, and can even lead to adverse effects on your physical body. When those negative thoughts come your way, you must not give them time to take root!