I spent weeks preparing the lesson and had gone over and over the Scriptures and my notes earlier in the day. The ladies were warm and welcoming and I was excited about this study – the Armor of God from Ephesians 6. The lesson was “Knowing the Enemy” and I had been given ample material as the devil painted a bullseye on my back.
There was no clock visible so I grabbed my phone to watch the time. That’s when I saw it. A missed call from someone who was very angry with me – someone who had hurt me deeply just that morning. “Oh, no!” I thought. “What could they possibly want now? Hadn’t they put me through enough already?”
But I pasted a smile on my face and stepped up to the podium. “Good evening, Ladies – I’m honored to be here tonight.” I started speaking through my prepared notes, but the missed call was looming large. My attention was divided. As I pontificated from the Scriptures, I couldn’t shake the anxiety building in my mind and heart. “What is this all about?” Words of truth were coming out of my mouth and words of fear were screaming in my internal ear.
And that, my friends, is how satan distracts us from the work God has called us to do. He knew he couldn’t force me to give up and run away. He knew I was prepared and committed. So he planted a disruption to worry me and divert my attention, to throw me off balance mentally. I struggled for several minutes and then the Spirit brought a verse to mind: “Let the Word of Christ dwell in your richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom . . .” (Col 3:16). That was my calling for the hour, and I took it to heart. I gave my focus to the Word and laid my worry at Jesus’ feet. I trusted God to deal with the enemy and did the work I had been called to do. By the time the lesson was over my mind was clear.
Satan wants nothing more than to knock you and me out of the game. He throws fiery darts of fear and worry at us to distract us. He casts seeds of doubt all around us. He causes us to have a divided mind. You and I cannot function like that. We need to be clear-headed and focused. We need to be about the Father’s business – whatever that is. The battle is the Lord’s and the victory, Beloved, is coming.
Deeper Roots 