Chink in my Armor

"One day Samson went to Gaza,

where he saw a prostitute.

He went in to spend the night with her.

The people of Gaza were told,

'Samson is here!'

So they surrounded the place

and lay in wait for him all night at the city gate.

They made no move during the night,

saying, 'At dawn we'll kill him.'"

Judges 16:1-2

Samson, like all humans, had many flaws.  One was his weakness for women.  As he succumbed to temptation one day, failing to detect the trap into which he was stepping, he sought out a prostitute.  In so doing, he made himself vulnerable to his enemies who were bent on his destruction.

I, too, have an Enemy who seeks to steal, kill and destroy (John 10:10).  His whole mission is to take away the peace that rules my heart through Christ Jesus, to damage my relationship with the Lord so I cease to live the abundant, purposeful life, and to wipe out the confidence I have in the God who will never let me down.

When I give in to the sin which lures me, I open myself up to attack from the Enemy, making myself vulnerable to his schemes (1 Peter 5:8, Genesis 4:6-7).  Even though Satan has no hold on me, I give him a foothold when I yield to the sin that seems so attractive to my flesh (Ephesians 4:27). Then, there is much that I lose.

Peace

As I sat by the river watching the slow-moving water, I could feel the stresses of life melt away.  Birds sang praises to their Maker, lifting up their voices in sweet harmony.  A cooling breeze gently set the trees to swaying, adding to the composition that delighted my senses.  Dappled light painted a beautiful design at my feet as the sunlight filtered through the leaves above my head. This place delivered a sense of peace to my soul.

While its nice to sit and enjoy such a serene setting, its not always possible to take time out of each day to do so. Thankfully, surrendering to the Lord delivers the same effect. When I let go of my desire to work out all the details of my life, fretting over how I will solve all my problems, peace floods my heart (Philippians 4:6-7).

Similarly, knowing that the blood of Jesus has covered all my sins, making me right with God, sets my mind at ease (Romans 5:1). I don't have to be perfect to enjoy the presence of my Father who loves me perfectly (Hebrews 4:16)! Guilt is not an issue when I know the depth of His love (1 John 4:16-18). 

Unfortunately for me, this peace is often fleeting even though it is mine to keep. Satan knows how to push my buttons, drawing me into a state of worry or planting seeds of doubt about the security of my salvation. Once the thought is there, I easily glom onto it, letting the destructive thought pattern take me where it wants to go.  Soon the calm I once enjoyed is gone, leaving behind nothing but trouble.

If I want to protect the peace that comes from trusting in Jesus as my Lord and Savior, I must not give Satan a foothold by giving into temptation.

Purpose

From the time she was a little girl she knew what she wanted to do with her life.  From that point on, everything she did was with that goal in mind.  Nothing could distract her from her God-given purpose.  

Each believer has a specific purpose; a job for which they were created (Ephesians 2:10). When I seek God's will for my life, He reveals that focus that He meant for me, giving me a reason to drive forward each day (Jeremiah 29:11-13). As I accept His calling, everything suddenly begins to make sense.  Suffering is allowed into my life as part of the training necessary to prepare me for His use. I accept the bad along with the good, knowing that it all works together for my good and helps to propel me toward the purpose for which God has made me (Romans 8:28).

When I open myself up to the attacks of my enemy, however, this focus and drive is one of his targets. He aims to kill the plan God has for me, doing whatever he can to divert my attention away from it so I suddenly feel there is no reason for me to live. Or, he throws a wrench in the works with the hope that I will give up and forget about the good God has planned for my life.  

Instead of living with an aim and a purpose, then, I begin to wander aimlessly, going after one pursuit followed by another.  When one goal begins to lose its luster, I move onto another, never settling in for the long haul.  My life takes on the characteristics of an aimless wanderer instead of as a purposeful athlete training for an important competition (1 Corinthians 9:24-27).  Satan has killed my God-given purpose.

Thankfully, my calling is not gone, but I've only been fooled into thinking there is no reason for my pitiful life. Jesus, however, can restore that purpose as I keep my eyes on Him. Staying focused on Him enables me to run my race with purpose as I let go of all that distracts me from that single objective (Hebrews 12:1-2).

If I want to retain the sense of purpose I've been given as a child of God through faith in Jesus Christ, I must not give Satan a foothold by giving into temptation.

Faith

Each day was a carbon-copy of the one before.  Pain ruled her life, limiting her ability to care for herself.  She felt as helpless as a newborn baby.  Was this what God meant for her life?  Did He even care about her suffering?  She began to wonder if God even existed.  And if He did, why didn't He do something to help her?

Pain and suffering has a way of destroying faith.  Where once I believed God was capable of anything and I had full confidence in His goodness, sovereignty and power, misery and agony can wipe out that belief.

While God can use hard times like this to grow my faith and proving it as authentic, Satan's goal is to destroy my belief in God as my Helper and Source of comfort (James 1:2-4, Job 1:9-11).  If I begin to question God's goodness, wondering if He really has my best interest at heart, Satan thinks he's won the battle. What he (and I as I'm swept along by his lies) fails to realize , however, is the power of Christ that is within me, giving me the upper hand in this war (1 John 4:4). 

I have been given armor to protect me from the schemes of my enemy.  One of these pieces of protective gear is a shield to ward off the flaming arrows of the devil.  This important safeguard is made up of my faith (Ephesians 6:16). If Satan can destroy my shield, he thinks he's won the battle.

Instead of giving into the temptation that my enemy puts in my path, then, I must act as a soldier and quickly raise up my shield, using it to safeguard against what seduces me away from the path of righteousness.  

When hard times come my way, instead of focusing on the suffering,  I must remember my position as a soldier in a war and refresh my memory of all the good that will come from standing firm in my faith (Romans 5:3-5).

When trouble enters into my life, in the place of blaming God for what is unbearable for me, I can hold fast to the truth that I have been presented with a great opportunity to taste the compassion God has for me as I allow Him to give me comfort (2 Corinthians 1:3-4). 

When I'm faced with the impossible, I must not let down my guard, strengthening my firm stance with the truth that nothing is impossible with God (Luke 1:37).

If I want to stand firm in the faith I have in Jesus Christ, I must not give Satan a foothold by giving into temptation.

I often forget how vulnerable to attack I am and simply live in a way that pleases me.  When I follow my own flesh, I open myself up to the work of my enemy.  If I want to remain firm in my walk with the Lord, then, it is important that I guard against Satan's schemes.  Taking the way out when temptations come will allow me to retain the peace that guards my heart and mind, protect the purpose God has for my life, and to keep my faith in Him who is able to do more than I could ever imagine.  In these ways, I can avoid developing a chink in my armor.

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can stand firm in my faith, keeping aware of my enemy who is constantly on the prowl.

When do I live as if I have no enemy, assuming I am safe from attack?

How do I easily give in to temptation, making myself vulnerable?    


Originally published on March 28, 2014