Tennessee, along with many States in the South got slammed last weekend with a Winter storm. It gobbled up State after State in its move from Texas to the East Coast. My part of the area (southwest Tennessee) hit by this monster storm was minor compared to what those States south of us had to endure. We were impacted with a lovely fluffy snow at first. Unfortunately, sleet and freezing rain joined in and disturbed my moments of contemplation. But before that I sat near my cozy fireplace while gazing upon the enchanting scene displayed outside my window. My memories traveled back to times when my husband and I joined our four children building our creative version of Frosty. One year I recall he wore a red cape (Frosty, that is not my husband!). He was supersized that year and needed the cape to accentuate his vastness, you see! Then my mind move forward to snow play with the grandchildren. One winter they happened to be visiting us when a surprise snow created the perfect setting for our snow shenanigans. Reminiscing about those snowy days in the quiet of my musings inspired the following poem. So, I just thought I’d share it with you.
With all the disruption taking place in our country these days, we need something to cling to that will inspire hope. Something that will strengthen our grasp on the assurance that evil will not prevail. So where are we to turn? Many turn to the wisdom of man, the power of worldly weapons, the strength of government, or financial wealth. Only to find these fall short to offer the protection we need. We may try religions that promote a variety of methods but fails to direct our focus towards the Triune God of Christianity.
In such trying times, we must be alert to the deception and manipulation of the enemy, aka Satan. Lies are his foremost fiery darts. The weapons he exploits to manipulate and deceive. Especially, those who without a relationship with God through Christ, become his pawns. And if we as Christians fail to search the Scriptures for answers, we will face the temptation of despair, confusion, and doubt.
Nevertheless, if we open our Bibles, that is where we will find the hope and assurance we need in these threatening days. In particular Psalm 91. Psalm 91 is primarily a Messianic Psalm but presents a clear message to individual believers found in verses 1-2
Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.[a] 2 I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”
And it is by having this mindset that we access peace and assurance, no matter the assault from the enemy. The enemy just can’t compete with this Divine protection of Psalm 91. For this psalm reassures us of God’s faithful presence during our storms. We know that because of God’s protection the weapons formed against us will not prevail. We will ride out the storm. We will persevere. We will rise above and become the stronger for it.
Ever been confronted with this question? Why do I follow Christ? That’s a profound question and it deserves an answer that stimulates curiosity about Christ.
The pure definition of a Christian is one who has the Holy Spirit of God within them. And following Christ as a result of that encounter is our foundation in answering the above question. The problem is if we don’t build upon that foundation, our answer to such a question won’t contain substance. And our impact to create a curiosity about Christ has little effect.
So how do we build upon this foundation? Spending time with God in prayer and His word answers that question. As we open ourselves up to the Holy Spirit’s tutoring, we will build a formidable foundation lesson by lesson. And that is the basis on which we will withstand life’s storms like a house built upon a rock.
When we do, we can go out into the world equipped with all that we need to live as conquerors against the attacks of the enemy. But the key is to absorb God’s word daily. So by the time we encounter life’s storms, we have a source to draw from. For God’s plan is to make us stronger with every tempest. Therefore, our testimony is validated by every storm we encounter. We can then testify boldly, as a result, why we follow Christ!
But remember, the more time we spend with God in prayer and His word, the stronger we will be. Also, the more clarity we will have about how to make the right choices. Likewise, the fiery darts of doubt, fear, lust, anger, pride, envy, despair, bitterness, deception, and unbelief, etc. have less of a chance to lodge themselves into our thought processes. Because these thoughts will lead to actions that undermine our witness and relationship with God. Making us ineffective as Christ’s witnesses. Remember Satan is a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. His goal is to prevent us from being able to give an answer as to why we follow Christ.
Get the picture? Our ability to give an answer as to why we follow Christ depends upon the strength and depth of our spiritual foundation. And that is measured by the time we have spent in prayer and God’s word on a daily basis. That my dear reader is how we get prepared!
It burdens my heart to see Christians ignoring their Bibles. It’s pretty obvious who’s behind that. Yep, the enemy is working overtime. I’ve written this before but it bears to be written again. Satan comes to steal, kill, and destroy.
Everywhere, here in the US and all across the globe is evidence of his deception and manipulation. So how does this happen? I believe the answer is simple. And it is revealed in John 10:10. If he can steal, kill, or destroy God’s word from an individual, that individual’s faith will be compromised. For if we don’t feed ourselves on the Truth of God’s salvation, we become malnourished in our faith.
God’s word is where Truth resides. Without Truth, evil has no restraints. And when evil is not restrained, lies become truth and Truth becomes lies. For the enemy knows that when we know the Truth, his plans are thwarted.
I want to break this down to the individual level. Consider the problems we face. For example, when we have discord in our family relationships and need insight as to how to handle it, where do we go? Friends? Books? Social Media? The internet? Television? Movies? Music? The enemy makes sure we have a smorgasbord of options to choose from. And he will deliberately steer us in the opposite direction of Truth.
So here we are, people who call themselves Christian but are ignorant of God’s Truth. Yes, we too often turn to the patterns of this world. A world that is blind to God’s Truth. When we turn to the world for the solutions we need, it’s like the blind leading the blind. For instance, the world will tell us that we are the author of our own lives. That we should reject any advice from those who contradict what we want. Shut them out. Put up boundaries. Don’t let them in. The very people who love us the most are the ones we are influenced to turn from. Know why?
Therefore, Satan’s goal is to separate us from what is True by making sure we are ignorant of it. Keeping us from spending time in the Bible is his default tactic. His goal is to imprison us with lies.
Whenever I hear this verse my mind flashes back to my Vacation Bible School days. That’s when I first remember memorizing Ps. 118:24. Even as a child my mind could grasp the idea that every day was a gift from God. The notion that a day was a divine gift, fostered gratitude and joy in my child sized heart.
And now, at 77 years of age, this verse resurfaces. However, it’s framed by a life that has traveled many miles. Lots of valleys but lots of mountain tops too. So it impacts me oh so differently now.
There are moments when the weight of present family trials pulls at my heart. Heaviness of heart sets in. The fiery darts of doubt, fear, self-pity, and judgement appear on the threshold of my mind like a stalking lion. Just waiting for the moment to pounce.
However, there is a sentinel at the threshold standing guard. In His possession are all the weapons I need to counter the enemy’s attacks. By reminding me God has made my day then I find I can rejoice. Knowing God has designed my day gives me every reason to face down the stalking lion. My perspective transforms the stalking lion into a powerful Sentinel.
Seasons of life come and go. And here we are with Winter season well underway and at the end of another year. As the year ends, most of us anticipate an opportunity to begin anew. If we’ve made some mistakes in 2025 that we would like to correct, here’s our chance.
Here’s some suggestions that hopefully will promote corrections. Identify what happened in our heads that set the course for some of those mistakes we made. Let’s start with how often do we spend time with God in prayer and His word? How balanced are those two disciplines? Remember, if we are going to thwart the enemy’s plans, we must know how he is going to attack. The Bible reveals Satan’s strategy. Is it any surprise that one of the foremost tricks up Satan’s sleeve is to keep us ignorant of what the Bible says about him? (Remember, he comes to steal, kill, and destroy)
Ignoring God’s word, leaves us wide open for Satan’s initial assault. And guess where that is. Yes, the family. Has bitterness and misunderstanding replaced the love that once reigned? Do we find ourselves blaming others for the emotional pain we endure? Does condemnation and finding fault with those who have hurt us rule our thoughts? I think we all know the source of such emotional fiery darts.
What can we do differently to break the cycle of division in our family? First, asking ourselves the following question would be a good start. Whose voice do I listen to and follow? Satan has orchestrated such deception in this area. What’s the deception? Placing Self in the position of authority in our lives. Direct opposition to the way revealed in the Bible. But we won’t know that, if we aren’t allowing God’s word to guide our steps. What then is our mode of correction?
From this point forward, go back to a balanced effort of reading the Bible and spending time with God in prayer. Ask God for the strength to forgive where we have been wronged and to ask for forgiveness where we have wronged others. Peace and harmony will happen as a result. Swallow that pride or you will be headed for a fall. God has better plans for you.
Next year, let’s make the switch. Submit to God’s authority and see if we don’t notice some healing and correction of past mistakes. See if we don’t experience some new things, some reconciliation in this New Year!
2 Corinthians 5:17 (NKJV): “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”
That is why God gave us His word, the Bible. God’s word shines the Light on the darkness of our sins. The more we embrace the truths of Scripture, the brighter Christ light in us will shine.
As we go about our Christmas celebrations remember this. The enemy will do whatever it takes to gain a foothold in your Celebrations. So personal examination is in order. What does the spotlight of our Christmas celebration reveal? Let’s take an inventory and see what we come up with. Does our understanding of God’s word expose fiery darts lurking in the darkness?
Remember, the purveyor of darkness is still attempting to steal, kill, and destroy the Light in our day. Just like he did when Christ first came into this world. But there is Hope for the Light will always overcome the darkness
I mentioned in my previous post that I discovered in mid-life something transformational regarding prayer. This discovery involves connecting the point of our petition with something concerning that prayer from God’s word, the Bible.
Please allow me to give you a personal example. I’m 77 years of age. My husband and I have been empty nesters for some years. Our children now live in distance places. And as life progresses and the grans get older, coming home for Christmas isn’t as doable as it once was. Honestly readers, as a result, Christmas has lost some of its glitter for me. Not in the message, of course, but in accumulation of family memories.
As the scenes have changed, I have learned to draw upon God’s comforting words to dispel the fiery dart of loneliness. There’s a verse I learned as a child, This is the day the Lord has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it. Psalm 118:24 NKJV. This verse came to my mind as a weapon in combating the enemy’s attacks. I pondered this verse and it shaped my prayer. “Dear LORD, This day, this time, although not what I would choose for myself, is the day you have made for me. And since You have made it, I will rejoice and be glad in it.”
Framing my Christmas with this truth helped me maintain a more positive perspective. Therefore, EVERY TIME the sadness approaches I head it off with this verse. And the fiery dart is extinguished. The enemy’s weapon does not prevail. Instead, I defeat the temptation to think self-centered thoughts and began a nose dive into depression. I am at peace with what God planned for me. I am open to enjoying the Christmas God has prepared for me.
And the benefits or blessings by praying this prayer, is that my heart is open to the blessings available to me. Time not crowded with preparations for a big family gathering opens up new possibilities. Thus I am reading an Advent devotional which is powerful in fixing my focus on the true meaning of Christmas. As I focus more on the Christ child and less on myself, the sadness that stands in the wings is depleted.
So by lifting my shield of faith, God supplies me with just the right weapon to defeat the enemy’s attacks. Just when I need them, I’m reminded of Truths such as Psalm 118:24 & Ephesians 6:16. These words are the weapons that will undo and thwart the enemy’s plans. By spending time with God daily and His word, I am informed as to the particular weapon I need to choose.
Is giving God a portion of each day, by spending it with Him in prayer and His word, lacking? If so, imagine a warrior going into the battle without their weapons! Defeat is certain isn’t it! Which will be the outcome for anyone entering the battle fray without the proper weapons.
There have been volumes written about prayer. So, I really don’t have anything new to add to the subject. What I have to share will be a reminder to many. Yet for some it might just be a new discovery! I write that because it wasn’t until the middle half of my life that I made such a discovery regarding prayer.
I’l preface this by sharing that my prayer life has undergone various transformations over the years. As I grew spiritually that growth inspired alterations in how I prayed. For instance, as a young Christian, my prayers focused mostly on what I wanted from God. But as the years passed, and I learned more about God, my prayers focused more on what He wanted for me. Yet, it was an up and down journey which was directly impacted by my growth or lack thereof.
However, there was something missing. A failed connection. I use to remind my children and my students that God gave us two ears and one mouth for a reason. That reason was that He wanted us to listen twice as much as we spoke. It took awhile for that to sink in and apply it to my spiritual life. For you see, I had failed to realize that while prayer was my talking to God, reading and meditating on His words was how God talked to me. What I discovered, well into my adult life, was that I was over focused on making sure God knew what I wanted. Yet, I wasn’t giving Him the opportunity to tell me what He wanted!
There’s a verse that showed me it was in recognizing God’s mighty weapons (His Word, His Truth) that resulted in my hearing God’s voice. It was what God said to me in Ephesians 6:16, “above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one,” that I began to make the connection between lies and fiery darts. From that verse God referred other verses which led me to be able to recognize the fiery darts, reject them, and to replace them with His Truth. Truth thoughts that countered the lies from the enemy.
The key to communicating with God is to become familiar with His word. Leave the Bible reading out and we will only be talking to God. We won’t know what He has to say about our petitions, if we do all the talking.
What was Thanksgiving like this year? What did it reveal? What was the focus? What did we ignore? What got left off?
Thanksgiving is a time to be thankful. But what were we thankful for? Our abundance?
There was so much food and so much effort was poured into providing it. We gathered together, or as many of us as could. We joked around. Played games that revealed we probably watched too much tv.
But I wonder. Was there any mention of our historical legacy of the Pilgrims? Their thanksgiving wasn’t about abundance. For over half their numbers had died due to the lack of food and previous winter weather extremes. But they had survived that winter. The Wampanoag Indians had become their friends and taught them techniques on how to increase their harvest. They had known the faithful presence of God rescuing them from destruction. And they were thankful for God’s provision and deliverance.
Why would we want to be thankful for the difficult times our families might be experiencing? Why would God tell us to be thankful in all things because this is His will concerning us? It’s easy to be thankful for our abundance. But being thankful for the difficult times isn’t. Think about what we learn from surviving the difficult times though. Things like endurance, perseverance, character, and a deeper relationship with God and with those around us. Particularly in our family.
Focusing on our abundance promotes self centeredness, if we leave God out of it. And even then the focus tends to be more on ourselves than God. But when we focus on being thankful even when things aren’t so good, that turns the focus to God. We get glimpses of just how loving, how faithful and how powerful our God is.
Now that Thanksgiving is but a memory, let’s not allow our material blessings to overshadow our spiritual needs.
Fiery Darts: Satan's Weapon of Choice 