…when you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you. Is 43:2 ESV
The LORD is the One who goes before you. He will be with you; He will not leave you. Do not be afraid or discourages. Deut. 31:8
Don’t be afraid anymore, only believe. Mark 5:36 NASV
Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 4:16
As I survey people, in particular Christians, there is something I find troubling. It appears to me that an alarming number of Christians are walking life’s path without the benefit of light! And when the trials come, the lack of light allows Satan to move stealthily.
His first attempt will be to weaken our new nature by tempting our old nature with distractions meant to diminish our desire to study the Bible or spend time with God in prayer. p. 46 FD’s 3rd edition
When trials come, and that’s a given, without the light of God’s word we will find ourselves stumbling around in the dark. Having become so accustomed to the darkness we fail to see the solutions the light reveals. Before we realize it, we find ourselves walking along life’s paths using the same human reasoning and false arguments anyone in the World would use. Without the light provided by God’s Word, we become confused, disillusioned, frustrated, etc. as we seek solutions to our trials from other sources.
As Christians do we really desire to live this way? Satan’s fiery darts will attempt to convince us that this is normal. But God tells us that He has a better plan:
…the second half of John 10:10 reveals … God’s plan for His children, “I have come so that they may have life and have it in abundance.” p 13, FD”s 3rd edition
.John 10:10a (HCSB), “A thief comes only to steal and to kill and to destroy.” So what is it that the Enemy desires to steal, kill, and destroy? The answer is obvious—anything God has planned for us! p 13 FD’s 3rd edition
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16 NIV
The second half of John 10:10 reveals an aspect of God’s plan for His children, “I have come so that they may have life and have it in abundance.” p 13 FD’s 3rd edition
Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV), ‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’ p 24 FD’s 3rd edition
… Galatians 5:22-23. This is the familiar verse describing the fruits of the Spirit. When God puts a thought into your mind, then, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, or selfcontrol, for example, is the desired end. The purpose behind thoughts influenced by God is meant to conform us into the image of His Son. p 54 FD 3rd edition
Now the works of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, moral impurity, promiscuity, idolatry, sorcery, hatreds, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambitions, dissensions, factions, envy, drunkenness, carousing, and anything similar. Galatians 5:19-21
In their case, the god of this age has blinded the minds of the unbelievers so they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 2 Corinthians 4:4 HCSB
Satan would give Christ the world if He would only worship him! After all, 2 Corinthians 4:4, “The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God,” (NIV) p.39, FD
14 if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.
It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.”Deuteronomy 31:8 ESV
Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.Deuteronomy 31:6 ESV
The Cognitive Triangle
First we entertain a thought. That thought will cause certain related feelings. Thus, behavior is based on our thoughts and feelings. p.16, FD
For I know the plans that I have for you, declares the LORD. Plans to prosper you and not to harm you. To give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11
The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
Some days are worse than others when it comes to fiery darts. It’s amazing to me how powerful some fiery darts are. I think those that come through people who are closest to us has the greatest potential for destructiveness. The person through whom the fiery dart comes is often totally clueless that they have become the vehicle of such a force. Nevertheless, their encounter with you leaves you wounded and likely they are oblivious to the onslaught of fiery darts with which you now must deal.
Okay, you’ve been attacked, wounded, and are now struggling with the fiery darts of the minions of destructiveness. How do you respond? It’s important, I think, to not react but to respond. Reacting predisposes that you are acting without thinking. Reacting to fiery darts, which is our natural bent, is not the best way to deal with fiery darts. Nope! We must respond, which implies thoughtful actions. And for those of us who are Christian, prayer is a vital component of those thoughtful actions.
Fiery darts bring darkness and it seems to me that the more fiery darts you encounter the darker it gets. I suppose that’s why it’s important to follow the advice of Thomas a’ Kempis, author of The Imitation of Christ whom I quoted in my book, if you don’t want to be overcome by the accumulated darkness of fiery darts.
Above all, we must be especially alert against the beginnings of temptation, for the enemy is more easily conquered if he is refused admittance to the mind and is met beyond the threshold when he knocks.
You need light, the light of Truth, and lots of it at these moments. Pull out your Bible (or whatever means you have to the Scriptures) and focus on gleaning as much light as is possible on your present situation. Remember, to fight the darkness of the fiery darts you need to absorb as much light as you can. So immerse yourself in the Light of God’s Word from the git go. (You are just trying to dispel the darkness at this point.) Eventually, you will begin to receive direction concerning the specifics of your situation. Then it will be the light of God’s Truth that will define your attitudes and actions as you deal with the attack of fiery darts that you have encountered.
I would like to share with you the following about a man named Steve Saint who has become a beacon of light for God as is evidenced by the manner in which he has responded to a recent tragic accident in his life. At one point early on in this video, Steve shares how he dealt with a menacing fiery dart thought of how much easier it would have been if the accident had cost him his life. Listen carefully for the light of Truth he has come to know that exposes the darkness of such thinking.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vP3q_b4zKxQ
To find out who Steve Saint is go to:
Fiery Darts: Satan's Weapon of Choice 