Not the usual word paring linked with Christmas, I know! Yet, I find that these two fiery darts collaborate to invade my thoughts this Christmas. My best friend, who was my confidant and companion, passed away early last year. By God’s grace, accepting the reality of her passing has been accomplished. Yet without her presence the temptation to be undone by the boredom and loneliness I feel without her is a recurring struggle.

We all know life experiences can sow seeds of loneliness and boredom. Contrast that with the fullness and warmth of Christmas and the mix can be unbearable at times. Lessening the fullness of one and intensifying the pull of the other. While Christmas is undeniably magical, life doesn’t always contribute to that magic. But life refuses to change its pace, no matter what it has thrown at us, even at Christmas time.

Donning a fake holiday countenance as our seasonal apparel, won’t remove the lonely and/or bored emotions hidden underneath. For when we withdraw from the celebratory crowd, those disturbing emotions come out of hiding. Emotions, or shall I say fiery darts, programmed to derail the healing magic of the holidays, in particular Christ’s birth.

So how do we, as Christians, outmaneuver the enemy’s attacks? In my book, Fiery Darts, I emphasize again and again the primary method to counter these attacks. Immersing ourselves in God’s word and connecting with Him in prayer. By becoming knowledgeable of the mighty weapons found in God’s word, we can preempt Satan’s attacks. We also increase our sensitivity to hear God’s Holy Spirit guiding us in prayer.

We achieve this through such weapons as is mentioned 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.”, and Isaiah 54:17, “No weapon formed against you shall prosper.” And Psalm 91:2, reminds us “My refuge and my fortress; My God in whom I trust.” (and these are just a minuscule sampling of what’s available.)

But we need to “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 1 Peter 5:8 ESV” Calling upon God’s mighty weapons must be a daily discipline. For an unarmed Christian is easy prey for the enemy. During the Christmas season, there is an avalanche of emphasis on gift giving. It acts as a stealth weapon of the enemy. This emphasis causes us to become wrapped up in ourselves. A plethora of fiery darts including ones of boredom and loneliness will be used to devour us. To thwart the enemy’s plans, we must redirect our focus. Focusing instead on God’s mighty weapons revealed in His word.