Spiritual Battleship

Here's the deal: I am under spiritual attack. Someone very wise brought this up to me the other day, that maybe with all the different things being thrown at me even just over this last week, Satan is really attacking me. And although he can never do anything without God’s consent, I've definitely been letting Satan sneak into my thoughts.

Quite honestly I'm still trying to figure out what I believe and understand about spiritual warfare, but I know for a fact it exists. Maybe that is something you have struggled with...trying to figure out what really goes on at a spiritual level. If that is you, then you and I are in the same boat and I'm sorry I really can't clear it up for you.

But I do know this, my heart is constantly fighting in one direction, and Satan is throwing in little things here and there to try and push my heart in the other direction. These past couple weeks have just been filled with bad news, more bad news, and more bad news. It hasn't been fun. All these things are occurring when I already am in the midst of some big decision making and a bigger battle going on in my life right now. Each new day brings new opportunities for another trial to pop up and I just keep wondering, "could things get worse right now?"

Well yes, things could be a lot worse. And for many people, things are a lot worse already. But that fact doesn't take away this feeling that there is a war going on in my life right now.

It’s almost as if I’m stuck in a really frustrating game of battleship… I keep picking targets and I keep missing… But Satan is sitting across from me sinking all my ships, hit after hit after hit. It’s exhausting and it’s frustrating. I’m constantly wondering what ship, or what area of my life he is going to attack next. Sometimes I even start to feel like pretty soon I’m going to be completely out of ships for Satan to attack.

It makes me think of Job. When I was growing up, the story of Job was one of my favorite Bible stories. It always amazed me how Job could lose everything, and still stand strong before the Devil’s schemes. It also always brought about a deep sense of curiosity in my spiritual life… If you haven’t read the book of Job before, I highly recommend reading it. The story of Job caused me to wonder about these different questions even at a young age…God is granting the Devil permission to harm me? Why would He do such a thing? Why would God allow Satan to attack me? Why isn’t God helping me?

I believe the book of Job gives us all these answers, even if they aren’t clear at first.

Why is God granting Satan the permission to harm me?

Job 1:8:    “Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like

him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil?” (This is God speaking to Satan)

God had confidence in Job’s character and faith. In the same way, God has confidence in you. Let me be clear, God does not want for Satan to harm you. But there are times when God will allow Satan to attack you, ultimately to crush Satan’s hopes and bring glory back to the Lord. In this story, God used Job to destroy Satan’s boasting in his own powers. Have you ever thought that maybe when Satan is attacking you, God is using you to destroy Satan’s boasting?

            Or maybe God is using the attacks from Satan to shape us and mold us into the people who He wants us to be. It is often the testing and trials in life that make us who we are. Ultimately, there could be many reasons why God allows Satan to attack you, but know that in all of this… God has not abandoned you.

After all Job had gone through and all the questions Job earnestly sought for, God finally answered him. In Job 38, God starts to answer Job’s questions. He actually responds to Job with many questions of his own… asking things like, “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?” “Who provides for the raven its prey?” “Who has let the wild donkey go free?” All of these questions were to remind Job who was in complete control…Who has been here from the very beginning of time…And who is still involved and working on our earth. God.

If you’re feeling like me and you’re feeling like you’re losing a rough game of Battleship with Satan, remember the story of Job and that God is in command of Satan. We know from Scripture that spiritual warfare exists (1 Peter 5:8), and we have to be prepared for the times when we are tested. Ephesians 6 warns us about the wars we will face not against flesh and blood, but against spiritual evil. In order to stand strong in those wars, we have to put on the armor of God mentioned in Scripture (Ephesians 6:10-18). Satan might be attacking your ships and he might even be hitting the right spots, but God has given you what you need to fight against him. God also hasn’t abandoned you, He is on the ship with you…And when God is on your ship, you won’t sink.