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Single Minded
by Michelle Brinson
Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.
1 Peter 5:8b NIV
It is Satan’s desire to steal, kill and destroy. He wants to do whatever he can to dash our hopes, shatter our dreams and devour us. He doesn’t want us to rely on God.
Satan has several tools in his arsenal that he uses against believers. I’ve often heard these referred to as Satan’s 5Ds
Doubt—We doubt ourselves. We doubt his existence. We doubt family and friends. But the biggest doubt of all…doubting God, His word, His goodness and His faithfulness. If Satan can convince us to doubt God, then he has succeeded in driving us away from God.
Discouragement—This is a big one. I struggle with this on a regular basis. Discouragement drives us to look at the problem and not at the solution. We are very vulnerable to attacks by the enemy when we are discouraged. It is in taking our eyes off Jesus and instead focusing on how big a situation may appear to be, that we succumb to the hopelessness that comes with being discouraged.
Defeat—If you already feel like a failure then it is likely that you will not even bother trying. Satan wants us to give up. He wants us to frustrate our goals. And if you try and fail, many give up without ever getting “back on the horse.” I’ve often said it’s not in the falling down that you’re character is revealed (because guess what? We are all going to fall down at some point.)—it’s in the getting back up that really shows the world who you are.
Distractions—Computers, smart phones, text messages, instant messages, TVs, cars, Facebook, Twitter…there’s always something demanding our attention. If Satan can keep us distracted, we will never find time for God.
Delay—Procrastination. Again… I plead guilty as charged. I’m not always a procrastinator. It’s easy to find time for the easy stuff, the fun stuff and the exciting stuff. But the hard stuff…well, it takes time, it takes effort, it takes commitment and it takes work. It’s easy to put that sort of stuff on hold. If we put God on hold so we can partake in all the other things, the enemy has undermined God’s plans for our life.
I’d like to add a few other D words to this list:
Division—If the enemy can divide us against ourselves (churches fighting, splitting) then we again have taken our eyes off of Jesus.
Discontent—If we are discouraged and depressed, our hearts become heavy and we feel defeated, we become critical and spiritually useless.
I’m sure we could think of many other tools the enemy has in his toolbox that we could add to this list.
So what’s a person to do? How do we arm ourselves? How do we battle against these spiritual attacks?
What did David say after God delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul?
"The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation. He is my stronghold, my refuge and my Savior." (2 Samuel 22:2-3)
Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. (James 4:7)
The answer is God! Know God! Trust God! Seek God! He is the answer!
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Michelle sees her marriage as a ministry and desires for it and herself to be used by God. She and her husband and son are active members of their church. She is also passionate about spreading the good news locally as well as internationally via mission trips to East Africa and wherever else the Lord leads.
Michelle is a talented writer and speaker who prays God will use her in sharing His hope and truths to those who are hurting and in need of love.
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