Stay alert

"Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith." 1 Peter 5:8-9

After being attacked several times by dogs, and more close calls than I care to remember while on my daily runs, I have learned to stay alert to my surroundings, keeping my eyes and ears intently focused on everything around me. Unfortunately, I have also learned that attacks cannot be avoided. They will happen no matter how careful a runner is at choosing a "safe" route. Dogs get off their chains, are dumped or simply run wild and they can be dangerous. When approached, the best way to ward off an attack is to stand firm, rebuke the threat and make yourself appear larger than the problem. By having done this repeatedly, I now have the joy of watching a once ferocious dog scramble to jump back into his fence (he always gets out of) before he barks and chases me.

The devil comes at us in the same way, seemingly out of nowhere and ready to attack. In fact, the bible tells us that "he prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour." And when the attack comes, it is not the time to run. It is the time to stand firm and strong in our faith knowing that we are bigger than him by the power of Jesus. 1 John 4:4 reminds us that we, "have already won a victory... because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world." Did you get that part? Praise God, the victory is ours through Christ Jesus and we can tell the devil to get back into the fence.

When you find yourself under assault, whether it be physically, financially or spiritually, is your first instinct to run and hide? This strategy never works my friends. This is the time to stand your ground and remind the enemy that our God is bigger and greater than any problem or attack we will ever encounter. Hallelujah! Praise the Lord!

Heavenly Father, thank you for giving us the strength to fight the attacks of the devil. Help us to stay alert at all times and be ready for any attack that might come our way, standing firm in the faith and the promise that He who is in us is bigger and greater than he who is in the world. Let us say Amen each and every time we are brought through the fire and are victorious in the name of Jesus. It's in your precious name we pray, Jesus. Amen. 

Happy Running!!!

www.team413.org

Say Amen - Finding Favour

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VRcvcF_0_9M