A pesky enemy has brought some frustration to our lives. We placed a bird feeder in a tree behind our house. Our attempts to provide food for the feathered creatures that visit our yard were interrupted by a squirrel who wanted it all for himself.
Our dog, Maggie, tried to help. She appointed herself squirrel guard. She stationed herself by the window that overlooks the back yard, and alerted us to the squirrel’s presence in the tree. Her barks effectively chased him off for awhile. Then he figured out the glass barrier prevented her from getting to him. So he just stared back at her, as he continued on his way to the feeder. We even tried putting out corn for the squirrel, so he would leave the feeder alone. It didn’t work. He took the corn and the bird seed. If we let Maggie outside, she chased off this pesky enemy–but he relentlessly returned.
He is sneaky. He stealthily creeps through the tree when he thinks we are not watching.
Despite our efforts, he often got to the feeder and made a mess of things. Frequently he tilted the feeder to dump all the bird seed to the ground. Morning after morning we found the feeder empty. On one occasion he managed to knock the feeder itself down and broke it. After we repaired it and replaced it in the tree, we found a cure. We put a shield above the feeder to thwart off this enemy’s efforts.
Finally, The cardinals, chickadees, woodpeckers and robins are enjoying the food as we intended.
The squirrel still creeps through the tree, but so far the shield has kept him from getting to the feeder. He tries, but his efforts are fruitless.
The Bible warns us of another pesky Enemy, far more threatening than a squirrel who steals bird seed. Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour, 1Peter 5:8 NLT. He is the Enemy of our souls. The devil, or Satan, creeps up to us when he thinks we are unaware. He lies to us. He discourages and distracts us. He would destroy us if he could. He is relentless. There is no compromising or appeasing him with a little of anything–he wants it all.
We can’t fight this Enemy on our own–but we don’t have to. God has promised to take care of the devil, if we rely on Him. God has given us armor to protect us from the devil. One piece of armor is the shield of faith. Hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil, Ephesians 6:16 NLT. We strengthen the shield of faith through Bible study and prayer, which equips us to discern truth so we can stand against Satan’s lies. When we hold up our shield of faith in Almighty God, the devil is helpless and ineffective. Satan may still create some messes in our lives, but he cannot do any permanent damage.
So far, the shield above our bird feeder has worked. The squirrel may eventually manage to get to the feeder again to steal the food. But that other Enemy will never thwart God’ s plans in the lives of those who trust in Him.
A final word.: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. Ephesians 6:10-11 NLT
How has God equipped you to stand against Satan and his lies? Please leave a comment below.
Blessings,
Phyllis
Copyright 2024 Phyllis L. Farringer
Image by Jon Pauling from Pixabay
Every morning I recite
‘The Armor of God.’ We need His armor to equipt us for each day.
Thank you, Phyllis for your encouraging words!
Thank you, Kathie. I’m so glad we don’t have to do life on our own.
I’m learning not to be “ignorant of his devises/schemes” (2Cor 2:11)! And when I detect one, I must take up my shield and sword!!
I’m sure that’s why the Lord tells us to stay alert. Thank you, Cheryl.
Great insights, Phyllis. Thanks for sharing.
To God be the glory! Thanks so much for reading.
Hi Phyllis, I yearned for a quick read while taking a short break from working outdoors. Your blog was perfect as I reflected on your efforts to rid that pesky squirrel and the safeguards our Lord provides for our protection from Satan. I have gratitude for the gift of the Holy Spirit, God’s Word, and fellowship with other Believers to ward off Satan’s pervasive lies and deception.
Thank you, Beth. I’m grateful for those things too.