fighting an invisible enemy

During the past 6 months or more, we have found ourselves fighting an invisible foe. Invisible? Okay, well, maybe not completely invisible, but we also cannot see it with our natural eye. This enemy is pervasive and merciless. It is insidious and continues to elude our best efforts of containment. It has wreaked havoc on our physical bodies, our relationships, our emotional health, our schools, our churches, our activities, and all the ways we do life.

Yes, Covid-19 has been a difficult adversary. But I'm not referring to a virus. I'm referring to a being. A spiritual enemy. Satan. The devil. The father of lies. Call him what you want, but he is just as real as the coronavirus and much more harmful. Some of his attacks are asymptomatic, with effects that do not feel the least bit abnormal, destroying us little by little without our awareness. Other attacks are raging and catastrophic, abruptly knocking the breath out of our lungs and the strength out of our legs.

Undoubtedly, however, the assaults from this enemy are often attributed to another attacker. Why is this? Perhaps because he uses the things of the physical world to execute damage to our spiritual natures. Perhaps because we don't want to believe in something we can't see or touch. Perhaps because we are already so oblivious to his attacks that we refuse to admit he is affecting us. Perhaps because we are afraid to call him out.

During the past 6 months or more, we, as a people, have been relegated to the most spiritually unhealthy state I have ever seen. We are

isolated

afraid

angry

divided

apathetic

depressed

anxious

selfish

caustic

and paralyzed.

And if you think the only antagonist in this story is a virus, you are so wrong. Satan will use any weapon he can grab in his attack on your soul, and this year it happens to be an organism so small it is almost invisible. If you subscribe to a virus you cannot see, then you should also acknowledge an enemy you cannot touch because the effects of both are quite apparent.

Are you starting to get really ticked off about the whole thing? I am.

I'm tired of watching Satan destroy yours and my relational, emotional, physical, financial, mental, and spiritual lives. So what do we do? While I don't have a full-fledged plan of war to share with you, I do think the first step is to acknowledge who we are fighting and to declare our intentions in the conflict. If I can be so bold, allow me to go first.

Satan, you have attacked my life and my home. You have taken some of my ambition and most of my peace. You have hindered my growth in more ways than not. But the damage is not irreparable.

And I'm not afraid of you, Satan.

I'm willing to stand up to you. I'm going to reach out to build new relationships despite the lack of opportunity. I'm going to leverage the time at home with my kids to build their character and their self-discipline. I'm going to support my husband as he struggles with his own stress and uncertainty. I'm going to feed myself from God's Word instead of waiting for someone to feed me. I'm going to take care of myself so I can better take care of others.

I'm going to rise up and, one step at a time, I'm going to take back the ground you thought you stole from me.

I will find my way out of this darkness, and I will blind you with the light I shine.

I will live today as if I am already in the presence of God. And you can live as if you are already in your eternal destination, too.

Go to hell, Satan.

Do not gloat over me, my enemy!

Though I have fallen, I will rise.

Though I sit in darkness,

the Lord will be my light.

(Micah 7:8)